The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-04-29
KILLED In A
SALOON FIGHT.
Desperate Struggle Between Frank
Lyles and Freeman Boys al
Mt. Pleasant.
Nat Freeman Shot Through Stomach
And Dies the Next Day.

A desperate saloon fight occurred at
Mt. Pleasant Friday night, which will
probably result in the death of Nat
Freeman, white man of that place.
He was shot twice through the
stomach by young man named Frank
Lyles, a miner for Williams e. Pearson,
phosphate contractors at that place.
The difficulty occurred about eight
o Clock in saloon near the railroad
depot run by man named Pearson,
and the particulars, and causes leading
up to the fight, as obtained by the
Herald over the telephone, are as fol-
lows:
On Thursday, Lyles had some sort
of trouble with a son of Freeman at
the mine, and, it is said, whipped
him. The boys father swore out a
warrant for Lyle S arrest, and the trial
was heard Friday night about Z
O'Clock, by Esq. F. NJ. Ricketts,. Lyles
submitted. and was fined SIS and costs.
The elder Freeman was greatly enraged
during the trial, and it was with diff
Guilty that he was kept from raising a
disturbance with Lyles after the trial
was over. Esq. Ricketts, and Con-
stable Chas. Alexander walked dis
lance with him toward his home, and
tried to persuade him to go on there.
Instead of doing so, however. he
stopped at Pearson s saloon, which was
on his way home, with his brother,
Jack Freeman, and there the difficulty
ensued.
A Desperate Fight.
The report of the struggle in the
saloon is that Lyles was sitting on |
counter, drinking glass of beer. when |
the Freemans entered the place.
Nat, it is said. walked up to Lyles and
without hesitation struck him in the
mouth with his fist. Lyles jerked
pistol from his pocket and began hit
ting his antagonist over the head with
1T. At this point. Jack Freeman, it is
said, opened his knife and began try
ing to cut Lyles. The latter then
began to fire rapidly. He shot Nat
twice in the stomach, the balls enter
ing about the sixth rib, on the left
side, and going entirely through the
body. He then fired two or three
times at Jack, hitting him in the
shoulder. He then ran out the door
of the saloon, and made his escape the
police, who had heard of the shooting,
coming about this time, and it is
said, shot at Lyles as he ran off in the
darkness.
Nat Freeman was carried to hi S
home and physicians summoned. An
of his wounds quickly
old that he could not recover.
In the shooting in the saloon, by
,tander, who was companion of
4yles, and had entered the saloon with |
him. was struck in the thigh by one of
he stray bullets from Lyles revolver,
nut the wound was not serious. The &
nan s name could not be learned.
Jack Freeman had one of his hands c
nut in the encounter, presumably from
lis own knife. q
Lyles is from Hickman County, ana
lad been at Mt. Pleasant for the past
everal months. He is about 26 years =
Id. and it is said had borne a reputa- :
ion for bling a quiet, peaceable man. L
Nat Freeman, succumbed to u
lis wounds Saturday afternoon, at 4 l.
! clock, He was conscious until few /,
minutes before his death In his last n
moments he admitted to his brothers
hat be himself had started the difficulty I"
With Lyle, and that the latter did the v
hooting in self-defense, and asked them e.
o let the matter drop. 8
A telegram was received from Lyle. u
Who is at his parents home at Lyle
station, Hickman County saying that - :,
lie would return to Mt. Pleasant and g g
1 and trial a.
Freeman leaves wife and eight chill ii
lren. and went to Mt. Pleasant from CT
Belfast, in Marshall County. The re-
mains were shipped there last Monday +
or burial. Thev were taken in 81
barge at Lewisburg by the Odd Eel ~
ows lodge of that place, of whi4h he
7as member.