The leader., 1903-10-21
"A BLOODY DOUBLE
TRAGEDY SUN
DAY NIGHT.
POLICEMAN FORSYTHE MURDERED IN
THE DISCHARGE OF HIS DUTY.
lie Kills Richard Rushing, His AssaiIant,
After Receiving His Death Wound.
Tprrihlo HAM. In. Hand Ei6ht Endiu6
A Terrible Hand-to-Hand Fight, Ending
in Speedy Death to Both.

Al
double tragedies which ever oc.
Cured in this section took. place
in this city Sunday night about s
O'Clock, in the shop of Joe Danto-
nj, an Italian who keeps a fruit
and lunch stand in the Lucich
building, opposite the passenger
depot on the west side, the parties
to the bloody affair being Night
Policeman 1. Forsythe and a
young countryman, Richard
Rushing, the parties Instantly
killing each other.
1t was the duty of Policeman
Forsythe to patrol the city every
night, and he was the only officer
of the city charged with this re-
sponsibility,
A little while before the fatal
encounter, Rushing, who had
been hanging around the city for
several days, drinking, went into
Dantoni's shop and without any
known provocation, threw his six
shooter into the face of Mrs. Dan
toni, who was leaning on the end
of the counter and threatened to
shoot her, at the same time order
ing her and her husband to fur
nish him good supper. The
woman, greatly excited, screamed
and retreated to where her hus-
band was standing near the rear
partition; then the couple, turn
ing to Rushing, talked to him in
polite and conciliatory manner
and promised to get him a good
supper ready in few minutes.
when he seemed satisfied and
walked out. At or just outside
the door he was met by Policeman
Forsythe, who had been attracted
by the woman's screams, and
Mr.. Forsythe induced him TO
leave and go across the street in
the direction of the north corner
of the depot. Pretty soon Rush
ing came back, with a pistol in
his hand, followed by Policeman
Forsythe and DIR. Birdsong, of
Hazlehurst, and very soon after
they got inside, the shooting com
menced at the front of the shop,
and Dantoni and his wife fled out
of the back door.
This is substantially the state
ment made by Joe Dantcni and
his wife to a reporter of The
Leader, concerning the origin OF
the trouble.
DR.. Birdsong was interviewed
Sunday night after the killing be-
fore he left for home and said:
when got inside both men had
their pistols out, and Policeman
Forsythe called to Rushing to put
up his pistol and not shoot or he
would be compelled to kill him.
Rushing answered this with a shot
at close range, and the officer fell
to his knees, at the same time fir
ing point blank at Rushing. The
men then clinched and / rushed
forward and took hold Of then
and tried to separate them, but
one or both continued to shoot
while holding on to each other and
struggling on the floor. ] ther
turned them loose, to keep from
being shot myself, and got on The
outside until a livery stable man
named Kerl came along, just after
the shooting ceased, and we went
in together. When the men hrsl
clinched the policeman fell under
Rushing, but when turned then
loose and ran out he had gottcr
|.on top. Neither spoke a wore
during the fight, and | think there
were seven shots in rapid success
sion.
Dr.. Birdsong further stated thai
he knew Rushing ought to be ar
rested by what he had heard in
side the lunch stand when tht
woman screamed, aud had at once
gone across to the depot to looE
for an officer, and finding none
was on his way back, when hs
followed Policeman Forsytlie anC
Rushing into the shop.
G. A Kerl, whose livery stabl,
| is on the corner opposite the de
pot, when, asked by The Leader
| to make a statement about tht
affair said:
II was standing on the coFnei
at my stable and heard the shoot
ling commence and ran down ii
that direction, but before / got ii
| 1.-THE door it was all over. | wa
1.-THE first one to get to the combat
lants after the firing ceased, an
Iwhen / entered the door they wer
both on their knees on the foo
lin death grapple, and each wa
pressing the pistol hand OF th
Iother to the floor. Blood wa
squirting from Policeman For
Isythe's throat. / took hold D
1.-THE pistols Of both and separate
lthem. one falling backward t
1.-THE floor on one side and one d
1.-THE other. Rushing never mad
lanother struggle. Forstyhe, afte
laying on his back d moment, ros
Ion his elbow, looked at his / ros
trate antagonist and fell back t
lrise no more. Neither spoke
Srnrll affRr unf Iii fhsal1l. flani10