Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-04-27
F A
Wallace Calhoun Shoots and Instantly
Kills VIM. Patterson, Colored.
Calhoun Held tn. Await the Action of the
Grand Jury--l;o:h Parties to blame
Not as Bad on Calhoun as Mt
First Supposed.

everything was l n Audraln county,
and how long it had been since there
had been a shooting or a fighting
scrape in the county. As we returned
from dinner, we saw the same gather
ing of gentlemen at the post-office
corner discussing the shooting of a
darkey, which had just taken place at
the colored barber shop in Alex.
Goodies hotel. We found on going
to the scene of the tragedy, William
Patterson, colored, shot through the
heart, and Wallace Calhoun under
arrest for committing the deed.
The facts briefly stated appear to
be that Calhoun got very drunk, and
in the morning had some trouble with
York johnson, colored, and thought
he had been insulted. The drunken
he got the more he thought about it.,
and went down to the colored barber
shop where he had some talk with
Johnson, and vas interrupted by this
man Patterson, who tried to put him
out of the shop, and, it is claimed,
struck Calhoun, who then shot him.
We give the facts as near as we
could get them from all parties.
EVIDENCE BEFORE CORoNER's JURY.
The evidence before the Coroner's
jury was about as follows:
YORK JOHNSON, %COLoKED,
swore that while he was cutting VIM.
Patterson's (the deceased) hair in
his barber shop in Alex. Goodies
hotel, Wallace Calhoun came to the
door of the shop, just 20 minutes to
II o'clock Friday, April 21st, and
said: "Do you shave darkeys here? %
York answered, Yes; and 1 have
shaved you many a time" Calhoun
then said: II paid you for all you
ever did for me- and York answered
Eyes" While York and Calhoun
were carrying On this conversation
Patterson put in, and told Calhoun
to go on about his business. Cal
houn then commenced calling Patter.
son names, which were neither pleasant
Or poetical. Patterson then told hin
to go away, and quit cursing him fol-
nothing. Calhoun then told him tt
"shut up, OR he would shoot HI our
of him. and with oaths put his hanG
ON his pistol. York told him to put
his pistol up. Patterson got out o.
his chair, and said, ''shoot HI ou'
of who?" Calhoun said, "You!'
Patterson then went to the door anG
showed Calhoun out of the door ant
off the sidewalk, and as he got W
Patterson grabbed him, and at Thu
point the pistol went off. Patterson
after he was shot struck Calhoun
twice, and took the pistol from him
and, walking back to the sidewalk
fell dead. Calhoun ran down TOWARD
the depot, and several colored fellow
after him, who caught and held hin
until the officers arrived. The pisto
was identified by York, and vas
No. 80 "Conquerer-"
DIR. RUSSELL
then reported to the jury that Patter
son came his death from a pistol shot
about one-fourth of an inch abov'
the right nipple, the ball ranging u
went through the heart, and was1 los
in the right lung, causing instan
death.
JOE LOCKE, COLORED,
was then sworn, and testified tina
when he came up to the barber sho]
Calhoun and Patterson were bot
swearing; that Patterson showed Cal
houn out of the door and threw hiI
off the sidewalk, when Calhoun go
up and shot him.
JAMES IRVING, COLORED,
swore to the same thing, except tina
Patterson did not shove Calhoun OF
the walk, and that Calhoun had hi
y pistol out before Patterson touche
him.
OTHER WITNESSES
, testified that York johnson and Ca
houn had a fuss up town early in til
day that Calhoun was very drunk
that he was going around town tellin
? people that she was going to kill
nigger;" that he bought a pistol s
{ Clacher & Ruloff's; that he was in
< quiring the. way to this colored bal
Der shop; that n the way down ther
he fired off one load from his pistol
that he was looking for York johnson
and did not know Patterson at all.
With the evidence before them th
. jury brought in the following verdict
u CoRoNER's JURY VERDICT.
We, the jury, do find that VIM. Pattel
soc, colored, the deceased, came to b
death from the effects of a pistol sht
r fred by Wallace Calhoun on the 2lst ds
of April, 1882. We further believe TIL
said Wallace Calhoun was not justif1ab
G in doing the sare.
r. NJ. WHITE, Foreman.
A. B. CLUSTER, Clerk.
B.. T. RoDMAN,
d. W. STEELE,
b.. J. WINsCoTT,
c. RAGsDALE.
w. w. RoDMAN, Coroner.
The affair is very unfortunate, an
has two sides to it. Although Ca
: houn said she was going to kill
Niger and seemed to be on tt
war path, Patterson evidently WI
- H. ~ro 1onI:,~ for