The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-15

About this time Joe Gladney, weak
I minded associate Of Joe Iuggle, was jailed
for drunkenness, and while in jail John
. Ramsey wrung statement from MN thaJ
/ Joe Tuggle had paid him $50 to kill Billy
Maddax The authorities would not ac-
cept this as evidence, so when Gladney
| sobered up he went free and told Tuggle
/ all about his interview with Ramsey.
Immediately after this Ramsey was
| shot at from am bush. and places where
/ some one had lain concealed were found
around his house. Men dressed as women
had been seen lurking near it. His negro
1 cook was given powder by Tuggle and
was paid to put itin Ramsey's coffee. He
reported all this to the officers, but gotno
assurance of protection. Finding this the
/ case he determined TO kill Joe Tuggle on
sight Tuggle was in Homer one Satur-
I day afternoon and was just starting home.
I When he approached the east side
Of the public square John Ramsey
stepped from store with shot
gun calling Look out Joe, and fired at
him. Tuggle turned his horse and gal
loped back across the square and fell with
a load of shot in his side. Ramsey pur-
sued him on foot firing several times but
without further effect.
Ramsey was caught by the officers, but
it required three of them to disarm him.
His gun barrel was twisted and broken in
the struggle. He was jailed, but was in
stantly bailed out. Tuggles wound was
not serious and he was well in few days.
! Then it was hourly expected that they
would meet again and one or the other
fall a victim.
During the parish fair Joe and his
brother Hemp were in town and so was
John Ramsey. Joe was armed with
Winchester. He was crossing the square
when he sighted Ramsey. He called
Look out John and opened on him.
Ramsey lodged into a store and escaped
but a dancing master named Williams re
Ceived the bullet intended for him and
fell to the sidewalk mortally wounded.
No action was taken against the Tuggles
by the officers of the law because, as was
evidently the case, they stood in too great
fear of them.
Williams was a stranger and had no
friends, but popular sentiment at last
grew so strong that the officers entered
into parley with the Tuggles. Joe Tug
gle consented to give himself up on prom
Use that he would be allowed a second
story room and be kept under guard But
he grew weary of confinement and was
bailed out on the pretext that conflne-
ment would endanger his life.
The grand jury found true bill against
Hamp Tuggle as accessory to the muir
der of Williams and he was also released
on bail.
All was quiet until court convened.
The first Monday Of the term, brothers
of the opposing factions who had always
been on good terms with each other I'M
dertook TO bring about a reconciliation.
These were Billy Ramsey and Henry
Tuggle
They went over to a saloon where Joe
and Hamp Tuggle were and entered into
conversation and after seemingly smooth
ing things over, drank together until Bill
Ramsey became intoxicated. They sep
arated and the Tuggles went out by the
back way and Ramsey by the front door.
They met again on the sidewalk and
quarrel ensued. Bill Ramsey give Hamp
Tuggle the lie and Hamp struck him in
the face. Bill drew his pistol and fired
at Hamp, striking him in the left hand
Hamp caught Bills pistol in his wounded
hand and held it to one side while he
emptied his own into Bills breast. Eye
witnesses say that Tuggle held him up
after he began to fall and still poured
bullets into him.