The leader., 1903-10-21

present when | separated the men.
Both died inside of fifteen min
Iutes after / got to them. For
Isythe breathed his last about five
minutes before Rushing.
Il have seen a good many des-
perate fights during my life, but
1 | never saw a man that was truer
game to the last than Policeman
i Forsythe. 4
Policeman Forsythe received
four bullet wounds and all but
one Of these was mortal. One
ball entered his chest near the
right nipple, another cut his
lthroat from side to side, cutting
4 in two the thorax and making a
lghastly wound, third penetrated
the brain over the left ear, and a
fourth tore through his left ear
and grazed the skull. Besides, he
had two or three ugly bruises
made on his forehead by blows
from Rushing's pistol.
Rushing received only two
wounds, one bullet entering the
upper part of the left groin, rang
ing Upward and backward and
lodging under the skin on the op-
posite side, cutting the femoral
artery. The second grazed the
left arm, near the shoulder, in
tlicting a slight wound.
The combatants we're in such
close quarters during the shooting
that the woundsssof both were pow
der-burnt, and Rushing's coat was
burning when they were sepa-
rated. Dr.. Solon Wilson was sum
moned Immediately by phone and
arrived in few minutes and ad-
ministered a stimulant, but bot tn
men were beyond mortal aid
and breathed their last few mo-
ments after his arrival.
Policeman Forsythe used a
double action II ealibre Colts pis-
tol, and Rushing a 3S-calibre
double-action Colts. An exami-
nation of the shells in the pis-
tolls showed that Rushing fired
FIVE shots and Policeman Forsythe
only one during the fight. 1t is
therefore concluded that the
wound received by Rushing in the
left arm was inflicted by himself
during the struggle, and that Po-
liceman Forsythe S fatal shot was
fred as he fell to his knees be
fore they grappled.
Richard Rushing was born and
reared in the southwestern part
of Lincoln county, where he has
lived all his life until the last two
or three years. He was % years
Eold. Several who have known
Fhirl+tIi his life, say he was pledis-
posed to drink and lead a reckless
life. A few years ago he was
shot in the foot on account of a
scrape he got into about another
mans wife and was lame quite a
while. He was the son OF Jack
Rushing, who is repated to be a
quiet, good citizen. His father
and mother came to town Monday
morning and carried his remains
home for burial at Concord
church. They informed a repre-
sentative Of The Leader that their
| son had been rather weak minded
all his life, and during the last
few weeks talked as if he regard
ed himself as the victim of some
mysterious conspiracy. During
the last two years he has worked
some over on the.Gulf & Ship Is
land Railroad and roved around
a good deal. This year he came
back and made a crop with his
brother-i II law. Simp. Wallace,
but five or six weeks ago, sold
out his interest to Wallace and
got work on the log line Of the
Moreton & Helms Lumber Co., !,
but lost his job and seemed to
think he had been badly treated
by some one, declaring he had
taken about all he intended to
take and wasn't going to be i'm
posed upon any longer.
Several persons in Brookhayen
who knew him, say they regard
ed him as mentally unbalanced.
/ He was around BrookhaVen a
good deal last week, and several
times took a passing train north
or south and visited a neighboring
town and returned. Mr.. H. Ell.
Cain, who works at Perkins
Hardware Store, says he came to
Ihim Wednesday and wanted to
borrow $500, agreeing to secure
him By Offering to turn over his
pistol, which lie said he had left
at Hazlehurst and would be sent
Ito him by express next day. Mr..
i Cain let him have the money, and
next day says Rushing took the
ltrain for Hazlehurst and that even
ling the pistol came down by ex-
/ press as he had promised. He
kept it at the store waiting for
Rushing TO call for it, and next
morning Rushing came around to
Perkins and brought double
lbarreled shot gun and a belt of
LOADED shells, charged with buck
lshot. These he left at the store
luntil Friday evening, when he
Ecame back to the store with q
lkinsman named Rank Rushing,
land turned the gun and belt and
shalIs over to Rank Rushing to
ltaiSe home and got the money
! from him to redeem his pistol
from Mr. Gam and left Durino