Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1898-06-18
An EXCITING INCIDENT.
"A Ieorgla Saloon Keeper Shoots a
Soldier at chickamauga
Park in a Quarrel.
ESCAPES RFTR|BuTI0N BY FLIGHT.
SOLDIERS Get An Outing to Visit Ch,,,a:
"""ga' Lookout Mountain and Mi,sIob.
AIRY Ridge 5erked from the Ton 4,
moving Train by Crosswires and IA
vereiy Injured.

NhlcKAMAuaA PARn, Ga, June IA
A muchnecded rain fell yesterday be.
ginning at two o'clock and CONTINUING
almost without intermission until six
o'clock, cooling the atmosphere and
laying the aust The roads had
through constant use Of heavy army
wagons become almost impossible
from heavy dust, which in some places
was from five to six inches deep.
Inc men in camp were relieved YES
terday morning from any duties and
hundreds were given leave to visit the
city, Lookout mountain and Missionary
An incident occurred at Lytle, the
camp station, that will probably ter
inmate the existence of the Illicit
whisky shops and gambling dens
which have up to this time been per-
mitted to ply their business by the
1eorgla authorities without hindrance.
A private of the Twenty Kansas,
who had been drinking at the whisky
dive of one Joe Baker, became involved
in a difficulty with the barkceper.
Blows followed, and Baker drew a re-
volver and fired point blank at the SOL
der, the bullet, it was claimed by the
soldier, striking him near the left eve.
lnflicting severe wound, which NAV
cause the loss of an eve.
The fight attracted the attention of
the throngs on the streets of the mush-
room town, and soon a crowd of sol
dlers rushed in; but Baker, fearing trou-
bic, had gotten out of the way
A large body of soldiers formed with
the purpose of handling him severely
and avenging the injury to their com
rade, and for awhile it looked as if there
would be serious trouble. An armed
guard, however, was quickly detailed
by order of Gen. Brooke, who took
charge of Baker and his place and or
der was soon restored. The soldier
was taken to his division hospital,
whore the surgeon investigated his in
jurles. He found a wound as indicated,
but thought the injury had been
caused by a bit of broken glass and not
by bullet, splinter of glass being
found sticking in the eyeball.
After the shooting a number of SOL
diers discovered that the gambling den
was running brace game, and that
the difficulty between the soldier and
Baker had resulted from the fact that
the latter had been playing the former
with loaded dice. 1t took the soldiers
only few minutes to demolish the
place, They broke up the furniture,
scattered the gambling paraphernalia
in the street, and were only deferred
from pulling the house down by the ar
rival of the officers.
1t is stated that a number of good
citizens in the vicinity will, because OF
the failure of the Georgia officers to en-
force the law, petition that the portion
of Walker county in the vicinity of the
park be put under martial law, so that
Gen. Brooke can administer the law on
the lawless element now doing thriv-
ing business there.
Every train from the park yesterday
was crowded with soldiers
who had been given permission to visit
the city and the mountain.
One of the trains from the park was
crowded to suifocation, and a number
Of soldiers mounted to the top of the
At a point about three miles
from Chattanooga a number OF tele-
graph wires cross the track of the rail-
roads, which the soldiers tram was
passing. When the train reached this
point c. IL. Aemes, Third Illinois;
Barrett, Fourteenth New York,
and Judd" Sharp, Sixteenth Pennsy l.
rania, were standing on top of car
and, not having knowledge of the
wires, were caught under the chin and
around the neck by one of the wires
md dragged off the car.
The train was running at the rate OF
Is miles an hour at the time, but as
,oon as the accident became known
he train was stopped, the three men
picked up and taken back to the hos
,ital. None OF the men were fatally
injured, the force OF the fall being
broken bv Sharp catching on to his com
AIDES. They were badly bruised and
scratched, but no bones were broken
md no internal injuries were inflicted.
They were doing well and resting
.asilp Mt six o'clock last evening.