The Lamar register., 1907-09-18
The Killing a. clayton.

We publish the following COM
munication from w. j. Millsap to
explain his unfortunate affair, al
though he was misinformed as to
the Register having published any
version of the affair:
Clayton, N. NJ, Sept. ID, '07.
Gentlemen:
In your issue of the 11th inst,
you made what is purportsd to have
been a correct report of the killing
of one r. j. Steele OF this place.
The report as published by you, is
entirely incorrect. In the first place
there was no woman mixed up in the
affair, and version concerning the
actual killing is wrong.
The circumstances of the killing
are as follows: Mr.. Millsap, who is
we'll known in this community, WAS
indebted to r. j. Steele in the
neighborhood of $500 and promised
on the day the killing took place to
adjust the matter the following day.
1t seems that at first Steele scquiesed
in this, but late that night, he met
Mr.. Millsap and demanded payment
of the amount due at once; Millssp
told him that he would pay the next
day; that Steele insisted on pay ment
then and there; that finally Steele
suggested that they take walk and
talk the matter over, which Millsap
consented to do. When they got
up about SO yards from the business
part of the Main street, close to d
livery stable, Steele, using some very
vulgar and profane language, told
Millssp that he would have to pay
the amount due then and there or
he, Steele, would kill him. Millsap
demonstrated and reiterated his pre-
vious statement that he would pay
him the next day, thereupon, Steele
pointed his gun at Millsap and said
"you will pay me now or 1 will kill
you" and II will kill you anyhow"
Millssp seeing the gun pointed at
his stomach, knocked it down with
his hand, and the shot that was then
fired by Steele, went through the
calf Of the right leg of Mr.. Millsap.
Steele fired again but he missed Mill.
sap, and then Millsap tried to draw
his gun, which hung for q moment
in his hip pocket. Finally Millsap
succeeded in getting his gun and
fired at Steele six times, and one Of
these shots took effect in Steele's
head and caused his death. Millsap
then walked to his residence, some
hundred yards away, and awaited
the arrival of the officers, and upon
their arrival, he surrendered himself
At the coroner's inquest, held on
the day following the killing, a
number of witnesses testified. There
was no eye witness to the killing, but
all the witnesses agreed that Steele
had followed up and threatened MIR,
Millsap, and one witness, who was at
the camp house of the livery stable
in question, and within ten feet OF
the place where the killing occurred,
testified that he overhead all of the
conversation when the two parties
were discussing the affair just prior
to the shooting, and that Steele had
told Millssp that unless he paid the
amount due at once, he, Steele,
would kill Millsap; that Millssp
promised to pay the next day, but
Steele again repeated that unless
payment WAS made then and there,
he would kill Millssp, and then
stated that "Pll kill you right
now," that Millssp said don't Bob,
don't" and then two shots were fired
in rapid succession, then or 6 more.
This is substantially the version Of
the affair, and in justice to all con-
cerned, hereby request that you
publish this statement in your paper.
Yours very truly,
w. J. MILLsAp.