Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-12-13

q brief mention OF the DlOOuy aHray
that occurred at Greenville on Tuesday
of last week between Dlspensary Con.
stables Cornwell and Cooley and
George Howard and other violators of
the disppnsary law. The Greenville
Mountaineer Of last Saturday contains
a complete account of the horrible af.
fair, and from this account We extract
the statement that Constable Cooley
made 10 the coroner. This statement,
which is generally conceded to be cor
rect, covers all the main facts in the
case. 1t is as follows:
"About 2 80 o'clock, Tuesday after
noon, l got information that there were
two men in the woods just this side Of
the overhead bridge. Igot horse and
buggy from Sitton h Kelley's stables,
and came by LaFar's for Cornwell.
We went out the Paris Mountain road,
and as We got to the fork of that little
road that fanks the piece of woods
where the shooting occurred on the
north, 1 left the buggy, circling into
the woods at the right of the main
road and crossed the main road just
this side of the bridge. Cornwell went
up the side road. about 25 yards and got
out and came through the woods to
meet me. Nearly in the centre of this
little piece of woods, about so yards
from the main road, Cornwell and I
both saw two men about the same time.
They were sitting up to fire made in
a tree and were facing me, though they
appeared to take no notice of me. We
walked right up on them before they
saw US. About 10 or Is steps from
them on my side I found two kegs of
liquor, and informing Cornwell of this
fact, I told him to arrest the men.
They said, 'All right consented to the
arrest, and I never thought there
would be the least trouble. One Of
the men knew, and recognized him as
George Howard. The other man /
did not know. Howard, could see,
had been drinking. If the other fel-
low had been drinking, could not
detect it.
"When they consented to arrest, I
looked down on the ground and saw a
carbine rifle, evidently belonging to
them, and while Cornwell went through
their pockets to search them for weap-
ons, 1 stopped down and picked up
the gun. I told Cornwell to take
charge of the men and that would
get the liquor together and load it.
While I was tugging away with a
heavy keg on the opposite side of the
buggy from them, and with my back
to the men, and while Cornwell was
going through them for weapons, Corn
we'll said Look out, Cooley, this man
has a gun in his pocket
81 turned Il was on the opposite side
of the buggy from the others, including
CornwelD, and looked and saw How:
ard jerk his pistol from his ri ight:h hand
overcoat pocket. saw the pistol, and
just as he got it out, Cornwell grabbed
his hand. The third man was standing
near the fire, 10 or IL feet from me and
8 or feet from Cornwell. Howard
was then - feet from me and to the left.
Cornwell was slightly to the right of
Howard and about the same distance
from me as Howard. Cornwell and
Howard were facing each other tussel-
ing over Howard's pistol. Cornwell
turned the pistol loose and stepped
back about two PAGES, and, just as he
did so, Howard fred twice in rapid
succession at Cornwell. At the first
shot Coruwell threw his right hand
to his stomach and cried: Mr.. Cooley,
he has shot me and he has killed me,
too
"I had carried the carbine rifle l
had seized from Howard and the
stranger around with me on the oppo
site side of the buggy from them. AS
Cornwell cried out l reached for the
gun in evidence-the carbine-which
was lying FIVE or six feet from the bug
w. / was at the buggy loading the
whisky. 1 had heavy keg trying to
get it into the buggy, and picked it up.
As did so the stranger standing at
the tree shot me in the back. (The
gun is the gun picked up and fired
at Howard.) As l turned with the
gun the stranger ran behind the tree
he was standing by and continued to
run, keeping the tree between me and
him. then turned on Howard and
fired the gun at him. After that the
repeating rifle hung and l threw it
down and drew my 5-shooting 3s Smith
& Wesson revolver from my hip.pocket
and fired four times at Howard.
"As l fired my first revolver shot,
Cornwel had emptird his first revolver
and was in the act of closing in on How.
ard and shooting him in the neck with
another. l closed in on Howard and
fired two or three shots, | won't be posi-
tive which, into his left side, feeling for
his heart. As did so Howard said;
"'Don't shoot me no more ! you've
killed me-
"Just before closed in on him he
says:
"'You'd better get away; I've got
TWO or three more pistols
"When he said don't shoot me any
more, I quit and the battle closed. l