Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1903-05-01
|CHAS. COLEMAN KILLED
Shot Down by VIM. q. White for Alleged In
suit Offered Whites Wife. - The
Coroners Inquest.

Coroner's Inquest

don't know whether they said
anything before shooting; there
were as many as four shots !;
this shooting was done in my
store, near the stove; he said
several times, "don't shoot me
any any more;" Chas. Coleman
was the man that was shot; he
looked as if he was trying to
keep out of the way; l think first
shot was fired while Coleman
was sitting down.
w. w. Ward testified: I live
in Keytesville; between 8 and 8
O'Clock last night was in Mr..
Thrash's store when some shoot
ing took place; VIM. White shot
Charlie Coleman; I was sitting
in the chair by the side of the
stove; Mr.. Coleman was sitting
on the coalbox behind the stove;
Bill White came in and said:
"You are the id s-n of
b-h that insulted my wife,"
Coleman was sitting down when
shot; Coleman got up and walked
around the stove; Bill shot again
came around the other way;
White shot him again; then Bill
walked around the stove again
and shot; l said to him: bill,
don't shoot him any more"
Coleman said: ''No you have
killed me now" then Bill shot
again and turned around and
walked out, and Coleman fell on
the coalbox; Bill said: s'That's
what l wanted to do," after
Coleman said 3you have killed
me, &c." Coleman didn't try to
do anything he was trying to
get out of the way; there was nc
resistance on Coleman's part.
Jam S Jefferson, Jr., testified:
l am employed by Mr.. Thrash in
his store and was there the night
of April 81 between 8 and 8
O'Clock; saw Bill White and
Charlie Coleman; l was near the
front when Bill walked in; he
pulled out his pistol, advanced a
few steps and said: s'You are the
id s-n of b-h that insult
ed my wife," and shot just as he
spoke the last word; Charlie got
up and began to beg, and Mr..
Ward told Bill not to shoot him
any more; Charlie said: ''No for
Gods sake not to shoot;'' about
that time l got out of the store
into Mr.. Whites store; I heard
three shots after that; Coleman
kept lodging behind the stove.
Sam P. Anderson testified:
I had just stepped out from the
store opposite Mr.. Thrash's be-
tween s and 8 o'clock p. m. April
q; l was facing the west when
| heard shot; first thought it
was a. torpedo and turned quick
ly, looked across the street and
saw the trouble was in Mr..
Thrash's store, and that it was
Charlie Coleman and Bill White;
| saw Coleman jump behind the
stove and White stepped around
and shot him again; Coleman.
said: "Bill, don't shoot or don't
kill-something of that kind
and kept lodging behind the
stove; White came around and
shot him again, and he shot him
once more when Coleman fell
back on the coalbox as near as I
could see; do not know Whites
exact words; I could hear Cole
man begging for his life; l lock-
ed the store and went over to
Thrash's; 1 was on the street
when the shooting occurred, and
could hear Coleman begging.
DR.. j. T. Aldridge testified:
On the evening of April q be-,
tween 8 and 9 O'Clock l was in
front of Mr.. Anderson's drug
store; l heard the shooting in
Thrash's grocery store; 4 turned
and looked over that way; by
that time another shot was fired;
I saw a man standing up behind
the stove in Thrash's store; |
recognized Bill White stand
ing in front of stove Ee-
tween stove and door; he
walked around the stove and
shot at the man on opposite side
who seemed to be trying to
dodge him; started across the
street at that time when / saw
Bill walk on the other side of the
stove and shoot again; by this