The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-06-22
Evidence In The Sensational Shooting
SCrape Between H. M. Gordon And
W. J. fowler.
HISTORY OF THE MATTERS WHICH
LED TO THE DIFFICULTY

street. When l got as far or ab ,ut
as far as the Maury National Bank
Gordon stepped out of the dark froln
one of the doorways and walked on
al cad of me. When l reached tn
corner of the Farmers & Merchants
Bank he was going across the Square
! towards the Mitchell-Ashley Hardware
Co. He turned that corner, looking
tack over his shoulders, going down
North Main street and was lost to
my view. ! went on in the same di-
rection he had gone; when l reached
the Mitchell-Ashley corner I did not
see any one; but when l had taken
few steps saw Gordon. He was
about opposite the gate leading into
the porch of my residence He was
going from me when first saw him,
but in moment or two he turned
and came towards me, and we met
just about where the stairs go up to
, the Democrat Office l took the out
side of the pavement and he took the
inside. When we got in a few feet
of each other he said, don't move, I've
got you now / drew my pistol at
once and fired two shots as rapidly
as | could right at him. At the second
shot something struck my hand or my
pistol and / had to regain the con-
troll of my pistol before 1 could fire
the third time I fired five shots in
all While firing l circled around him.
About the second shot I fired, he fired
at me; after had emptied my revolver
I ran to my side gate and onto the
porch and entered the side door of
my residence. While I was running
on the porch he fired at me. l told
my grandmother what the trouble
was, and about that time the officers
knocked on my door and l went with
them and surrendered my pistol to
Judge Erwin or the Sheriff
In answer to an interrogatory, the
witness stated that when Gordon ap-
preached him he (Gordon) had both
hands under his coat; that he could
not tell whether lie had them in his
pockets or not; that he did not wait
to see whether he was drawing PTS
toll or not; that as soon as he said,
don't move, I've got you that he
fired, as quickly and as rapidly as he
could.
The witness was croSs-eXamined by
Mr. RUSSELL. He stated that when he
went to his Office for his pistol, that
it was as near his home from his
office by the way of Sixth street, as
it was the way he went. He denied
that he told his friends at the post
office corner that there was going to
be trouble, but admitted that he got
his pistol because he was expecting
trouble. He said he had only one
pistol.
Asked regarding the origin of the
trouble, witness said that defendant
had sued him for alternating his wife's
affections. That the case had been
compromised or settled by him pay
ing the defendant $4,000, and also
paying the attorney fees. He said
that he and the defendant had
also had personal difficulty
about this same matter two days
before said suit was brought.
He denied that he had ever written
letter to the defendants wife, in
which he stated that he would never
die satisfied until he knew that he,
the defendant, was writhing in hell"
Asked if in the letter returned to him
when the damage suit was settled,
there was not one containing that
language or words to that effect, he
answered no. Asked what had be-
come of those letters, he replied that
they had been destroyed, as he under
stood according to the agreement of
the compromise.
At this juncture Court adjourned
until p. m.
The cross examination of Mr. Tow
Ter was continued in the afternoon by
Mr.. RUSSELL He was asked if he visit
ed st. Louis while the defendant and
his wife were living there, and replied
that he did. Asked if he saw defen-
dant's wife every day and night while
there, and if he did not go out with
her frequently, he answered that he
saw both defendant and his wife ev-