Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-11-01
THAT SHOOTING FRAcAa.
Meager Details Of the Affair
from she Men Engaged In
the Combat.

The two men most prominent in the
shooting engagement on board Of the
steamer Kate Adams last Tuesday morn
ing were As dumb as oysters to-day re-
garding their particular action in the en-.
Counter Both were mad and one ne
mate, grufiy said he knew moth
on the vessel down IN
river or anywhere else. Hearsay, from
parties who did not sec, OF act in Il, was
the only method Of ascertaining any par
tculan whatever regarding the fracas
The actors may feel hurt because they have
been ventilated, but nobody cares, al d
they cannot suppress the news any more
than other people can. It's bound to
leak out sooner or later, and whether
pAlatable or not, il will be printed. With
these preliminary remarks, the particulars
as gathered nom various sources here
with follow;
The statement Of Captain Mark Cheek,
the boat commander, but who saw no
part of the trouble, being off duty at the
time OF its occurrence, is 10 the effect that
q drunken negro, name unknown, tray
eled on the steamer Kate Adams two
trips about week ago and that he was
put on shore somewhere near Malone's
Landing, because he refused to pay his
passage. On the last down trip
Of the Adams the same individual
in company with another re-embarked on
the Adams in the vicinity of the place
where he was put off sometime before.
He boastod Of having got aboard TO take
the boat" as he expressed it. When
Wyckof, the second clerk, went to the
lower deck 10 collect fares the man refer
red TO refused TO pay. After some words
he drew a pistol aud turned II loose. At
the same time his friend drew pistol and
shot at Wyckoff from behind, but roust-
about nearby knocked the mans arm up
at the moment, and the ball sped wide Of
its mark. The two negroes then ran along
the boats guard to get ashore, the steamer
having landed at .knowlton's, which is
$50 miles south Of here on the Arkansaw
side, As they went by the mate, man
named Ed Hunt, the latter spoke to one
ofthem, and they opened FIRE on him.
The mate then returned the fire, and
with unknown effect. One Of the negroes
was not hurt, and he made tracks for the
woods, soon disappearing from view.
The other and the same who had been a
passenger some time before, was badly
wounded in four places, and he was left
in cabin near the landing. The man
was still alive when the boat came BY IN
the up trip, This is about all that Cap
tain Check could say Of the affair, and he
saw nothing oft,
From other sources-not, however, from
any member Of the boats crew
il is said that as many as
sixteen shots were fired during the
fusilade, also that some party on shore
took hand and sent a musket ball or two
after the fleeing darby or the other fell
low. II is further said the mate fred seye-
raj shots, though he himself says be knows
nothing about any shooting affair The
wounded man Is reported to be MORALLY
hurt, one ball having lodged in the lower
part OF his stomach, one in his thigh one
in an arm and one somewhere else.
II is further reported that the
man boosted that ifnis partner had stood
up TO him he would have taken the boat.
The part played by Wyckoff in the melee
is not reported by any one, and, as he will
not tell anything for publication, it must
remain quiet until developed in. the
| Courts, or until some one who saw il will
give particulars. As remarked yesterday,
Mr., WyckOff Is the same gentleman who
shot and killed d draymAn in quarrel
about some bales Of cotton, which the
drayman desired to haul from the steamer
Hard Cash 70 its consignte, some two
years ago, more or less After a trial be-
fore the Criminal Court, Mr.. Wyckod
wasacquitted Of the charge Of murder,