The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-10-11
THREE KILLED IN FEUD
Father and Son Die Game After
Killing Their Enemy.
GiiIenwaters and gmitn Families II Long
Vendetta at Faircloth, Ga.--school
Thrown Into Panic by Shooting.

Camilla, Cain the lobby Of the
4 postoffice of Faircloth, a small village
ten miles from this place, three men
were shot to death as the result Of the
feud between the Gillenwaters and
Smith families, and which has been
carried on with increasing bitterness
for a year. So far five lives have been
sacrificed to the feUd, and it was said
there was d meeting of all the Gil!en-
waters in the county and thatla COM
pact was made to keep up the strife
until the last Of the Smiths was slain.
The recent shooting took place
| through the accident of meeting be-
tween J. CLEARWATER, the leading mer-
chant of Faircloth, and the recognized
head Of the numerous Gillenwaters
family, and John Smith and his son
Keir, who had been active in support
ing their side Of the feud
Gillenwaters went to the postoffice
at Ii o'clock, and was leaving the
building, when he met the Smiths face
to face. He was in the act of open
ing an envelope when he looked up
and saw John Smith standing watching
him de6antly. Gillenwaters let the
letter drop from his fingers, and, his
face growing red with rage, he said:
Get out Of my way or there will be
two deaths this minute"
Gillenwaters had shotgun under
his arm, and as he spoke he swung it
into readiness for instant use. John
Smith was cool and his son stood still
with his arms crossed on his breast,
as if to show his indifference of dam
ger.
"You haven't got the heart to press
that trigger, Gillenwaters,' said the
father.
IF you move another step into this
building" said the merchant, I'm blow
the brains out of both Of you"
In answer to this threat both men
drew revolvers and stepped from the
sidewalk into the lobby. On the mo-
ment Gillenwaters fred a charge of
buckshot into the fathers stomach.
Smith fell against the wall as If in a
sitting position. Gillenwaters fired a
second shot, and the son dropped AS
he was falling he fired at his enemy,
and the bullet caught him sQuarely in
the chest.
The wound seemed to dull Gillen-
waters mind for he stood and snapped
the empty gun first at the father and
then at the son. Though dying, John
Smith realized that he had Gillenwat-
ers at his mercy, and with amazing
calmness he ordered his son to steady
himself and shoot with him.
The shotgun fell from Gillenwaters'
hands and clattered on the wooden
floor. The mans frame shivered from
the shock, and then for an instant he
stood motionless. Gillenwaters, with a
last desperate effort of hate, tried to
go forward, but the body suddenly re-
laxed and he rolled dead on the boards.
John Smith and his son watched the
last tremors shake the frame of their
enemy, and then the father began to
die. I'm going, Kerr, be said, "but
we're dying game" AS residents of
the village, friends of all three men,
came running in the father tried to
rise to his feet. But his strength was
gone. He fell back in heap, and just
before the last breath feeling of hui
name tenderness seemed to grip him,
Tor, as he caught glance Of woman's
face close to his, he muttered, I'm
sorry" and died.
Aelr smith fingered Tor ten mInureS
after the shooting
The public school stands near the
postoffice in Faircloth, and panic
started among the pupils after the
shooting. Buckshot from Gillenwat-
ers' gun shattered the windows, and
only the discipline enforced by the
teachers prevented terrible crush at
the top of the stairs.