Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-01-21
MURDERED BY TII~I>nf1AN.
WITHOUT A SECONDS WARNING EDITOR
~. C. GONZALES rs SHOT DOWN
BY the Coward who for Two Years has Dis-
traced the Once OF Lieutenant Governor
Unconscious for Hours Mr.. Gonzales
Succumbs and Passes Away An Peace. u \

L hCEO UPpthkb W U0 nO CO0lIlCG OF leg
5tmony az to the essential features of the
Tragedy. Mr.. N. g. Gonzales was going
home alone from his Office to bis lunch.
| To go home he had to 20 down Main
street to Gervais and then turn east and
go down that street. Mr.. Gonzales was
as usual walking.
Lieutenant Governor Tillman left the
State House just after adiourning. He
had presided at the Senate's 8 session and
remained around the Senate chamber foI
@ while. AS he came ont OF the State
House he was accompanied by Senator
! Talbird, of Beaufort, and Senator Brown,
!, OF Darlington, and he was Joined on his
way up. town by Congressman elect
Wyatt Aiken ind former Representative
| The meeting was just at the turn of
Main and Gervais streets, on the north
side, just at the street car transfer sta-
ton. There was no encounter, no fist
lighting, no laying on of hands, Lieu
tenant Governor Tillman, the testimony
now all seems to be, simply drew his
revolver and fred into Editor Gonzales.
Most of those who saw tho affair saw
there was nothing said until after the
shot. One of Lieutenant Governor Till
! mans escorts says he thinks Mr.. TilIman
said, 81 received your message" and
then fired. He is not certain on this, but
thinks so. The other escort of Mr.. Till
man says he did not hear anything and
did not see the affair, but thinks he
would have heard any words, as he was
Ia the very midst of the affair. Two or
three others say they heard nothing until
after the firing of the pistol.
MIR. GONZALES sTATEsiENT,
Mr.. Gonzales himself gave q perfectly
plain and explicit statement of the whole
affair prior to being put under the anss-
thetics, and he was very emphatic in
saying that he had not sent any message
TO Lieutenant Governor Tillman at any
time, and that Mr.. Tillman said nothing
until after he had fired, and then, bfter
the shot he said something about taking
him (Gonzales) at his word. Mr.. Con.
zales took this to mean that Mr., Tillman
told him that he was settling old issues
face to face with him. Mr. Gonzales is
certain that nothing was said until after
the shot was fired. After the first shot
Mr.. Gonzales tottered to the transfer
station, against which he leaned. Till
man was still pointing his pistol at him,
whereupon Mr.. Gonzales said: ''Shoot
again, you coward" Then Lieutenant
Governor Tillman lowered his pistol and
walked away.
THE WOUND.
There was only one shot fired and that
entered the right side, between the
eighth and ninth ribs, and passed
| cnAouRh eho !oio parI VI Gne DOuy, COM
| ing out just above the free border Of the
ribs. At first it was thought the bullet
had gone through the body from the
front to the back, but it did not, as IL
went through the fore part of the BODY.
entering above the vest pocket on the
right and coming out below and behind
the vest pocket on the left side. The
bullet was picked up on the pavement
and it seems to be bright and new and in
no way battered. 1t was bullet from
what is said to be long range German
magazine pistol. IL
AFTER THE SHOOTING. -
Tillman, after the shooting, walked
out into the middle of the street, where
he was arrested and taken to the station
house on Gervais street. He was met
there by several of his friends, but said
nothing. The police took from him the
long range magazine pistol, which had
one empty cartridge, and a largo Colts
revolver. IL
just as soon as Mr.. Gonzales was taken
into his office DR.. w. j. Murray arrived
and made the wounded man comfortable.
DIR. Griffith and DR.. Coward were the
first to give medical assistance and gave
an injection to relieve the intense pain.
Gradually pallor stole over the face of
the stricken man, but he seemed anxious
to talk and to give the story of the shoot
/
inquired particularly about the members
OF his devoted family, all of whom had,
by this time, arrived.
TAKEN TO HOSPITAL. "sN,
Dr. b. w. Taylor, the eminent physi-
clan, was placed in charge, and it was
promptly decided that an operation
would have to be performed. Arrange
ments were made to take Mr.. Gonzales
TO the Columbia Hospital. He stood the
trip elegantly, and after being taken
into the building his pulse registered 72,
1t was exactly two hours after tho
shooting that Mr.. Gonzales was placed
on the operating table. The operation
lasted about two hours. The patient
bore the operation we'll. m
A sTATEMENT. S1G
In statement Mr.. Gonzales made it
plain that he sought no difficulty, that
to avoid a collision with Mr.. Tillman
who was walking with two Senators, he
cut across the pavement and passed by
without touching or speaking, and that
Mr.. Tillman pulled his pistol, or had 1t
in his hand, and fired. Mr.. Gonzales
again, you coward" Mr. Gonzales said
he saw Mr.. Tillman two days before and
Mr.. Tillman saw him. AS to sending
any message to Mr.. Tillman he said he
had not done SO, and that he was posi-
tive that Mr.. Tillman fired before he
said word. sH
The most serious wound is the cutting
OF the transverse colon for about an inch
and half, almost severing the intestine.
This and the three other wounds of the
| intestine were carefully sewed. After
| the operation the physicians reported
that the patient stood the ordeal beauti-
fully and that the operation was as sue
cessful as could be.
FROM EYE WITNESSES.
There is apparently no desire on the
/ part OF the eye witnesses &c talk af the
tragedy for.publication. Senator George
| w. Brown, of Darlington, who was walk
| ing on the inside of the three and near
est to Mr.. Gonzales said, strange as it
may appear, he did not see the shooting
and knew but little. just at the time he
had turned to the side to speak to q lady
friend who was passing, and then, while
| turned he heard the pistol fire. His
friend ran and he tried to stop and assist
her. He heard no words and went off to
| calm his friend, who was much excited.
He heard nothing pass between the two
men, but did not see the affair, and Of
course Senator Brown is absolutely can
| did in his statement.
Senator Talbird, who was one of the
party walking along, does not care to
talk for publication and says he heard
Mr.. Tillman say, 81 got your message"
and that he thinks the shot was fired
after he used the expression. Both Sem
ator Brown and Senator Talbirda said
that they wore so much surprised and
amazed that they hardly realized what
had happened, but there was no quarrel
Conoresama vVvatt A;Lan Nth