The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-03-23
A COURT ROOM TRAGEDY.
TOM JONES AVEN6ES HIS FATHERS
ASSASSINATION.

He Fires Five Shots at the Accused MUIR.
derer, One OF Which Takes Fatal Effect
| A Bystander Also Shot--Jones IL Arrest
ed and Jailed.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, March 13.-A
terrible shooting occurred in the upper
hall of the court house this afternoon
Thomas Jones shot and probably fatal
ly wounded Joe Winters. Five shots
were fired, two of which took effect.
One entered just under the left shoul-
der in front, and, ranging inward and
backwards, passed out to the right of
the spinal column. The second bullet
passed through the tleshy part IF the
| right arm. The other three sho $ en-.
tered bench near where Winters fell.
Some months ago, one Jones, ii to |
gate keeper. was shot from ambush aud
killed. Andrew and Jna Winters were
charged with the deed. arrested and
indicted. and the trial for the murder
of Jones was set for today. There
has been a long standing feud between
the Jones and the Winters. and several
lights between them occurred before
the killing of old man Jones.
The court room was packed with the
witnesses for the prosecution and the
defense. Joe Winters was Charged
with the murder and Andrew Waters
with being All accessory to the deed
Joe WlnteIs was released from iail a
few days ago on $4,000 boud, but An
drew Winters was confined In jail.
When the cases were called in the
criminal court today before Judge An
derson, the defendants successfully
pressed motion for u severance, and
then the cases were continued until
the next session Of the court. After
dlSposing of the cases, Andrew Winters
was taken back to Jail and Joe Winters
and his wife remained in the court
room to perfect the bond.
by this time the court room had
been practically cleared, those remain
ing in the room and halls numbering
not more than twenty people. The
lower hall, however, was filled with
people who had stopped there to dis
cuss the developments in the case. FL
nally, when Winters walked out of the
door and was trying to go down the
stairway, Thomas Jones, who wa.
standing near the head of the steps
opened fire on him, using double
action, hammerless pistol. The shot!
were llTeu III TdplO succession, ana thu
| reports created the widest excitement
The shots were Immediately followed
by the screams of Mrs. Winters, wht
stood over the Frustrated form Of he
husband, crying, "Tom Jones shot him.
Officer Price was about the first t.
reach Jones. Price was standing il
the court room, behind the cl erk's desk
and Jumped over the railing and out 0
the door just in time to see Jones fir
| the last shot. Winters and others whC
| witnessed the shooting said that Win
ters fell at the second shot. 1t /.
| thought the shot through the arm was
inflicted after Winters had fallen. Wit.
nesses say that Jones did not say a
word to Winters as they passed each
other in the hall.
Jones was standing at the head of the
stairway. with his pistol in his hand.
Officer Price had hold Of his arm. Sey-
eral nen, In an excited manner, ran up
to Jones, and cried: "Don't let him es-
CAPE" TO these cries. Jones. in self
possessed manner, said: 81 am not GO
ing to escape. / know what | have
done, and have no wish to flee"
Jones was at once taken to Jail by Of
licer Price and Deputy Sheriff McCamp-
bell.
Jones Bondurant, who was standing
near Winters, was struck in the groin
by one of the stray bullets and quite
severely wounded, though his condition
is not thought to be very dangerous.
Winters was taken to the city hos
pital.