The Harrison times., 1908-10-17
Robert Clay Kills Dan W. Holiday.

Robert Clay Kills Dan W. Holiday
Robert E. Clay constable-elect OF
Roland township and prominent
planter and stock raiser, shot and al
most instantly killed his brotherln-
law, Dan w. Holiday of Big Maumelle
Thursday morning shorty before .
o'clock.
The killing took place at Shader's
wagonyard, go West Seventh street.
Little Rock, and grew out Of a quar-
rel over evidence given in recent
heiging in Chancery Court to decide
who was entitled TO possession OF
Clay's son, Charlie Clay, aged 10
years.
Clay went to Little Rock Tuesday
to dispose of his cotton, and Thurs
day visited the wagonyard, in COM
pany with B. c. Johnson, to look at
some cattle in the stock pens and de-
eide on the purchase Of them.
Just after leaving the stock pens,
witnesses say, Holiday, who had been
in town several days, approached
Clay and the two engaged in an alter
cation, Holiday demanding that Clay
make apologies to his CHolliday's)
mother for statements he had made
relative to her veracity at the hearing
in court, and applying several times
vile epithets to Clay.
1t is claimed that Clay repeatedly
warned Holiday to go away and leave
him, and walked from him toward his
own buggy. Holiday, it is said, had
a knife in his hand and was whiting
when the two met for the first time,
and kept the knife in his hand during
the trouble. Near Clay's buggy the
shooting occurred, Clay producing
A Colts pistol and swapping it four
times, three shots being fired
Witnesses claim that the first at
tempt to fire the gun and lunge with
the knife on the part Of Holiday came
almost at the same instant, and 1t is
hard to say who made the first actual
move in the hostilities.
Clay fired two shots from his pistol
as Holiday advanced and then
snapped the gun once on an empty
shell. A fourth time the trigger was
pulled, a bullet plowed its way
through the brain Of Holiday, and he
fell on the ground, dying in few
moments. 1t was then found that Clay
had a long cash across the muscle
of his right arm, from which the
blood poured freely.
Clay carrying the weapon in his
hand, walked from the Wagonyard and
was taken to the office of Sheriff c.
c. Kavanaugh by c, L. Kraft in his
buggy. He surrendered to the county
authorities and, in the custody Of VIII
Hobbs, a deputy sheriff, was taken to
the office Of DR.. G. NJ, D. Cantrell,
where IS stitches were taken in the
wound in his arm,
In the meantime, Deputy Coroner
A. A. Brown and city officials had bee
called and, under the direction of Mr.,
Brown, the body Of Holiday was re-
moved 10 the undertaking establish
ment of Healey & Roth, where, at
10:3O o'clock, a coroner's inquest, un-
der the direction Of Coroner S. p,
Vaughter, was begun.
After hearing the evidence Of A. NJ
Goodson, ]. A. McHughes, B. f. Bra
shera, J. NJ. Greene and j, A. Good
son, and finding that the statements
of all the witnesses were substantially
the same, the coroner stopped the
taking Of testimony and placed the
matter in the hands Of the jury.
Brief deliberation resulted in re-
turning verdict that Holiday came
to his death as the result of gunshot
wounds inflicted by Robert Z. Clay,
but the jury was unable to agree as to
whether the killing was justifiable
and this phase of the question was
left out of the verdict.
Clay was committed to jail to await
preliminary trial.