The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-12-26
He Was Afraid He Would BE
Lynched.
Ruso bronson kiIIs VIII ellis
From Jealousy On Sunday
Night.
ED EWELL Is KILLED AT CECIL

John Ticc, the negro nagman at
Eleventh ana broadway. whose fight
with the police created such a scnsa-
ton yesterday, committed suicide.
The wound which caused his death
nc indicted himself. He said so be-
fore he died. and told his own story
In a clear and graphic manner Mt
Riverside hospital just before he
passed away this morning about 2:t5
o'clock.
Last night after being taken To
Riverside hospital several of the doc
tors operated on Tiee. but found that
his injury was fatal. They did not
expect him to regain consciousness.
About II O'Clock he became rational.
however, and one Of the doctors was
sent for.
When he reached the hospital he
found Tice conscious and In his right
mind. He told Tice that ne was GO
ing 60 die, and that he was safe and
could talk freely. He reminded the
negro that he would not want 10 go
"a meet his Maker with n lie on his
lips. and asked him 20 tell the whole
truth.
In the presence Of Two nurses at
the hospital. the negro proceeded 10
yecite the facts, ns he saw them. The
statement was written down and VIII
this afternoon he given TO Chief OF
Police Collins.
Ticc said that ne was not drunk.
and did not know what cocaine look
cd like. He said he had taken III
tie whiskcy before he left home for
work that day, but the trouble was
about Eve or six hours later, and he
was not feeling any of the effects OF
IL.
The trouble arose when white
man, said Tlcc, took negro boys
hat from his head. Ticc said he. ask
ed the man what he wanted to do the
boy that way for, and the man threw
n brick M him, breaking out the win
dow. Tice then shot AT him. Ticc
said then they began tn shout Lynch
him. lynch him." and he became
frightened. He barricadcd himself
IN his tower, and decided he would
sell his life dearly. He said he was
badly frightened at the crowd that
wa. gathering and believed that they
would certainly lynch him. When
the police came he was afraid to BE-
taken down, and ordered them not To
come up. They started up anyhow.
Tice declared he had no intention of
killing Ofiiccr james Clark, and shot
al his legs tn make him get down. He
said he could easily have killed him.
He did not know whether he hit him
or not. Up Ia the time the reinforce
ments Of police arrived. Ticc says ne
had not shot but three shots, one Mt
the white man who took the boys
hat. and two at Officer Clark,
When the officers and others ar
rived with guns, Tice said he saw
that his doom was sealed. He was
shot first in the shoulder, and then
In the leg. He says he knew II he
staid he would be shot up. and II he
came down they would hang him ut
once. He decided To kill himself. He
put the pistol 10 his head 10 blow his
brains out, but his hand was un-
steady and he could not make II.
He then took the pistol In his left
hand and placing Il over his heart
fired. This was the fatal wound.
The powder marks on his clothing,
and on the wound, leave no doubt as
to the truthfulncss of this part Of the
story. The range OF the bullet
also shows 10.
The statement of the dying negro
was taken, and Ii now duly written
out and attcstcd. Tice said that the
last thing he remembered In the tow.
er was seeing someone In the crowd
hit his wife. lie also remembered
bcinE kicked in tho city hall, and
hearing someone say "He's dead"
Then he became unconscious again.
He lived only a short time aftei
making his dying statement. The
bullet in his leg was taken out and
was steel ball, apparently from a
pistol.