The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-02-14
A lively STREET DUEL
w. S.4MEsTZE PROBABLY FATALLY
SHOT BYJ. D. MILLER.
The Trouble Was Over a Dispensary Case.
Men Who Wanted to XIII Miller After
the Shooting Prevented by Bravo Po'
1,cnS
The Trouble Was Ov

the Shooting Prevented by Bravo Po
lico.$
COLUMBIA, S. c., Feb. 3.--For the
first time since the dispensary law be-
came alaw, blood was shed on its ac
count il the capital OF the State yes
terday afternoon. Mr.. W. B. Meetze
the :aasn who shot and killed clark
few years ago, and the man who deied
GovesaSpr Tillman and his constables at
the fair grounds last November, got
into aEstreet affray near Columbia's fa.
nous street fighting ground, the corner
Of Man and Washington streets,
where every serious affair of any i'm.
portance that has happened in recent
years in Columbia has taken place,
with Davis Miller, a stock dealer hail
ing freu North Carolina, and the form
er fell:Rith bullet in his side within
one hundred yards from the spot where
Clark fell and expired when he shot
him. Toe extent of his injuries can
not yet be ascertained.
Never before has pistol fight oc-
CURED here in which so many shots
were fired without iDjuring any one ex-
cept the participants. The street was
filed with people at the time, and Mil
Ter, knowing he had cool sure shot to
deal wits. emptied two pistols, save one
bullet, In less time than it takes to tell
it.. It was perfect fusilade, and Gre
ated the widest excitement, especially
when Mr.. Meetze was seen to reel and
fall to the ground. All day long serious
trouble Of some kind had been antici-
pated, but no one knew from what
quarter it would come, or at what hour.
Miller had been witness in the first
blind tiger case and his testimony
goaded some of the liquor men and
their friends to desperation. Long be:
fore be had concluded the giving of
his testimoney, it could be seen that he
would haTe to answer in one way or
another to somebody for some Of his
statements. Some of the men looked
very angry. Miller evidently knew too
that he was to be talked to-" for he
had come to the CO. ri house armed
with two pistols, both self-actlng,
which ho carried in his outside over
coat pockets. at any rate, just as the
recess was taken things looked pretty
squally. Miller went back into one of
the jury room and serious trouble came
very near resulting in there, two men
tackling him and cursiDg him pretty
severely. Justice Clarkson went in
there, however, and pulled Miller out
taking him downstairs. Mr.. MeetZe
and others who were very much in
censed came on around on Main street,
and they talked very bitterly about
Miller. Several parties urged them to
90 on hone, but somehow they got
around on Law Range again. They
went to a point in front of McMaster's
law Office and stood there talking.
Among then were Messrs. William
Sheppard, 1Eeetza, Fry aud Herriot.
Miller was &tan3ing up in front OF
Snand's law ONCE at this time, talking
to some young men. Fry evidently
wanted to tackle Miller, for some one
heard Mr.. Herriot say to him: "No you
ought not to dc it." Just about this
time MIR. Charles Hendrix, the defend
ant in another case, pulled out a pistol
near the corner and appeared to be very
angry. Police Sergeant MCrehead and
Bell Towerman Dunning saw him,
grappled with him and took the pistol
from him, sending him away to the
station house. just about this time
Mr.. Miller came on down towards Main
street.
Eye witnesses all agree OF the story.
They say Miller came. on down the
sidewalk, and tried to- pass around the
crowd standing there. AS he did so
Fry stepped up to him and said: "'Did
you say I swore to damned lie today?"
Miller replied: "No, I, did not" Fry
said: "Wel], these fellows tell me SC. "
Miller said: :"Well whoever said so told
aG-d id lie::" Mr.. Meetze, who
was standing behind Fry, ran around
and came up before Miller, cursing
him, it is said and hit him once on the
side of his head.
Trial Justice Stack, who. happened to
be near, rushed in between the two
men and pulled them apart. Mr.. Fry,
pulled Mr.. Stack to one side. Mr.
Stack, in the name of the law, COM
manded the men to keep the peace and
called on others to help him handle the
two men. He grappled Miller and
started off across the drain with him.
Meetze, bsing released, followed Miller
up TO the middle of the street daring
him to draw his pistol, and saying:
dTn you draw. l dare you
to pull out your pistol"
In the meantime Justice Stack was
still wrestling with Miller, and had got
ten him ten PAGES away from MeetZe
in the Middle of the street. Finally
Miller squared himsel., shook Stack off
and ran ais hand into each overcoat
pocket. When his hands came out
there was a shining weapon in each.
He pointed one at Justice Stack, who
left, seeing be could do nothing more.
Miller leveled both his pistols and
shouted: "Come on, all you people"
At this time Meetze was still advanc-
ing upon him still shaking his left hand
at him ald pulled his pistol from bis
hip poctet with his right. Then so
several eye witnesses say, Miller let ire
at Mr.. 1eetZe. In quicker time than
it takes to tell it Miller proceeded TO
fire nine bullets at Mr.. Meetze. Mr.
Meetze 1eturned the fire as rapidly, and
the firing sounded like an Infantry COM
pany pra.tlciDg company irlng." Mr.
Meetze n,arly emptied bis pistol. After
the first ire Mr.. MeetZa was hit in the
side and was seen to reel backwards
and fall % the ground like a dead man.
He triedto rise, but could not. SerDt.
Morehed of the police force. rushed at
Miller With his club raised. Miller still
had botl of his pistol levelej. AS the
officer Gme up to him be raised both
hands :nd said: II surrender" Then
MeetZ's friends, seeing that MeetZe was
badly Wounded and thinking that he
ives killed, cried kill the scoundrel
and wee about to make for him. Then
It was that Sergt Morehead displayed
wondeful courage.
He placed the prisoner behind him,
levele. his pistol on the crowd and told
them that the first man who came at
Miller he would shoot dead 10 his
track. AS soon as possible he turned
Mile around, aud being joined by
otheroficers went as quickly as pos