Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-11-22
MURDER AT A CHURCH.
A Georgia Vendetta That Was Fought Out
During Service.

"Draw, draw, you, quick!''
| But before he could, bali went crash
| ing through his brain.
1t was an old feud broken out anew,
and the work of death had commenced,
and another chapter in the Georgia
current calendar of criEe has been COM
mitted.
The Central Baptist Association was in
session in Bethel Church, hear Winifred,
Jasper county, Monday, and a thousand
people were in attendance. Among the
| attendants were representatives of the
Malone and Tyler families. Bad blood
had been existing between them for
years, and they had had bloodless en-
counters three or four times. Sunday after
noon during the erection of rustic tenn
pie young Malone and al old Tyler
had words, and the minister who was
conducting the services, fearing trouble
between the families, sought out the in
dividual members and told them not to
add fuel to the flame or engage in
trouble at his church services. His sue
cess was limited, a5 the rebuffs with
which he was met took the form of cur
seq, and with a prayer for peace-fOr the
good man seemed to have forboding of
troubIe-He turned his attention to his
ministerial duties.
All went along smoothly enough until
about IL O'Clock Monday forenoon. Sam
Tyler, in passing Jim Malone, was touch
ed by his elbow, when Tyler, called out
to Malone TO draw and defend himself
accompanying the invitation with a pis-
tol shot through the unfortunate Ma
lone's head. Malone fell dead. Tyler,
who, accounts of the affray say, was under
the iIfaence of liquor, calmly viewed
his victim, and as he attempted to
turn IN the opposite direction, fell dead
fatally shot. Six men had drawn pistols
and were firing. Ed. Tyler rushed to
the ARRAY and fell with two balls in the
bowels and one in the leg. While ne was
lying PROSTATE On his back, still con-
scious, he saw Walker Malone approach
ing pistol in hand.
Spare me, Walker; spare my life. Oh,
God! Oh, God!'
The appeal was fruitless. Standing
over the PROSTATE man Malone fired two
shots into his abdomen-fatal hurts.
Fifty shots were fired. Walker Malone
was painfully wounded in the shoulder,
Albert Taylor Was struck ia che arm.
Frank Miedlebrook's life was saved by
his watch, ball striking it and falling
in his vest pocket. Others were hurt,
x
When the firing was at its heighth
every woman On the ground and in the
church began to shrek, and the spectacle
was narrowing one. The association
would have dispersed in an hour. It was
broken up IL confusion, but later few
of the delegates met under tree and
formally adjourned, the business of the
body having been transacted before the
shooting began. correspondent who
reached the place shortly after the bloody
work was done, says the scene beggars
description. In the church lay Joseph
Malone cold IN death and on the veranda
of the house a few yards away lay Sam
Tyler dead, and in a room adjoining was
his nephew, George Tyler, laying in
a pool of blood and almost at deaths
door. The shrieks of mothers, wives and
sisters Of the dead and dying were awful
Ia the extreme, and the widest confusion
Pre-aiied. Walker Malone and Albert
Tyler, two of the princip pal actors IL the
bloody row escaped.
The fate of Jim Malone is sad one.
be had just arrived at the church meet
ing from his home in Birmingham, Ala,
and was on visit to his parents in Jasp-
sr county accom- panied by his wife and
child Of four months of age. de was
ye nteel, handsome, neatly attlred man, 30
ears old, and it is likely that he had
nothing to do with the feud. There were
nauy narrow pes of byssanders from
being killed. a regular panic existed in
he church while the shooting was going
IN outside. All the young men engaged
n the ARRAY, have hitherto borne good
reputation, but there is no disputing the
'act, that the sad tragedy was the result
IF whiskey-drinkipg ard the habit of
carrying concealed weapons.