The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-05-22
TOM GRESHAM KILLED.
MIR. George Eddleman Fired the
Fatal Shot.
A Terrible Shooting ARRAY, Which Resulted
in the Death of One Of Atianta's Best
sCitiaens-The Details of the Affair.

All the hSatn Oh Ole OF Atlahtas best
sCitiaens-The Details of the Affair.
Wednesday afternoon, at half-past three
o'clock, Mr.. Thomas G.. Gresham, the assistant
Western and Atlantic yardmaster, was shot and
fatally wounded by Mr.. G. II. Eddleman, the
real estate man.
The shooting occurred in the Merchants ex-
change, a combined bar and lunch counter,
kept by Mr.. James johnson, at u and IA White
hall street.-the cid Ell Mercer place.
At the time OF the shooting there were pres
ent, besides the two gentlemen engaged in the
difficulty, John Marquis n Swiss in charge of the
lunch counter, John Meehan, an eX-policeman,
in charge of the bar; Mr.. n. Emanuel, the
broker on Pryor street, and the negro boy be-
hind the lunch counter.
The shot was followed Immediately by an
exclamation as if one was hurt and several peo-
pie rushed into the place. There are two ell
frances, one opening from Whitehall street
into the bar, and the other from the Merchants
Exchange alley into the lunch apartment. One
OF the first to enter was Mr.. Nick Simpson, the
bailiff He entered the rear door and met Mr..
Gresham with his hands
CLASPED OVER HIS STOMACH.
"What's the matter, Tom," asked the bail
if.
George Eddleman has shot me- replied
Mr.. Gresham,
Mr.. Eddleman was standing about twenty
feet Distant about in the middle of the long
ROOM Stepping up to him. the bailiff placed
his hand on his shoulder, and said
you'll have to come with me, Eddleman."
CAN right" replied Mr.. Eddleman. 81 had
to defend myself, He had pistol drawn on
me-"
IT didn't have pistol" said Mr. Gresham.
Didn't he have apistol?" asked Mr.. Eddie
man, turning quickly towards Meehan.
"No; didn't see pistol" replied Nee
han.
By this time quite number had entered the
place, among them Policeman Looney. He
called a carriage and sent the wounded man to
his home. The bailiff went quickly through
the rear entrance with MIR. Eddleman, in order
to avoid crowd, and by the time Mr.. Ores
man was in tho office
AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
Mr. Gresham was driven to his home at the
corner of Forsyth and Garnett streets. On his
way he recognized Mr.. Os Green upon the
sidewalk and called to him:
Come, go out home with me- o."
The young man did so, and helped him from
the carriage when his home was reached. Up
on the way out Mr.. Gresham talked about the
matter, but very disconnectedly.
George Eddleman shot me for nothing.
had no weapon. / don't carry any,"
care you suffering, Tom?'' asked Mr..
Green.
"a great deal" replied the wounded man.
GLOW far are we from homer"
..We're nearly there was the reply.
Tie told where the shooting was done, but
during the latter part of the drive his suffer-
ing increased to such an extent that it was
almost
IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO TALK.
He was placed upon the bed and Drs.
Nicolson, Glen Green, LONGING, Willis West
moreland and Thad johnson were called in.
1t was evident from the start that death was
question of hours and minutes. All that
| could be done was done to alleviate the pain.
| The ball had entered the abdomen, about five
inches below the ribs, on the right side, and
| about two inches from the middle line Of the
| body. Structures in the abdomen were proba-
| bly, injured but the shock was so great that it
| prevented exploratory operation.
just over the wound was nearly circular
| bloodistain, about four inches in diameter.
| The wound had been made with a
| 44-CALIBRE DERRINGER.
Mr.. Gresham continued to make occasional
| remarks, broken by Explanations of pain, until
he was put under the influence of morphine.
| He was kept unconscious until his death at
| 1925 last night His last conscious utterance
was an exclamation OF pain. He died sur
| rounded by his friends and family, but uncon-
| scious of their presence.
Mr.. Eddleman's Story.
| Mr.. Eddleman, on his way to the station
| house, talked freely about the matter, claim
ing that Gresham was about to shoot him. On
| the side of his face was q small scratch,
and from this a tiny stream of blood,
a mere line, about 1.-TWO and half inche
long, had trickled, and hardened from expo
sure
He was locked up in cell No. 2, and almost
Immediately sent for Judge Il. I. Dorsey, and
later for Colonel Reub Arnold and Mr.. L. G..
Mayson. He was also visited by his son, and
| by his wife, the latter remaining in the cell
for about an hour.
Another visitor was DR.. Wooiey. He had
been sent down by the prisoners counsel to ex-
anime the wound Mr.. Eddleman told to him
there, and repeated the story subsequently, in
the presence of Mr.. Mayson, the following ac-
count of the difficulty:
81 had gone down and taken drink with
Mr.. Joe Smith, the attorney Then l ordered
dinner mutton chops-and while L was wait
ing and while was eating, l was talking to
Mr.. Emanuel, who sat at the lunch counter
next to me, about the secret orders. have
been worried considerably of late by telephone
messages for my contemporaries worshipful
right hand secretary i'll number of them, L
remarked to Mr.. Emanuel:
"I believe old Jimmy Waddel had the
thing down right. He said that not every
body in the secret orders was rascal, but that
he never knew a rascal that was not in a
secret order | didn't know Gresham was in
the room until he spoke up quickly:
"'You are IA Cd id liar.
81 turned and saw him.
"'You don't mean that, Tom," L said to
him.
"'Yes by Cd do he replied as he started
l.
over the head with light cane and broke the
cane. He then drew knife and began slash
ing at Inc. l knew it was a matter of life and
death, and after lie had cut at my throat for
half a minute, forcing me back every step, 1
drew my pistol and shot. He said, my God,
am shot L laid the pistol down on the
counter and then the bailff took me off. 1t
was in self defense, and / had no more idea of
getting out alive than have of flying now"
An Eye Witness.
Mr.. Emanuel was found at his home on
Eugenia street.
"Yes, l was there" he said, land this is
about the way it was: l was sitting at the end
of the lunch counter nearest Whitehall when
Mr.. Eddleman came and took stool next to
me. knew both him and Mr.. Gresham by
sight and nodded to Eddleman as he sat dowf
beside me. A Mr. Richards was also eating
when Eddleman came in. Mr. Eddeman
seemed to have been drinking some, and be-
gan talking
ABOUT SECRET ORGANIZATIONS.
"The topic was not particularly agreeable SO
it was not encouraged, 1 merely nodded oc-
casonally, but he talked right ahead, telling
how he had been troubled by telephone mes
sages for his book keeper who was high
COCka lOrurn in seventeen Of them He was