The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-09-05
A DpsuprldO'S End.

"A Writer In the hilISuS lily CtuF recalls
how jim Coon Chiles,a noted desperate.
came to his end: Says the writer's in.
formant: "Chiles had been attending the
exposition here in September, 1874,
think it was, and during the last two
days of the fair had been drinking quite
freely, and had several rows with parties
here, among them being Ed Corrigan,
the well known horseman. Jim drew
pistol on him, and would undoubtedly
have shot him had he not been afraid of
Corrigan's friends. Ed was unarmed,
but plucky, and never backed water once,
although he was looking right into the
mnzzle of Jim's pistol, and he knew that
he had the nerve to shoot, too. Sunday
morning following the close of the fair,
Chiles went home to Independence still
up his spree all day. Peacock was
marshal of the city at that time, between
whom and Chiles there had been some
difficulty. Chiles had young son IL
years old, who was trying to induce his
father to leave the public square and go
home with him. In walking around the
square Peacock and Chiles met, and some
words passed between them in which
Chiles told Peacock if he met him on the
square again that day he would slap his
jaws. Peacock demonstrated with Chiles
and tired to get him to go home, but he
refused. Shortly afterward the two men
met again, when Chiles, true to his
word, slapped the :.arshal heavily in
the face, when the latter raised his cane
and struck Chiles, who grabbed it, and
p1i foil tn ha
with Chiles on top. While in this
position Chiles managed to draw one of
his six shooters and attempted to shoot
Peacock. The latter realizing his peril
Gus position, and that it was case of life
and death with him, grasped the pistol
with one hand, while with the other he
managed to draw a derringer, and,
placing the same to Chiles's head, liter
ally blew his brains out. AS Peacock
rose to his feet young Chiles, who was
very near-sighted, picked up his fathers
pistol, an, holding it in both hands,
fired at Peacock, the ball striking him
in the spine and rendering him instnsi-
BILE for the time. At this juncture Jack
Farrow, the deputy marshal, hearing the
firing, came around the corner of the
square on the run, with a double barreled
shotgun, when young Chiles turned his
battery on him, inhictIng wound in the
breast.
'At this interesting stage of the tragedy
a son of the marshal, young man, came
dashing up to the scene on horseback,
and with a revolver in his hand. Young
Chiles began firing at him, shooting him
in the leg, which fire was returned by
young Peacock, resulting in young Chiles
receiving a mortal wound, and he sank
down dying beside his dead father and
the wounded marshal The little fellow
was plucky, and deserved better fate.
He fingered until the next day, when he
died, full of pluck and grit to the last
If the brave little fellow had been pos
sessed of good eyesight, it is said, he
would have doubtless killed the marshal
and his son at the first fire Peacock
and his son both recovered from their
wounds, and are still living in Independ-
ence. The tragedy caused great excite
ment in the vicinity, and it was feared
for time that Chiles's brother would
undertake to avenge him, but, as it was
clear case of self defense, wiser coun-
sells prevailed, and the law was allowed
to take its course, resulting in the acquit-
tai of the Peacocks."