The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-17
Coxs CLASH WITH CoNLEY.
CoRoNERs JURY HOLDS THE STAY
ER ron MANUFACTURER.

Relatives of the Dead Man Insinuate
That He Was the Victim of a Con-
spiracy-Nan With Whom He Was
on Had TerIas the First 10 Arrive
on the Scene when the Shooting
Commenced.
Atlanta, Ga. March 16.-An inquest was
held to-day by Coroner Stamps to inquire
INTO the killing of John L. .Conley at East
Point last night
The result of the inquest was that John
Cox, the man who did the killing was
found to have committed manslaughter.
Cox is still in jail, and refuses 70 say
anything at all about the case to newspa-
per reporters. Great interests was dis
played in the tragedy to-day. Conley, who
was a son of ex-Gov. Benjamin Conley
was a well-known figure on the streets of
Atlanta. though living near East Point
where he published a weekly paper called
the Plow Boy.
He was an actor in many sensational
cases. and for the past ten years or more
was almost constantly involved in the
courts. He was a lawSer by profession,
and frequently defended himself and prose-
cuted his own cases.
The most interesting color given to the
case is the insinuation by Conley's friends
and relatives that he was the victim of a
conspiracy. Cox, the man who did the
killing, being simply the tool of others.
There are some curious circumstances in
the affair." which tend to give it comph-
Gated appearance, but the officers do not
take much stock in the alleged conspiracy.
Four of the five shots fired by Cox took
effect in Conley's heart and lungs. Ihey
were fred at short range. while the two
men were apparently engaged in fight,
and either one of them would have pro-
duced death.
Very little is known of Cox, the slayer.
He hoated into Atlanta several months
ago, working as a bicycle repairer, and
was finally employed TO go out to East
Point and become a watchman on the
property in dispute between Conley and }.
B. Redwine who claimed it as a purchaser
at legal sale Couley disputed his right
to It. however, and refused to give Ii up,
which caused the employment of watch
men to guard it after Redwine had been
put into possession by the sheriff.
Col Reuben Arnold, with whom Conley
had fight some years ago in which pis
tolls were drawn, represented Redwine,
and on account of the bad blood between
them, Col Arnolds law firm is being
brought into the case Indirectly.
Another feature of the case, which is
causing a good deal of talk is the feud
between Conley and Deputy Sheriff c. Q.
Trimble. They had not spoken for eight
years. though near neighbors. Recently
Conley had Trimble arrested for trespass-
ing, and upon a plea of guilty he was
fined $3.50. This did not satisfy Conley,
and last Saturday he printed an item in
his paper, which, in effect, charged that
Trimble had been guilty of running a rel
alive of his own wife and of bringing
about the death of the ilegitimate off
spring. Bloodshed was expected on this
account.
When Cox and Conley got into the alter
cation last night Trimble was standing in
the yard of ex-Marshal Mcconnell of East
Point, only a few rods away. and was the
first man to arrive on the spot when the
shooting occurred.
This close proximity of Trimble when
the killing was done and the publication
in Conleys paper is the cause of the
charge of conspiracy by Conley's friends.
The body of the deceased was taken TO
Augusta, where he was born, for burial
this afternoon.