The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-06-28
RECOLLECTION OF AN OLD CIT
IZEN.

/ 9GGOa4G1S 4104N ~ a ~ OA@A% "a 4
IZEN.
The Gait House Tragedy of 1888, With
a Sketch Of 5. =. Prentiss.
This terrible affair took place December
Is, 1888, at the Gait house-the old
Gait house-corner of Second and
Main--in this city. 1t had its origin
in such trifing incident as the fit of q coat.
The participants were John ". Redding, a
merchant tailor doing business on the corner
of Third and Main streets, Judge Wilkin-
sippi, John Rothwel, a brother-in-law of
Redding, Alex. H. Meeks and a navy off,
Ger by the name of Murdough.
Redding's standing in business circles
was high. He was very quiet man, but
very sensitive; was short in stature, but
feshy.
| The Wilkinsons were beau-ideals of the
Southerner. They were finely educated,
polished gentlemen, with black hair and
eyes; about five feet eleven inches in height,
| and spare built.
| Rothwell was highly respected citizen, a
halter, doing business on the corner of Sixth
and Market streets; a large man, and of a
quiet disposition.
Meeks was an entire stranger to every
one; was small, handsome man, red COM
plexion, and seemingly about thirty years Of
age.
Murdough was short, stout man with
jet black hair and restless eyes of the same
color, and looked like-what afterwards
proved to be the Casa fearless and des-
perate man when aroused. He was from
Indiana.
THE TRAGEDY.
About o'clock in the evening of Decem-
Der 10, the two Wilkinsons and Murdough
called at Redding's tailoring establishing
to look at suit of clothes which Redding
was making for Judge Wilkinson, who was
about to get married. The Judge put his
coat on to see how it fit. His brother, the
doctor, and Murdough pronounced it mis-
fit, which incensed Redding, who as much
as told them it was no business of theirs,
and eontradicted them point blank by de-
claring that the coat was a good fit. The
Judge threw off the coat, Redding seized a
poker and the doctor seized a pistol, ex-
claiming as he did so ''No man of your
profession shall insult US" Redding laid
the poker down and the doctor put up his
pistol, and so the matter might have ended.
But the taunt thrown out by DR.. Wilkin-
son ranked in Readings bosom, and as soon
as the others left he closed his store, and
calling on his brother-in-law, Rothwell, in
duced him to close his store, and accom-
panied by big Bill Holmes and Henry Old
ham, who were looked upon as bullies,
called at the Gait house about o'clock.
About the time the judge was trying on
his coat at Redding's, a stranger Hired a
saddle-horse at FTederick's livery stable,
opposite the Gait house. He returned to
the stable just as some one ran over from
the Gait house and exclaimed "There is
going to be hi of a fight over at the
the hotel" The stranger, who proved to
be Meeks, and who was said to be drunk,
said: 81 have never seen Kentucky fight,
and, as | want to take hand, | am in,'
and, in a very excited state, he rushed
across the street, whip in hand, and entt rsd
the hotel live man, but was shortly
after carried out corpse. As he
entered the Office the hotel was crowded
and everything at fever heat be.
tween the two parties who were talking
the matter over. He, without knowing any
thing of the affair, a stranger to all, shook
his whip in Murdough's face, and declared
che was in the fight" This was all that
was needed. In moment, in the twink |
ling of an eye, he was weltering in his own
blood, almost cut in two by a Bowie-knife |
in the hands of Murdough, and then the |
fight became general. Rothwell was cut |
and shot, and died soon after. Bill Holmes |
was shot, but recovered. DR.. Wilkinson |
shot Holmes, but who killed RothwelI is not |
known. Several others of the party were |
wounded, but none of the Wilkinson party |
received scratch.
The whole country was shocked, and ex- |
citement in this city was intense. The Office |
of the Gait House, the scene of the fight, was |
literally covered with blood. 1t seemed |
hardly creditable that SO much blood could |
come from two men. There was snow on the |
ground, and | remember with what horror |
the people gazed on the tracks of blood all |
over the city, made by the feet of those |
whose curiosity led them into the scene of
the tragedy.
The Wilkinsons and Murdough at one,
surrendered to the City Marshal, Fred |
Turner, and were put in prison, where they |
remained five days. On the Goth or 21st |
they were brought into court, and after |
hearing, in which all the legal talent of the |
city and Ben Hardin and John Rowan were |
interested or engaged, they were held in /
$50, 900 bail. The sureties were Coleman, |
Ward & Co., James Hewitt and Horror,
Lins & Co. In few days Judge Wilkin-
son was married at Bardstown, KY. but |
whether in that suit made by Redding or
not l never knew.
Redding had hosts of friends, but many
censured him for dragging his brother-in
law into such serape. Rothwell was liked
by every one, was the sole support of a
mother and two sisters, and was doing well.
The Wilkinsons got change of venue
and the trial was set for the 4th of March,
1889, at Harrodsburg, KY. There were
about fifty witnesses summoned on both
sides, two-thirds of whom knew nothing
about the case. A part of these two-thirds
were summoned to testify as to the charac-
ter of the remainder of the two-thirds.
OF clothes in Harrodsburg it would at once
be asked, "who brought those clothes, Red
ding or the WiIkinsons p
On the 1st of March the town of Harrods-
burg began to fill up with people from all
ever the country. | suppose there never
was trial in the State of Kentucky where
so much legal talent was engaged as in this
one. The three great lawyers of that day
were in it, viz: John Rowan, Ben Hardin
and the great Sergeant s. Prentiss Before
such lawyers hired and perjured witnesses
would stand no show at all, and after they
got through with one Of them the remain
der skipped the town. This one was man
of means, but of no principle, and his repu-
tation tor veracity below par. After these
lawyers had scourged him, lashed him, and
skinned him alive, he was a sorry looking
spectacle. No other witness of this kind
dared to face the ordeal, and so they In
fed.
The prophetic remarks of s. S. Prentiss
az the trial will ever be remembered by all
who heard him. It was in substance as fol-