The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-01-23
!!LLMAN ISSUES A
STATEMENT TO PRESS
Says When Truth Is Known He
Will Be Justified For Act
ing as He Did.
GONZALES HOLDING OWN.
Physicians Believe He Has a Chance of
Recovery, Though Crisis Is Not
Passed and His Condition Is
Extremely Critical.

Columbia, S. C., Jan. 19.-Editor NJ.
u. Gonzales, who was shot and dan
gerously wounded by Lieutenant Gov
ernor Tillman Thursday is holding hi
own. There had been no change IL (
either the better or the worse sine
Friday night. The crisis is yet to come y
The best doctors in this part of the
state are doing all they can to save his.
life, but hold out little hope of mis- re-
!covery.
The condition of Mr.. Gonzales and
the details of the tragedy are limos
the only topic OF conversation in South
Carolina. kilograms are coming from
all parts Of the state and from many
places beyond its borders expressing
sympathy and asking for the latest
news as to his condition. Sympathetic
crowds gather around the bulletin.
board on Main street and express ar
dent hopes for the recovery Of the
stricken In the morning when
the city schools assembled and prayers,
were said they included an appeal to
God for the recovery Of Mr.. Gonzales.
At the South Carolina college prayers
were offered for the recovery of the
stricken editor, and even in the senate
chamber, where Liutenant Governor
Tillman had presided shortly before the
shooting, the chaplain prayed that the
almighty would a V the life of Mr..
Gonzales.
There is considerable feeling over the,
affair, but it can be stated with posi-
tiVeness there is no thought of violence
against Lieutenant Governor Tillman
on the part of Mr.. Gonzales friends.
Condition Extremely Critical.
:, At 8 o'clock last night the wound was,
again dressed and was found to be in a,
satisfactory state and fully drained.
His condition., the physicians an
nounced, was extremely critical, but
was as, good as they could expect UNI
der the circumstances. The patients;
pulse was 120 and temperature 10OH.
. Lieutenant Governor James H. Till
man, who did the shooting, is taking.
things quietly and calmly in the county
Jail, where he has a comfortable room
on the second floor. He had some new
furniture brought to his place of con-
'finement, and made himself comfort
able. He spent most of the day in con-
sultation with his lawyers.
Two of his counsel gave to the Asso-
ciated Press, with a request tina it be-
published, the following statement pre-
pared by Mr.. Tillman himself in re-
Spouse to a telegram from a New York
newspaper:
II a only say that when the truth
Of the unfortunate affair is Known my
friends, as well as the people, will
know how thoroughly justified I was
in acting as 1 did.
THE statements already published in
the papers are untrue, and at the prop
per time this I am prepared to show.
Beyond this I do not care. to make any
further statement.
James H. Tillman."
Tillman's Line of Defense.
1t is understood here that Colonel
Tillman's line of defense will be that
he thought Mr.. Gonzales was armed
and that he had a weapon in his coat
pocket, and that he had his hands in
his coat pocket. He is said to contend
that he had every reason to believe'that
Mr.. Gonzales was armed.
I Mr.. Gonzales friends state tina he
was not armed.
! Tillman also will claim that when
he aimed his pistol the second time at
Mr.. Gonzales that he did so expecting
MIR. Gonzales to defend himself, and
that he lowered his weapon because
there was no response, and not because
of anything that Mr.. Gonzales said.
'Tillman, it is understood, also will con-
tend that he had not met Gonzales be-
fore. This is denied by Gonzales
friends, who say Gonzales and Tillman
were in the senate chamber and state
capital together.
AT LIS this morning the physicians
in attendance at Gonzales bedside is
sued the following bulletin:
Gonzales is calm and sleeping.
Pulse, 1877; temperature, 101&4-5; respi-
ration, 32."'