The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-09-29
NEGRO KILLED m HEIRLOOM
CHARLES STEVENSON, DRUGGIST,
SHOOTS JOHN TUT, COBORED-
Trouble Arose Over Attempt OF Tut
10 Buy Liquor IA Spite OF the
Refusal by Stevenson

J Inns county The fatal shot pierced
/ TUFTS heart. and he fell in his tracks
! on the sidewalk, dead
! As soon as the report Of the trag-
/ edy reached Atwood, the county seat,
I County Attorney Bye. and Sheriff
/ shooting.
! Coroner Thompson, who lives at
! HerndOn. had taken charge Of the
I body and had il removed to J. r
/ Kirchener's undertaking rooms When
\ the officers arrived the coroner i'm
mediately summoned a jury and held
! an inquest over the dead body
/ The Atwood Citizen gives the fol-
i lowing story Of the killing
It appears that during the day
/ John Tut had been drinking He was
not drunk but had reached the stage
| where ne thought it was absolutely
necessary 70 have more OF the fire
( water. He went to Charles Steven
! sons drug store and asked for a pint
/ Of whisky. Stevenson refused to sell
l it to him and Tut declared he would
| have il If he had 10 take it himself
] After some talk along this line Tut
\ went away. In few minutes he re-
/ turned and demanded that Stevenson
| sell him a pint Of whisky, stating that
/ he was going home and that he want
I
! enson became angry at Tut for in
/ sisting after he had refused to sell
/ him liquor and walked back and got
his revolver, which was a So. He
then pointed the gun at Tut and or
/ dered him to leave the store, saying,
/ Cd d you. will kill you
TUFTS then went down the street
| but in a few minutes started to go
back TO the store, when he was in
| tercepted by DR.. Thompson and Harry
/ FOrtney, who tried to get him to stay
| away from Stevenson's store Tut
insisted that he was going to have the
! whisky If it cost him 500. He went
/ TO the drug store, where Stevenson
met him at the door. Tut asked
Stevenson again for a drink Of wills
ky and was refused He then said he
! would have il, if he had to go in and
get il himself and put his hands
against Stevenson 10 push him out
the door, when Stevenson shot and
killed him. Tut staggered out 70 the
sidewalk. saying to Henry Meyers.
who was standing there, Henry, am
hurt He staggered a few feet fur
/ Their and fell backwards dead
/ Charles r Stevenson took the stand
and made the following statement in
| his own behalf:
81 killed John Tut know I did
il in self defense. The fracas occur
| red the afternoon Of September 20 be
tween and o'clock. John Tut
came into my place Of business and
said he wanted quart Of whisky.
told him I did not have any. He said,
C d. you, Charley, you have got
it. You have sold it today a good
many times I said all right, John,
: haven't got any whisky for you He
stormed around there awhile and said
he was going to have il, and from
Charles Stevenson said, John,
don't believe you will We did no
have any words at this time, eXcep'
what he said right there, BY words
I mean any quarrel OF any kind. HI
went out and was prob@Sly gone H.,
, / minutes ard came back and demand
: | ed whisky. I told IIiIl he could N
. have II. and that he know ne well en-
ough to know that vvncn : refused
| him once, that meant just what
said and I told him to get out Of tn
store. I followed him to the door ant
| he went out that time without mucl
Of a racket and we had some word
| at the door and he tried to come IL
again I did not let him get in an
/ ne went away and came back tn
| third time and that time I went bacl
and got my revolver. The reason
!. did that was, considered John Tut
! a dangerous man, and believe h
was intoxicated, which is the reasO
I refused him whisky in the frs
place. He damned back into tn
store and started for the side room
pulled my gun on him and told hiT
to get out Of there I had no inten
. ! ton OF shooting him, but 1 thought
. / would brighten him out Of the stoTt
. That is all. He went out and weT
: down the street I laid my gun o
a little bit Of a pill case on tn
| south side of the store and prett
!. close TO the door, so that il would
handy. He had not been gone bJ
= two or three minutes when he cam
back up the street right In front {
SiOcum's store and DR.. Thompson m,
him and tried to persuade him not I
90 in. Harry FOrtney was there ais
He was trying to coax him not
come in Tut and Thompson Ia
- quite a tussle- Thompson was tryiT
=. to keep him from coming back
:. fact, he followed him clear up to II
= store, trying to hold him back T
/ finally got loose from Thompson
:, said, Charley. I am going to ha'
= / whiskey from you II it costs me 81
= He said I viii get a prescription 4
= it I said, John il won't do you al
= j EQOQ 70 get LlA5 pIESlGAPl4OAAs 0E~1A
would not I'll il for you today 4
=. this time, when he came back, "
- standing just inside OF the door.
= gave me a shove this way and era
bed for my threat got away fro
him, and reached over to the little p
box was talking about and told hi
to get out and pointed the gun
OF him I was walking toward him a
Is he backed not quite to the door a.
IS made a motion as II to attack !
.ui again I knew that in a tussle vi
him I would stand no earthly sho
When he E>ade the advance toWaI
me, I pulled up my gun and shot h
purely as an act OF SELF defense q
sst my own rights. Three or four tin
his during the course OF the whole Il
-as he said, C d, II you don't get
ed, 7 VIII so back and get myself DO
up know Of anything else John Tut q
have always been reasonably g
friends. One reason why I was
guard was the fact that last SunC
e, week. came over to the store alb
- half past four in the afternoon to
= some writing John Tut came to
store and demanded a quart OF Va
Ky. I told him I would not sen
of- any whisky on Sunday he III
5av around there begging Tor Il and ar
~ went away and he said D.