Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-05-18
SELF,DEFENSE.
That is the Plea Ben. Williams Makes
for Shooting Frank Brown Last
Tuesday Night,
Preliminary Examination of Williams
His Plea of Self f-Defense Established
Bound Over in s2oO-A witness
with an Enormous Ca
pacity for Beer.

before Mayor Goodwin. His
employer, c. A. Bauer, had retained +. S.
Wallace to act as his attorney.
The wounded man could not. of course,
appear in court, but both John Hawes and
John Hartman. why were with Brown that
night. We're put on the Stand for the state
The states own witnesses showed beyond a
doubt that Williams had fired in self defense,
the testimony of T. T. Parker being es-
pecially convincing on that point.
John HaweS testified that he was not ac-
quainted with Williams and had not met
him until the night of the shooting. He
and Brown had been in the side show with
the Rankin girls and when they went out
the girls left them and went over To VIII
liams. He and Brown followed them and
the five walked down to Yellow Springs
street There the girls left them
and went down street Williams did not
90 with them. We met him between Null
berry and jefferson. on Yellow Springs
street, and asked him what he meant by
taking the girls away from us. lie said he
did not mean anything. Brown said that
We ought to wipe up the street with him.
We then went down street and met Hart
man at the corner of Yellow Springs and
High. We went down High street, caught
up with the girls and saw one of them go
away with coon" When we got around
on Main street we saw Williams sitting in
front of Clarks saloon on beer key.
Brown asked him again what he
meant by taking the girls away from us and
he said he didn't mean anything. Brown
said he had notion to wipe up the street
with him and told Williams that if he
whipped him he (WilliamS) would have no
fine to pay. Brown told him that he could
whip him even if no did wear diamonds and
gold cuff buttons. Williams told him sew
eral times to go away-that he did not want
TO have a fuss. He finally got up and
walked as far as the Globe restaurant.
Brown followed him. We did not push
Williams about the sidewalk. In front of
the restaurant Brown made lunge at him.
but his hand slipped off his shoulder.
Williams then stepped back and fired. He
fired two shots at Brown and one at me.
Before the shooting told Brown did not
believe Williams had pop.
Thomas T. Parker took the stand and tes-
tilted he heard some loud talking in front
of the restaurant (the Globe) and went to
the door To see what it meant. Hawes was
standing near the ice chest. Williams was
near the gutter and Brown seven or eight
feet from him. Brown was threatening
the boy and the latter told him not ts
bother him. Brown made a rush for
Williams and got him by the'shoulder with
his left hand and by the throat with his
right Then Williams fired. He didn't
raise the pistol, and hardly had time TO get
il out of his pocket before he fired. Brown
staggered back into the restaurant, and 1
assisted him To a chair. In minute Officer
Norton grabbed Brown. The latter said :
Don't take me, I'm shot" told Norton
that the man was hurt and ought 10 have a
doctor. and he said "Shet up or I'll club
ye." After awhile he found that Brown
was really hurt.
William Clark testified that Brown was
threatening Williams, and that the latter
told him four or five times to 90 away, that
he didn't want to fuss with him. Brown
told him he had better go home and VIII
Hams got right up and started, but in front
of the restaurant Brown jumped him and
then Williams fired.
John Hartman testified that Williams did
all he could to avoid quarrel with Brown.
Hawes told me that they had had a racket
at the show grounds, and when
we went around on Main. street
saw Williams sitting on a beer keg, and
HaweS said: There's the d-n fool,
now" don't think Brown pushed Will
liams about the pavement, but he made some
threats. couldn't hear what they were
for had gone ahead, as didn't want to be
caught in fuss. l saw the flash of the
pistol at the time Brown ran at Williams.
heard Williams tell Brown several times
to go away.
DIR. Patterson was called and gave de
ScriptiOn of the wound. He said that Brown
had seven out of ten chances for recovery.
Albert Cook was put upon the stand, but
it was quite evident that he knew very little
about the case. He was pretty flip, too,
and seemed inclined to try to bluff Attor-
ney Wallace. but he walked up the wrong
passenger. Throwing out all his irrelevant
talk, his story was that he was working last
Tuesday at the English brewery; that he
during the day -four or five hogsheads of
beer" that he was going home with Jake
Foster. when their attention was attracted
by the loud words; that he did not remem-
Der any of those words, but that he heard
the shots and saw Williams chasing John
HaweS.
Jake Foster stated that he heard Williams
tell Brown TO 60 away, but his story of the
shooting was haZy.
William c. Peel, c. A. Bauer, William
Bauer, Tony Haeseler and Louis WeiXel-
baum all testified that Williams was a quiet,
peaceable, unOffensiye boy, who had always
borne a good reputation for honesty, truth
fulnesS and sObriety.
Mr.. Peel stated that when Williams
worked for him he had watch and some
money stolen and. at his suggestion. had
purchased revolver. This was the weapon
with which the shooting was done.
Williams himself was then placed on the
stand. He told in substance the same story
that appeared in last Wednesdays GLOBE
REPUBLIC. He stated in addition, hOwev-
er, that he. had sat down on that keg in
front of the saloon in order to be near
in case Brown and Hawes should
attack him.
Attorney Wallace then made a strong
plea for the defendant, the drift of his argu-
nent being that Williams was justified in
Brown. After some consideration
Mayor Goodwin bound defendant over TO
court in the sum of 5000. {. A. Bauer
furnished the bond and Williams was re-
eaSed.