Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1899-03-25
sANGUINARY STREET BATTLE.
Five Men instantly Killed and n
MOrtaIIy WOunded-A Nom
CombatRnt Killed.

Hot Springs. Ark, March IA
shooting occurred here AT $50 o'clock
yesterday afternoon, which resulted in
the death of five men and the serious
wounding of two others, ont It whom
is not expected 10 live. The killed
are: Thomas Tolcr, chief of police; j..
Z. Hart. city detective; Thomas f.,
Goslec, police sergeant; John Williams,
son of sheriff Williams. and Louis
Hinkle, driver of a brewery wagon.
Ed Spears was shot in the neck, and
may die.
Caused by Partisan Bias.
The shooting was the result Of feel.
ing growing out of the mayoralty con
test. which was under way here. The
sheriff was a warm supporter of the
regular democratic nominee, while
Toler, Hart and GoSlee were support.
ing an opposition candidate.
A BIoodlcss Encounter.
Feeling ran high, and early IN the
afternoon shots were exchanged in
front the city hall, between the sheriff
and his son, John, ON one S,dr, and
Sergeant Goslee on the other, but HI
one was injured. After THIS both
! arties determined to have it out.
Hart and Goslec were together
walking south on Central avenue ut
about half-past five o'clock, when they
met Sheriff Williams and his two sous,
John and CotYey, and Ed Spears a dep
uty sheriff, in front Of Lcmp's beer
The Fatal Meeting.
The quarrel was renewed. No one
cen tell who fired the first Shct, but
in a moment there was a general fuHi-
llde in which 40 or so shots were rx-
changed. When it WAS over, To'cr,
Hart, GoSlcc and llinkle, n uon-ccm-
| atant. were dead, and John Williams
Was mortally wounded. He died abou,
m hour later. Louis Ilinklc attempted
to separate the combatants at the com
Increment, and was shot in The hCa
and died instantly.
The mayor, Immediately after the
shooting, appointed Judge l.. D. Bell
ing chief of police, who had a posse It
deputies worn in at once. There is
factional feeling outside OF those
engaged in the shooting. Order wac
easily restored, and the city Is now
quiet,
The sheriff and his brother, tofICy,are
under arrest, and there will be no
further trouble.
Trcss Comments.
The Hot Springs Daily News in a
late extra, says:
ut is impossible at this writing to
obtain details, or learn definitely who
did the shooting. 1t was a bloody Sc
Qucl to the first aiTray earlier in the
evening, in which Goslee and The WI.
ljamS participated. \ portion of the
police faction, headed by thepoltce, an
a portion of the Williams faction met
the sidewalk in front OF Lcmp'l
Deer depot, when furious firing began.
"Thc police were going down the
, rect and the other party coming NJ.
Who began the ARRAY can not Le
learned. Fifteen or 20 shots rang ont
in quick succession as the two parties
FLASHED in mortal combat. The streets
were crowded, and the widest excite
mcut prevailed. Chief-of-PoIic@ Tom
the sergeant, Tom Goslec, of the
police faction, lay dead upon TIE side
walk. On the other side, John O. WI.
son of the sheriff, lay mortallv
wounded, and Ed Spears was shot or
cut in the neck. Louis lIinkle, drive
of Schwanitz' beer cart, was also killed
by a flying bullet. Hinkle was not a
party to the feud.
II wa 'hNht
"Sherift Williams was not present
when the battle occurred, but soon ap
pcared and, on learning of the death
of his son, became frantic. His brother
Williams, and ncphcws, Sam ami
VIII Watt, were with him, and all were
armed and crazcd with rage aul grief.
about 20 minutes after (h. main
battle another atfray occurred. in
which four or five shots were fired
This occurred on the sidewalk a littlA
below where the other dead bodies lay.
a great multitude which had gathered
stampeded in the widest excitement,
tumbling over each other in every di.
Iection.
SIN this fusiladc Detective jim Hart
went down with the whole top Of HI,
head blown off.
Quclicd the Excitement.
'Pandemonium reigned for Il tina.
finally Constable Sam Tate AMI Dep
uty Jack Archer succeeded in ouellinI
the excitement to some extent and
clearing the streets in the vicinity Of
the scene.
"a big freight wagon was ordered
up, and the bodies loaded into it ant,
taken to Gross undertaking establish
ment. When the news of the tragedy
was conveyed to the homes of the dead
men the shrieks and anguish from
wives, mothers and Sisters, were
heartrending. Besides his father.
John Williams leaves a mother and
three grown sisters. Goslee leaves
wife and children. the youngest being
an infant. Toler has no relatives here
Hart leaves a wife and children, and
llinkle, the innocent victim, lbs rela
tives here"
Mass-Mcctinp Called.
"a movement was Immediately be.
gan to call "A mass-meeting at he city
hall to consider what steps should bf
taken, and as we go to press with thi:
extra. they are assembling. They are
determined TO restore order, and it a.
likely the governor will be asked tC
remove Sheriff Williams, Temporarily