The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-02
CAME Of CARDS
CAUSES DEATH
Ira GOggans Killed in the
nArCade' Saloon.
CLIFF CAH00N The SLAYER
The Dead Man Fired the First
Shot
ACCORDING TO EYE WITNESSES
Cahoon Begged GOggans Not to Fire
On Him.
NO HEED WAS PAID ENTREATY
Cahoon Began to Shoot and Goggans
Dropped in His Tracks--Cahoon
Was Arrested and Lodgedin
the County Jail.
Cahoon Begged Goggans Not to Fire
On Him.
NO HEED WAS PAID ENTREATY

The fact that Ira F. Goggans is a corpse
and that Cliff Cahoon is in the county jail
charged with murder can all be traced TO
card game that was played in the gam
bling hell over the Arcade saloon, in Twen-
tieth street.
The game was begun yesterday morning.
Goggans and Cahoon met In the saloon
yesterday afternoon about 4:30 o'clock
There were words about the game, which
: d only been concluded a short time.
Pistols were drawn. Goggans fired the
first shot. Cahoon returned the fire, shoot
ing three times. One bullet took effect in
Goggans' right temple, one in the cheek
and another grazed his right arm. He fell
In his tracks, and died almost instantly.
Goggans' body was taken to the Warner
Smiley undertaking establishment, and Ca
hoon was arrested and lodged in the city
jail Later he was taken to the county
Jail on a warrant sworn out by II. C.
Bullock before Justice of the Peace Aber-
nathy. The preliminary hearing is set for
Monday morning at o'clock.
Lost Heavily on Game
1t is said that Goggans and Dump" Nc
Mcdonald lost heavily to Goggans. AS the
story goes, Mcdonald lost all of his money
and then pawned a diamond pin and a
ring.
1t is not clear whether there was any
row over the game at the time. Cahoon
was very friendly with Mcdonald, and
from the statements of eyewitnesses he
accused Goggans of getting Mcdonald
drunk and then winning his money.
Goggans went into the "Arcade" saloon
about 4 o'clock. 1t Is said that he had al
ready had some words with Cahoon In the
Jockey Club saloon While Goggans was
cade" Cahoon entered.
There were possibly a half dozen other
people In the saloon. "Bill" Lamb, the
barkeeper, and former United States Dep
uty Marshall Wade Mothershed were wit
nesses to what followed
Goggsns Fired First
Cahoon is said to have made the accusa-
tion that Goggans got Mcdonald drunk to
win his money. Hot words ensued. Cog
gans drew his gun and fired Cahoon then
ran around behind the bar. The witnesses
state that he cried out to Goggans not to
shoot; that he would do anything he (Gog-
gans) wanted him to do. 1t is alleged that
Goggans showed his gun 44-calibre Colts,
into Cahoon's face. Cahoon knocked it up
with his arm, and the gun fired. Cahoon
then fired three shots rap .dly from a 38-
calibre hammerless Smith & Wesson revoI-
yer. 1t is said that when Cahoon was do
ing the shooting he had Goggans' pistol
holding it by the barrel. When Goggans
fell Cahoon was holding both pistols
Sergeant Donaldson and Policeman Mar
tin Eagan, who were standing at the cor
ner of Second avenue and Twentieth street
heard the shots and were among the first
in the saloon. Cahoon was still behind the
bar and Goggans was where he feil--at
the end of the bar. great pool Of blood
had formed from his wounds. Policeman
Disheroon was not far away and was
among the first to reach the saloon.
1t is not clear whether Goggans fired
three shots. There We're three exploded
shells in his revolver when it was seen at
the police station and it was still hot when
the policemen got possession of It, The
eye witnesses. in making their statements
do not mention but two shots. 1t is possi-
BILE that in the excitement the witnesses
did not notice the other shots, and Ii
may be that one shell was already empty.
empty.
The shooting was done at close range
badly powder burned. Either the shot thai
took effect in the check or the one tina,
entered the temple would nave proven fa-
+" tai. Goggans was powerful man, weigh.
ing about 26O pounds. while Cahoon is lit.
tie more than boy.
Mothershed's Statement
Wade Mothershed, one of the eye viii.
nesses to the shooting, made the followtoo =
statement last night: Il was standing al
the bar with Dump Mcdonald when Cog.
gans came in. He walked up to the counte,
and stood there for few minutes, when
Cahoon entered the saloon. AS soon as the
boy approached he and Goggans began an
argument, when Goggins said, You'd bet.
ter go on now, for I'd hate to slap you, as
might break your neck L am not going
TO give you chance, replied Cahoon
why. have you got gunT asked Cog.
rans. yes, have one In my pocket SAID
Cahoon. WELL If you have we'll just go tc
shooting.' With that the pistols were pull
ed. / tried to get them separated, but
when I saw they were going to shoot any