The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1908-09-11
SHOOTING AFFAIR.

On Tuesday night about eleven |
O'Clock, Mr. Jerry Robertson, night |
watchman at the National Baptist
Publishing House, while in the dis |
charge of his duty, shot two white |
men, who were trespassing upon the |
premises of that concern and refused |
to vacate after having been warned to
do so by the watchman The men that |
received the three pistol shots were
Pat Tothacre and Elmore Lee. They
are reported to be railway employees, |
but the police seem to know them as
familiar characters who frequent the
Tenderloin district. This was brought
out from the fact that one of them
went to a well-known house on 10
Johnston avenue after receiving his
wounds. The shooting occurred just
at the door of the engine room and
boiler house, which opens on to the
premises of the publishing plant The
space is left vacant by the Board in
order that its cinders might find
lodging place, and not obstruct the
main alley. The watchman passes
through the entire plant by this way
without going out into the street or
the alley. 1t appears that while in
the discharge of his duty he noticed
two men skulking around the premi-
ses. From statements made by him at
the court he hailed them and ordered
them to desist from their trespass-
ing. He was replied to with a prompt
refusal. Not only that, the men adj
vanced upon him in a threatening
manner, continuing to press forward,
coming over the cinder pile just at
the entrance of the door Mr. Rob-
ertson states that he backed back and
! continued to order them to stop. He
, noticed a knife in one of their hands
, while the other had his hand in his
pocket indicating that he intended to
, pull a weapon. The watchman claims
that he was sure they intended not
: only to stay on the premises, but to dc
so by force even at the expense of the
c watchman's life Hence in order tC
q protect the enormous amount of prop
q erty of the plant, as well as his
own self, he was forced to fire upon
:. his would-be assailants. He shot three
times each of the shots took effect
" Lee was shot in the calf of the leg
4 while TOthacre received a flesh wounC
o in the left hip and another one il
, the wrist. 1t was not until these
: wounds were inflicted that they con
v sented to beat a retreat Sergean
o Smith and Patrolmen Killen and Win
n frey were soon uDon the scene Rob
4 ertson was placed under arrest anC
" sent to the station house. Search wa
# then begun for the two white men
4 They were located and sent to tn,
o city hosDital, where their wounds
o were dressed One of them was no
4 in a condition to be removed from th
! hospital The other was taken to tn
o. station house.
, All Of this occurred before DR.. BOYD
h who had retired, could get upon tn
% scene. He went to the station house
10 however, but as the hour was late n
Il bond could be made On the follow
ing morning Robertson was release
10 on $4,000 bond, which was give
ir readily On Wednesday afternoon
&c preliminary hearing was made Rot
" ertson was held to wait the action @
s+ the grand Jury under a $500 bono
N The condition of the man who
r in the hospital was not such as t
10 permit him to be present at the tria
rs From the evidence given the couI
n seemed to hold that ii was not an a
&c tempt to murder, but simply Drote
40 ton of property from intruders. FroI
NJ what could he learned hv a Globe r,
n porter the shooting was iustifabl
Robertson has been in the emnlov {
the Publishing Board for about thrf
IN wears. hears a good reputation and
quiet, industrious citizen Their
O. was no sensation created hv the shoe
- ing. The two white men claim