The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-02-07
THE DIsPENsARY WAR.
Meet1e. the Man Who Defied the
Governor Last Fall Is Shot
to the Ground.

Governor last Fall Is Shot
to the Ground.
Co1unB1A, S. c., February a.
:(Special to Atlanta Constitution. y
Rloodshed has resulted from the frst
,t,;I under tie asw diapensary l.wsin
this oity. a street duel under the
shadow Of the court house occurred
.o.a.u between w. B. Mestse, the man
rbo defed Governor Tillman and his
oonstables Il the State fair grounds last
November while selling rice beer, and
Davis Miller, 3 witness for the State.
svho = supposed to be q dispensary con-
Z The tvo men we're fresh from the
han of iiaseice, having just walked out
81 the city courtroom, where the sr'al
e hind tigers was in progress. Close
soh,eryera we're not at all surprised at
Tie shooting. for trouble was expected.
throughout the day there was very
b;ster spiri. shown thowsrds Miller 10
.ts. ~, ooart house and, it is said. that
Ind there been clear evidence that be
=. J. spy. his fate would have been
sealed. It is remarked that even IN
tha eourt house Miller continually kept
his hands in his pockets. which, 1t was
.f.er,.rds . shown, contained two pis-
Meetxe is known as shooter and .
dead shot. It was he Who killed
Trial Justice Clark almost on the same
spot several years ago. Miller Is
spoken Of as sporting man, and has
the reputation Of being dead game.
Miller Was pu. forward to-day as q
u;tness for the State in the case
.,a;na. ". ii. Sell for running q
bi;ad tiger. I. sas q noticeable TACT
tha. the assistant attorney general had
. hard time getting him to tell it all on
the stand. He testified that he had
been to Seers place Of business several
times xith two. or three companions,
and that they obtained whisky there.
The firss indication Of the trouble vas
IN the court house when Miller became
involved in an altercation With young
sn,.n nsmeds Grammar, aeli-kaown
nasilias fhis:sas stopped by ssudge
G5s.t aaHs afs ssss .sss sssss
When Miller walked down The street
he was accosted by another one OF the
.isuesses aaped Fry, Who asked him IT
be said that he Rry) had sworn 70 a
liason~the stand. Miller replied shat
the man who said he had made this
statement vas q liar, accompanying the
words With vile oaths.
Az be said this, Meetze, who had
come up and was looking for Miller.
struck at him, and for the next minute
the air vas blue with curses. Trial
Justice Stack grabbed both men and
commanded them as peace officer to
stop. at the same time calling on the
orevd to assist him. No attention vas
Maid to this and the scudle went on at
"a liyely rate. Miller had at last got
one baod into his pocket and Stack
kept pulling him into the middle of the
street. Stack says that he hung on to
him until Miller drew two pistols aud
aimed one at him. when he sought
safety quarters.
Meetze dared Miller to use his pis-
tolls and the invitation was accepted.
Ry this time there were hundreds OF
persons on the scene. having just come
on. of the court house fifty yards
distant. The two men blazed away
regardless Of the crowd but fortunately
none Of the bys.anders we're hit. Mil
Ter fred niue times aud Meetze five.
Louis Levin, a notary public who
witnessed it, states that Miller shot
before Mee.ze had his postol ont.
Meetse fell to the ground, and as he
did so number Of his friends rushed
np at Miller, shouting. '.Shoot the
sconndrel .'' They where evidently
bent on lynching him when Sergeant
Morebead, of the police force, rushed
in, caught hold Of Miller and, With
drawn pistols, shouted to the crowd
that he would shoot the first man who
touched him. Other policemen then
came up and Miller was rushed of.
Miller received flesh wound In the
arm and Meetzc was struck in the
groin. His physicians say that he is
seriously wounded. but perhaps not
fatally. The shooting occurred few
yards from the famous Mancke corner.
where some half dozen men have been
killed. Several Of the bullets went
through the door of Colonel John I:
Sloan's Office. Fortunately, he had
stepped down from the doorway as the
row began.
To-nigbt Dr. Kendall made careful
=oe Maot1a'c ooodition and