The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-02-04
MURDERER MCGUIRE.
To be Tried at Holly Springs
For an Old Crime.

thirty years, a prematurely aged
man who has known no peace of.
mind OF quiet content for more than
q quarter of a century, Is DR.. John
w. Mcclure, an itinerant dentist.
Mcclure is in charge of Sheriff S.
w. Mullins of Marshall county,
Miss, and Deputy J. J. Finley of
Somerville, Tenn. He is Oh the
way from Somerville, where be was
arraigued last summer for an alleg-
ed attempted criminal assault upon
a I2-year-old girl, to Holly Spring,
Miss, where he will be tried for
shooting and killing William Bay
liss, planter, on April l6, 1868.
DIR. Mcclure is confident of secur-
ing an acquIttal, but relatives of
the man slam by the prisoner claim
to have evidence of a damaging
character against him. Mcclure
talked freely of the tragedy when
questioned last night by a reporter
for The Commercial Appeal.
81 do not deny the charge" he
said. 81 killed Bayliss in self-de-
Tense. He was a man who had the
reputation of taking advantage of
men who had business dealings with
him. He owned large plantation
near Byhalia, Miss. My sisters
husband, J B. Gauldin, consump-
tive, entered into a contract to fur
nish labor and raise crops on Bayliss'
plantation. We were warned that
Bayliss had entered into contracts
with other men, and when the men
had almost finished their work he
had forced them to leave the place,
so that he might obtain the
benefit OF their labor and invest
ment without paying them. We
entered into the contract regardless
of this, and Gauldin spent $1,000,
all the money he possessed, in fulfill
ing his part of the contract. | work
ed for Gauldin. When the crop
was well under way Bayliss remark
ed to a man who repeated the remark
to me: q am going to get rid of
young MCGUIRE He cursed me at
the same time and this remark, to-
gether with knowledge of Bayliss'
character as dangerous man, put
me on my guard.
"Some days afterward, Gauldin,
who was acting as overseer, my
mother, a Miss Mollie Coleman then
my sweeth heart, and other witnesses
including Bayliss came up. On es.
plying me he said: That - -
will have to leave this place.
".Why so p inquired my brother.
in-law. IF he goes, l shall CO.
He'll CO. added Bayliss.
''In those days we carried pistols
in scabbards buckled about our
waists. Bayliss did not have on a
scabbard, but he had his hand in his
pocket. tried to walk past him,
and, he drew pistol and
began shooting at me. spraug be-
hind a post and drawing my own
pistol, returned the fire. Bayliss
sprang behind tree. He shot seven
times at me. AS he leaned over to
take aim the last time l fired one
shot at him. He put his hand to
his chest, under his coat, and
then, drawing out his hand, held it
up. The fingers were bloody. He
sunk down on the ground. His wife
snatched up his pistol and snapped
it in my face, but no loads were left
in it. Ipushed her aside and walked
away.
81 went to st. Louis and became
an Office boy in a dentists office.
When | became old enough and had
learned enough | became a dentist.
Since then have made no attempt
to conceal my indemnity. | have
travelled to many parts of the United
States and twice gone to Europe.
mo attempt was ever made to
arrest me until my trial in Somer-
vile. My mother is alive, my then
sweet heart is now a married woman
and lives near Byhalia, besides there
are two other living witnesses, and
1 do not fear trial"
McGuire's arrest last August, on a
charge of attempted criminal assault
at Fayette Corner, Tenn, and his
reported lynching, are still fresh in
the minds of newspaper readers.
During the trial Deputy Sheriff
Finley learned of McGuire's early
life IN Mississippi, and by looking
up his record, started an investiga-
ton of the 80 year old murder charge,
on which the dentist is now held.
He communicated with Mullins,
and it was decided to take Mcclure
back for trial. For turning over
a fugitive homicide to the authorities
of Mississippi, Finley will receive a
statutory reward of 800.
William Bayliss was a brother of
Bronson Bayliss, a late prominent
Memphian, one of the Federal COM
missioners to the Paris exposition.
Bronson Bayliss offered 81, 900 re-
ward for the apprehension of his
brothers slayer, but with the death
of his brother Bronson Bayliss this
was withdrawn.
Sheriff Mullins and Deputy Finley
will take their prisoner of Holly
Springs to-day. The authorities
there will at once set prosecution
of the case on foot. |
The Baylisses deny McGuire's
claim of self-defense. as well as his |