The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-17
A CHIEF JUSTICE OPENS FIRE.
ONE OF THE BULLETS WOUNDS 4
LAWYER IN THE ARM.

The Trouble the OutgrOwth of an
Article in a Newspaper of Chatta-
nOOga-A Law ONCE in the News
paper building the Scene of the
ShOOting-The Judge Pleads Self
Defense, Hut His Victim Unarmed.
Chattanooga. Tenn, Dec. 16.-CoI. John
r. Beasley, a prominent attorney, lies
at his home with a fractured arm, as the
result of an encounter at noon to-day
with Hon. David Snodgrass. chief JUS
tiee Of the Tennessee supreme bench.
The eombatants met in the law office of
Brown & Spurlock. The former is the
congressman from this district.
The chief justice approached Col. Beas-
ley. who was sitting down. and accused
him Of making false statements concern
ing his acts on the bench, which the
latter denied, rising from his seat at
the same time. The judge characterized
the statement in the paper as an in
famous lie and Col. Beasley as an in
famous liar and as the latter threw his
right hand behind him, struck him in
the face with his left hand, then quick as
flash drew a pistol from his hip pocket
and fired two shots. The first Went wild,
and buried itself in the ceiling, but be-
fore the second, Col. Beasley threw his
left hand up and received a ball in the
elbow that would have penetrated his
heart.
" Williams. lawyer. and Miss Ruth
Millington, stenOgrapher We're in the
office, but made hasty retreat Col. Beas-
ley cried, Don't kill me, Judge after
he was shot, Whereupon the latter dropped
his weapon and walked into the firms S pri-
vate Office.
Several lawyers who had heard the
shooting rushed in and carried the wound
ed man to doctors office, on the same
floor of the Times building. The occurrence
was telephoned at once to the county jail.
Before the chief Justice left the building
a half dozen members of the bar had Oh
unteered to undertake his defense. He
walked over to the chancery clerk and
masters Office, and there was served with
a warrant by Chief Deputy Sheriff AL
BRIGHT. With party of friends he repaired
to justice of the peace and made bond
in the sum of $1,000 for malicious shoot
ing. The warrant as first made out charg-
cd shooting with intent TO commit muir
der, but was changed at the solicitation
of friends Of the defendant.
Judge SnOdgrass and Col. Beasley both
made statements which differ very slight
ly as to the scene in Brown & Spurlock's
office. However, the latter claims the
Everything in that article about me Is
a lie;" and also denies that he put his
hand to his hip pocket or made any
effort to do so, as he was unarmed.
The article which brought about the
trouble was reminiscent, relating to
suit brought by Col. Beasley in the state
supreme court on behalf of eighty tax
payers of Davidson county, to test the
cOnstitutionality of a bond issue made
by the state in 1882 TO aid the railroads
with a view to stopping the yearly pay
ment of interest to these corporations on
said bonds. The bill filed in July, 1888, at
tackled the last settlement of the state
compromise of 50 and 3, which was made
during the term of Gov. Bate. The dem
ocratic party had split on the manner
of settling this debt, and the fight result
ed in the election of Hawkins, rep, as
governor in 1882
The offending article declares that Judge
Snodgrass wrote the democratic platform
on which Frank 5. Wilson ran in 1880, in
which the validity of the railroad debt
was denied and the writer therefore count
ed on one judges support Of his position.
Judge Snodgrass, however, not only de-
cided with the majority of the bench
against him. but IL charges even address,
ed himself TO those present after CHEZ
Justice Turney, now governor, had rem
dered the decision, saying that THE two
wings of the democratic party had agreed
upon the settlement of the railroad debt 10
The article stated further that no writ
ten opinion was ever delivered and il had
been charged with being a political de-
cision, and as such was entitled to no re-
spect.
The chief justice said tonight that Col
Beasley was a thorough communist on
all matters of public policy, always en-
rolled with the malcontents in politics
and belonged to class or men who seek
to provoke judges and others holding con-
spicuous public positions into difficulties
and finding them unprotected, to then add
assassination to insult, but that such peo-
pie sometimes tackled the wrong person
and that for this reason he went pre-
pared, though he did not expect trouble.
The affair has produced a profound
shock in this community. Col. Beasley
was candidate for governor of Tennessee
in 1888 on the greenback ticket but is now
a leader of the populist party. He is an
ex-confederate soldier. and still suffers
from wound received in the war. He is
a much inferior man to the judge physi-
ra1lv