The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-02-15
A LIVELY STREET DUEL.
w. 3. MEETZE PROBABLY FATALLY
SHOT BYJ. o. MILLER.

~"e Hronble Was Over n Dlspenssry Case,
Mon Who Wanted to Kyl Miller After
the Shooting Prevented by Brave po.
lice. ..-,
COLUMBIA, 5. c., Feb. 3.-For the
hrst time since the dispensary law be.
came law, blood was shed on It's ac.
count In the capital OF the State YES
Cerday afternoon. Mr.. w. B, Meetze.
Ghe man who shot and killed clark q
LeW years ago, and the man who def1ed
governor T1llman and his constables at
Gee Ialr grounds last November, got
INTO street ARRAY near Columbta's IA
nous street lighting ground, the corner
OF Main and Washington streets.
Wnere 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 rrom North Carolina, and the form
or FELL with a bullet in his side WithiI,'
one hundred yards from the spot where
Ciark fell and expired when he shot
hlm. The extent of his injuries can.
not yet be ascertained.
Never before has pistol lghC oc-
cufred mere ID which so many shots
~~>% "AohouO aIly one GXs
cept the participants. The street was
tlled with people at the time, and Mil
| ter, knoWlnT he had cool sure shot to
zeal with, emptied two pistols, save one
Dullet, In less time than 1t takes to tell
IL. 1t was perfect fusilade, and Gre
| aCed the widest excitement, especially
When Mr.. Meetze was seen to reel and
tall 10 the ground. All day long serious
trouble OF some kind had been ant;ci.
pated, put no one knew from what
quarter 1t would come, or at what hour.
Miller had been witness in the first
Dilnd tiger case and his testimony
goaded some of the liquor men and
Gnelr friends to desperation. Long be.
fore he had concluded the giving of
his testimoney, 1t could be seen that ne
would have 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
thaC he was to be talked Co." for he
with two pistols, both self-sctina,
which he 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 cursing him pretty
severely. Justice Clarkson went ia
there, however, and pulled Miller out
taxing him downstairs. Mr.. Meetze
ana 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
go on home, but somehow they got
around on Law Range again. They
went to point in front of McMasters
law office and stood there talking.
Among them were Messrs. William
Sheppard, Meetze, Fry aud Herriot.
Miller was standing up in front of
Shand's law Office at this time, talking
wanted to tackle Miller, for some one
heard Mr.. Herriot say to him: "No you
ought not to do it." just about this
time Mr.. Charles Hendrix, the defend
ant In another case, pulled out pistol
near the corner and appeared to be very
angry. Police Sergeant Morehead 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 on 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 lswore to q. a.damned lie today ?"
Miller replied: "No, did not" Fry
said: "Well, these fellows tell me So"
Miller said: "Well whoever said Sc told
a Cd ID lie" Mr.. Meetze, who
was standing behind Fry, ran around
ana came up before Miller, cursing
him, 1t 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
mon and pulled them apart. Mr.. FRY,
pulled Mr.. Stack to one side. MIR,
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 htno.
Meetze, being released, followed Miller
up to the middle Of the street daring
him to draw his pistol, and saying
"G--d d---n 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 Mee:Ze
In the Middle of the street. Finally
Miller squared himsel shook Stack off
and ran his 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 he 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 and pulled his pistol from his
hip pocket with his right. Then 80
several eye witnesses say, Miller let fire
at Mr.. Meetze. In quicker time than
1T takes to tell it Miller proceeded to
fire nine bullets at Mr.. Meetze. Mr..
MeetZe returned the fire as rapidly, and
the firing sounded like an infantry com
pany practlcing company lring." Mr..
Meetae nearly emptied bis pistol. After
the first fire Mr.. Meetae was hit In the
side and was seen to reel back wards
and fall to the ground like dead man.
He tried to rise, but could not. Sergt.
Morehead of the police force, rushed at
Miller with his club raised. Miller still
had both Of his pistol levelei. AS the
officer came up to him he raised both
hands and said: 81 surrender" Then
Meetz's friends, seeing that Meetze was