The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-01-18
USED HIS PISTOL.
c. B. PRATT KISSES BIS MARK.
Assistant Postmaster Boyd Shot ~ by the
Young Edit0r-He Invites Him
to shoot Again.

Charles III. Pratt, the young editor Of
the Herald, having some disagreement
with Ben Boyd, the assistant Postmaster,
approached the registry window OF the
Post Office yesterday evening, between
and o'clock, and abiding to the matter
called Mr. Boyd a liar. The latter sprang
to his feet to resent the insult but was
persuaded to take his seat again, and re-
torted by applying another epithet to
Mr.. Pratt. The latter then Withdrew,
threatening to fix" Mr.. Boyd.
About 2 o'clock Mr.. Boyd returned to
the office after supper. A number of
persons were in the office taking their
NAL from their boxes. He was standing
in the doorway answering some remark
of friend when Pratt stepped up and
said he would like to see him. Mr.. Boyd
promptly and cody replied that he might
see HIM as much as he pleased. Pratt
then asked him to walk down street with
him, that he pratt wished to talk to
him. Mr. Boyd responded that Pratt
might talk to him as much as he id
pleased but as for himself he would not
be drawn into any trap Pratt might have
fixed up for him.
Pratt then told him he must take back
what he had said at their meeting dur
ing the afternoon, but met with a fiat
refusal. MIR. Boyd would take nothing
back he had said.
At this point Pratt drew his pistol.
Mr.. Boyd said, what is that for? 1 am
not afraid of your pistol"
The owner of the murderous weapon
hesitating, Mr.. Boyd again said: "Why
don't you shoot? Are you afraid to
shoot?"
Pratt fired. The bullet struck the
woodwork about ten feet from the door
and about two feet above the floor. near
the large newspaper boxes. 1t glanced
and buried itself in the wall on the south
side of the post Office corridor.
MIR. Boyd, showing no more signs of
disturbance than if he had been brought
up to the business of standing as a tar
get for irate young men, simply
responded with:
well, row shoot again."
But Pratt did not shoot again. A
younger brother appeared from the
shadows without and led him away. A
few minutes later he was arrested by
Marshal Manucy, for shooting within
the city limits, the only charge the Off
Ger could bring against him, as he had
heard and seen the shot, but did not
know at whom it was aimed.
MIR. Boyd swore out a warrant for
Pratt's arrest The warrant charges the
latter with a premeditated intention of
causing death. The accused gave bail in
the sum Of $500 to appear before Judge
Haughton this morning to answer to the
charge.
Pratt was not more than ten feet from
Boyd, it is SAID, and the shot if it had hit
the man it was aimed at would have
struck him somewhere about the knees.
The bal, which was much battered.
seemed to be of about 80 calibre.
Mr.. Boyd's genial temperament and
disposition to ohlige every one has made
him host of friends in the community,
where he is universally respected.
His assailant has not been long in the
editorial chair of the Herald. He is a
very young man who has his friends in
town, some of whom seem devoted to
him. His family is well known through
out the State. He has never been sus-
pected before of homicidal tendencies.