The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-10-26
SHOT INA SANCTUM.

Post-Dispateh PubliCation and IS k1ued
by John a. cocRerill, the sIanaging
assrs 1ou1s, No, Oct. A.
Alonzo ". Slayback, a prominent /
attorney, was shot and killed by John A..
Cockerill, editor OF the .Post-Dispatcb, this
city, yesterday afternoon. Witnesses gave
different versions OF the affair, but it was un-
derstood that Mr.. slayback, accompanied
by friend, visited the sanctum to
demand satisfaction for an editorial publ-
cation. Mr.. Cockerill, in a sworn statement
atthe inquest to-day, thus tells the story Of
the tragedy:
On the evening of the 3Oth of September a
social entertainment was given at the rooms
of the Elk Club. AS President of the organiZa-
tion it was my duty to receive and entertain
called to Col. Slayback, who was sitting at a
table with Mr.. III. w. Moore, and others. He
was speaking in loud tone, and using vio-
went into q different part of the building to
avoid hearing his language, for I feared that
In his excitement he would say something un-
pleasant to me, and wished to avoid a aseene.
half hour later Mr. Moore spoke to me, and
said that Mr.. Slayback had applied the term
"blackmailer'' to the editor of the Post Dis
patch, and had made serious threats. As this
had taken place in q public asserlblage OF my
friends, I felt called upon. 10 ask him for an
explanation. went TO him in the next room,
touched him on the arm and told him l wished
TO speak TO nm We Went INTO tle snaii
room known as the library, the doOrof which
him: " Colonel, I understand that yon
have made some very bitter pub
and would like to know if you meant them
to be personal to unexpectedly, do you mean
to apply the term blackmailer to meI" His
answer was that he had not intended to
brand me a blackmailer. He then entered
upon bitter tirade of abuse against the pa
per- to which listened quietly, telling him
at the same time that he was entitled to his
opinion as to the course of the paper in op-
posing. the candidacy of his partner, Mr.
BTOa0head. Then. suddenly. he SIJTaany to the
door and closed it, and locked 1t. With his
fist cIfnched, he said: you have brought me
in here to buIIdoze me and now we are alone,
and man to man, and tell you now that if
the l'ost7 DtsPGtch ever attacks me or assaliS
my character / viii go To your office and kill
you. will take the life of any may who en-
ploys newspaper to abuse and injure me"
him, and that had simply called him In the
room to ask for an ex x'ianaton that was due
entertained q friendly feeling for him;
had never written a lines against him,
as fRS spoPe h@PPed If 5fat his psgs pnfner woqq 4
Broadhead, and the charges that had been
that he would shoot anybody who would pub
lish such things OF him: He told me that
paper, and declared that before the campaign
was over he would go on the stump and from
house to house TO denounce the Post Dispatch
; ana break up ITS business, 1nere was 1nucn
talk of this character on his part. i assured
him that was at all times in readiness to
meet any responsibility that belonged to me,
and that when properly called upon would
render any satisfaction that a gentleman
could demand. He gave me to understand
that he held himself subject to the same de-
mand, and that If occasion ever arose he
would certainly put me to the test After still
further conversation, in which assured him
that / had no i'll feeling toward him, and in
which I attempted to show him that he was
not called upon to. go to extreme lengths in
maintaining Mr.. Broadhead'S candidacy,
succeeding in calming him.. He shook my
hand and We agreed to be friends assuring
him that no act of mine should give him per-
sonal cause to feel hostile toward me. At his
we the sfdAhOard
and took a social drink. We then together
sat down in the main hall for an hour, listened
to some songs and stories, drank together
and parted in the most cordial way. " hen
nextI saw Col. Slaybaek he called at the Office
cts to ask me to. suppress all mention of the
action of certain citizens regarding the Irish
vent away in good feeling, ffirst asking me
if | had been sufficiently supplied with
tickets tOsthe Yelled Pronhets bali Meantime
I had been informed that if the course of the
paper was not changed toward Mr. Broad
hend would De shot- f nd reason TO PeeVe
reference was made to him in the paper
whatever. was guarded that there ashonld
be nothing to which he could take personal
exception, for had assured him of my fndt-
vidual friendship. and IIneant TO m aintai1 it.
Yesterday morning read in the daily papers
that on the evening previous Col. SIayback
had addressed Democratic meeting in the
Eighteenth w ard ana nao Indignantly at
tackled the Post Dispatch and its conductors.
noticedthen that he was putting gintoexecutton
his threat made to me to denounce the paper
from the stump. Later on l saw persons who
were al the meeting and who gave me some
idea of the bitterness of hts assault. / re-
garded it as an open dif1ance-an intentional
DroVOeatiOn which would call for some re-
snonse from the Post T)ispncfh I did not write
anything myself, but simply reproduced Fri
day afternoon card which had been written
by Mr.. John Nj. Glover year before, inserted
in the first edition of the Post Dispatch and
taken out of the last edition by Mr.. Pulitzer,
who did not wish to give offense to Col Slay-
back. expected, from the tone o. the con-
versation had with Col. Slayback at the Elk
Club that he would send me a challenge if he
ErTA GoTF
not think that he would come to the Office to
assault me, though was apprehensive of
street renc0Rtre, and should have taken. all
reasonable means to avoid It. was de-
tanned at the office yesterday evening
beyond my usual time, in order to adjust
some matters connected with the composing
room At a few minutes past O'Clock was
sitting at my desk IN my room, by appoint
ment, talking with Mr. MeGuIun, business
manager of the paper, ana Mt. Cole, foreman.
Ihe 4o9r Was 1ed i9Coi f nyac Ms y 7 on
pocket on changing my coat and leaving the
Office Suddenly the door opened ana two
men entered, closing the door Deh1nd them.
I was facing the door. / recognized Col.
Slayback, and in an instant afterward recog
niZed Mr.. ClOptOn, a lawyer VINO had q lew
days before assaulted two members of his
professional private office. realized that
1 was to be assaulted, and rose from my chair.
Col Slavback's bearing was that of man
bent upon violence HIS first words were,
:" Wen I am here' He started as if to draw
off his coat. was in the corner next to the
: toward the weapon on the desk. He saw it,
suddenly readjusted his coat and said 8 Is
that for meG' at the same time throwing
his hand to his hip pocket. My reply
weapon as lie drew his. He pointed it deIib-
erately at me and heard him cock it. There
was second of delay. i shOuted: Don't do
that - and at the same time, while his weapon
was pointed at my breast, 1 fired, believing
nothing of the effect of the shot, for he closed
with me and thrust his revolver against my
side. At the same time ClOpton caught me
from behind and tried to wrest my pistol from
my hand, which was hanging by my SIDE l
sheuted 70 Mr. Mcesufi1n Donk , let s9 these
from his hand and pointed it at Clopton's
head, under the impression, presume, that
Col. SIayback released his grasp upon me and
/ realized for the first time that he had been
hurt-how badly 1 know not.
OF the witnesses to the ARRAY three testified
before the Coroner that the deceased was an
armed aggressor. The jury as out forty five
minutes, and returned verdict that Slay-
back came to his death from a wound pro-
duced by bullet fired from a revolver in the
hands of John A. Cockerfn. -..
rs@
On a recent afternoon a tramp
called at the residence of Mrs. T. ID
Klemm, .Jr., in Dedham, Mass, and de-
manded of the lady, who was seated at
the window, something to eat. Mrs.
Klenlm told him that she had nothing
to give him. and informed him that-he
would be provided for at the lookup.
WIN q curse the tramp rushed 14or lhe
door to enter. Mrs. Klemm was pre-
pared for him, and threw handful Of
mustard into his eyes, partially binding
him. With howl of rage he withdrew,
evidently feeling that he had tackled the
wrong woman.-BOStos5 Post.
#Es q
Andrew j. Carter, Of Cincinnati,
a year or two ago bought vessel hulk
from j James Mack and others, taking a
guaranty against ssalI Just liens''- upon
1t. Having rebuilt the boat, Carter was
sued by several persons claiming liens