The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-02
HAZELHURST'S TRAGEDY.
ASHLEY KILLED PACE AND TEEN
COMMITTED SUICIDE.

The Two Men Fast Friends, and Were
to Have Attended a Ball Together
Last Night-Pace was Late in Call
ing for Ashley, and That Led to the
Tragedy.
JEsUP, GA, Jan. Last nights tragedy
at Hazelhurst was one Of the saddest in the
history Of Appling county. Nat Ashley
and w. H. Pace, Jr., two bosom friends,
became bitter enemies, and in the heat OF
the moment Mr.. Ashley shot and killed Mr..
Pace and, in remorse for the deed, blew out
his own brains.
Mr.. Pace had an engagement to take Mr..
Ashley in his buggy to party at Mr.. Girt-
mans, about two miles from the town, but
1t waf understood that he was to take some
one else first and then return for his friend
Ashley.
PACE STOPS TO DANCE.
After getting to the party Mr.. Pace was
induced to dance two or three sets, regard
less Of his promise to return for, Mr.. Ashley
and when he got back to town he found
that Mr.. Ashley had become impatient
at his delay and had made ar
raugements for a saddle horse. Mr..
Ashley seemed worried and fretted at
his disappointment in not having the con-
veyance come for him in proper time, and
when Pace came back he told him he did
not like such treatment, and seemed very
| angry. They then commenced to talk
| about it. Pace talked in a way to concili-
ate his friend, and they went inside the
| store of j. j. Lewis, for whom Mr.. Ashley
was working.
THE FATAL SHOTS.
The store doors were closed aud no angry
words were heard outside, but negro, who
was holding the horses, testified that he
heard something inside the store make
noise like the explosion of a
cap or the striking of a match,
and that Mr.. Ashley then came and
opened the door and told him to go and tell
William Pace. Sr,, that he had killed
Mick" meaning youn G Pace. The negro
says that he became very much frightened
| and ran to DIR. Josh Middleton's and told
him to go at oncs to Mr.. Lewis store, as
MIR. Pace and Mr.. Ashley had killed one
another.
THE SCENE AT THE STORE.
Mr.. Middleton went at once to the store
and found Mr. Ashley lying about Ave feet
from the door, In pool of blood, gaspinR
his last. Mr.. Middleton then ran to the
hotel across the street and informed Tutten
4
| some one had killed Mr.. Ashley. They
| hurried over to the store and found Mr..
| Ashley dead with his pistol lying near him.
| Mr.. Lewis, the proprietor of the store, was
sent for and arrived in few minutes AS
l soon as he stepped in the store and looked
at his dead brother-in-law he looked about
the store and remarked that some one had
opened the case in which the guns were de>
posted.
PAGES BODY DIsCovERED.
He then looked behind the counter to ex-
anime the gun case and found Mr.. Pace
dead on the floor with a rife bullet in the
corner of his left eye
The coroner's jury upon examination of
the bodies found that Mr.. Pace was killed
with 32-caliber bullet fired from Marlin
rife, and the Marlin rifle in the case showed
that it had just been discharged, while
Mr.. Ashley had a 38-calaber in his right
temple. This bullet wound corresponded
with the caliber of the pistol found near
| him. From the evidence ELECTED and the
| corroborating circumstances it was the
opinion Of the jury that Mr. Pace had Mr..
Ashley's pistol when the latter fired the
rifle with such fatal effect and in falling
| the pistol fell from his grasp.
THE SUICIDE,
Ashley replaced the gun in the case. and,
| catching up the pistol, went TO the door
and sent word to Pace's parents. Then, with
the weapon in his hand, he for the first time
realized the enormity Of his rashness, and in
a fit of desperation placed the weapon to his
right temple and fred.
The new year dawned on saddened COM
munity at Hazlehurst, owing to the double
tragedy. Two young men, who were very
popular, and before had been the best of
friends, lying dead, the one beside the other
in pool of blood, with their relatives
mourning their untimely decease, was a
most heartrending sight.