The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1896-02-05
TO KEEP KEATON SAFE.
TIE SLAYER OF BILL LINGO IN
THE TERRELL JAIL.

He Says the Published Accounts of the
Tragedy Are Wholly Incorrect. Conf
dent of Acquitta!.
Sheriff Hub Davis, of Calhoun county,
arrived in Dawson Saturday morning
about.S O'Clock. With him was Young
man of good appearance whom no one
would have taken for prisoner charged
with a capital offense.
The two drove directly to the Jail, and
in few minutes the strong steel bars of
the Terrell county prison were between
w. j. Keaton, the slayer of Bill Lingo at
Morgan, and liberty. The Calhoun
county Jail, although new one, is inse
cure, and Keaton was brought here for
safe keeping.
The accounts published in the daily
papers of the homicide say Keaton and
Lingo drank together considerably dur
ing last Wednesday, and late in the af-
ternoon had an alteration. They were
separated, so the newspaper reports say,
but Keaton got away from the men who
were holding him and walked over to
Lingo, drew his pistol and emptied it at
him, every ball taking effect. Lingo was
shot in both breasts, neck, groins and
thigh, and fell dead at the feet of his
slayer.
Saturday afternoon representative of
THE NEWS called at the Jail at the re-
quest of Keatop. When the reporter
was admitted to the prison by Sheriff
Christie he found KeatOn complacently
smoking cigarette and reading paper
that contained an account of the tragedy
that will cost him long days and nights
of suffering and anxiety if not his life.
He is medium sized man with a ruddy
complexion and small sandy colored
mustache, is perhaps 95 years of age,
we'll dressed, talks intelligently and has
the appearance of a man who has always
seen the best side of life.
He said his reason for requesting the
visit was to say that great many
false reports had gone out concerning
the killing and to request THE NEWS to
publish nothing that would be likely to
create prejudice against HIM without
MISUNDERSTANDING the facts. The publish
ed reports, he said, are almost totally
incorrect, but he declined to make a
statement of his side of the affair and
was very guarded in what he said on
that line. ALI that he would say in his
own behalf was that Lingo threw a
quantity of boiling water on him aud
severely scald3d his neck and shoulders.
He exhibited some large sores on the
back of his neck that were made
by the hot water, and represented his
shoulders as being in even worse condi-
ton. The burns are very painful and
required the attention of County Physi-
clan Kendrick Monday morning.
Keaton says he will be tried be-
fore Judge Bower at special term of
Calhoun superior court on the fourth
Monday of this month, and expresses
great confidence in his aequittal. He
will be defended by Judge Query of
Dawson, Colonies Beck and Dozier of
Morgan, and Colonel Epsey of Dothan,
Alabama.
Keaton is a native of Calhoun county,
and has strong and influential connec-
tions there. For the last several years
he has been in the employ of the Plant
railway system and has lived at High
Springs, Fla. He is suing for some
land in Calhoun county, aud was at
Morgan attending court when the diff
Guilty with Lingo occurred. He is a
married man, but has no children. His
wife was notified by telegram of the I'm.
fortunate occurrence, and is daily ex-
pected here. She has relatives in Dawson
and will remain here until the day of
the trial at Morgan.
Lingo, the man who was killed, was a
brick mason, and had workedin Dawson
at various times. He was dissipated
and worthless character, but appeared
to be au inoffensive kind of a man.
ruE NJxxv % axorrsr pASrop