The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-05-31
Conductor Ferney is Held in
Jail, Charged With
the Crime.
CLAIMS THAT HE
DID NO SHOOTING
Was Almost Mobbed, How
ever, by Soldiers, and Was
Badly Beaten-Fled and
Was Pursued to Old Mill
Inn by the Men.

Musician Wilson, OF the Twenty
second company OF coast artillery,
was mysteriously shot last night.
while he was a passenger aboard
trailer attached to a bayShore line
car. He received three wounds, one
in the leg another in the arm. and
the third in the head. There are no
lights in the trailer, which was filled
with soldiers from the post and Tor
this reason there Is somewhat OF a
mystery surrounding who fired the
shots. as no one could be seen. Con
ductor George Ferney was arrested
by the police shortly before midnight,
and is held in the city jail He, how
ever, told the officers that he did
not fire the shots, as he had not
even a weapon, and that the shots
came from the inside of the car. The
soldiers, however, believed the con
ductor had done the shooting, and
leaving the car, attacked him, beat
ing him in the face. He fed to the
Old Mill Inn. followed by the sol
diers, and but for the fact that he
received protection at the hands OF
number OF gentlemen there. would
have Jared worse.
Many on Trailer.
When the o'clock bayshOre car
LEFT Pensacola it had a trailer at
tached. and this was almost filled
with men from Fort Barrancas The
claim was made by the conductor
and motOrman of the car that the
men were unusually boisterOus and
disorderly, and before the Car had
gone far they attempted to take
Erf. dom f1T.fFa IN
get 8he<rontr0hler from the hands or
the motoman. Several of them, IT is
claimed, refused to pay fare, and both
the conductor of the car and of the
trailer had trouble from the time
the car left the city until il arrived
at the point where the shooting oc-
CURED.
Three Shots Fired.
The car had passed the Old Mill
Inn. and Conductor Ferney was
standing on the running board of the
trailer, which was without lights,
when, according to his statement TO
officers, someone struck him a blow
in the face and three shots were
fired Immediately thereafter. The
conductor was knocked from the Car.
A number OF soldiers also leaped
from the car and began pounding him
in the face, according to statements
The conductor finally got to his feet
and fed to the Old Mill Inn for pro
lection. He was pursued by the sol
diers, who had been joined by 9th
ers. Ferney ran into the place, and
telling what had occurred asked for
protection. A number Of gentlemen
were present, among whom were j.
S. McGaughey, Captain Aiken and
Colonel Cary, and they stopped the
soldiers. Threats were made, how
ever, by the men.
Came Back to City.
Ferney took the next car for the
city, which was met upon it's arrival
! by deputy United States marshal
| deputy sheriffs and police Officers
Ferney made a statement 70 them,
| in which he declared that he not
only did not do any shooting, but that
| he did not even have a revolver. Upon
this statement he was released, ana
went to the office OF a physician,
where his wounds were treated His
lip had been split by a blow. and his
face badly swollen. After leaving the
physician he went to the car barns.
and was there later arrested by the
police.
! Wounds Not Serious.
1t is not believed that the wounds
OF Musician Wilson will prove Of a
serious nature. One bullet passed
through the arm. Another lodged in
the leg and was extracted BIZ the
post surgeons The third struck the
{ mead, but was a CHANGING shot and
IS not considered serious. The wound
ed man was placed in the hospital
immediately upon the arrival Of the
car at Barrancas.