Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-02
D. NJ. Balm SHOOTS
GUS WILLIAMS DEAD
Following Differences Which Two
Men Had Over Trivial Matters,
Mr.. BAN ired Four Bullets In
to Fellow Office Man.

Donald NJ Balm shot and killed z. @.
Williams in their office on the third floor
of the Prudential building, Tuesday after
noon at o'clock. Four shots took effect.
Mr. Williams died almost instantly, fur
nishing no statement of the circuin-
stances leading up to the affair. Mr. Bsin
made no attempt to escape, repairing 10
the Office of a friend in the building,
where the police and his friends found
him. He was arrested, and spent the
night in the Fulton county Jail, without
bond.
Mr.. Balm is sixty-four years of age.
Mr.. williams was about forty. They had
been associated for some time in the
local Offices OF an insurance fraternity. 1t
Is said that the trouble between them
had been brewing for weeks, and that 1t
had reached such a point that letter
was daily expected from the home once
of their company giving them separate
Offices. so they would not be thrown to-
gether.
There was only one eyewitness to the
killing-Charles Beardsley, of q West Ba-
.ker street, who had the third desk in the
office where the tragedy was enacted. Mr..
Beardsley was wounded by one Of the
flying bullets from Mr.. Bain's revolver,
through the wrist. The impact knocked
him to the floor, and he did not witness
all the details of the few crowded mo-
ering, he wrenehed the smoking revolver
from the grasp Of Mr.. Balm, but Mr.. VIII
liams was already dead.
Charles Beardsley, the one eye witt
ness, testified. His statement was
practically the same as he gave the
press, except that he said at the in
quest that when he got into the room
with the two men, Williams was adj
vancing toward Balm. Balm turned and
e., rHu ala f1lforxfa4-
HIM, and then Balm turned and fired. r
Beardsley said he never saw VIII
liams after he (Beardsley) started to
.ollow Balm. Four shots were fred.
The second, he thought, must have
s.ruck, for he heard Williams say:
Don't, Mr.. Baint'
Continuing Beardsley said that when
he saw Williams advancing toward
Balm. he heard him say that IL the
troubling OF his desk didn't cease.
somebody would suffer.
Beardsley said that he never saw
Williams clench his hands, or heard
him make any threat beyond what he
said about his desk. He supposed that
Williams was advancing toward Balm
to continue what he was saying.
DR.. Willis Jones said that two Of the
bullets were fired in front Of Williams
The one in the back was fired from
behind, ne thought. although he adj
mitted that 1t might nave been fired
when Williams wheeled around.
The physicians, who conducted post
norton examination upon the body Of
t. G.. Williams, who was shot and
kllleed by Donald NJ. Balm, made the
| following report Wednesday afternoon:
Three bullets took effect One
struck the right shoulder and ranged
downward to the heart. This caused
| death. The doctors were of the opin-
ion that it was fired from above. and
that Mr.. Williams must have been in
STOPPING or. falling position, -,fsst
One struck in the back of the head
and ranged down to the neck, and the
other struck in the back. ~
The doctors, however, are appar-
entity in doubt whether the bullets were
fired from behind or in front. The one
that hit in the back, for instance, might
have been fired as Williams fell for
ward.
The coroner's jury, investigating the
death of r.. G. Williams. returned a
verdict late Wednesday afternoon de-
claring that Williams came to his
death by gunshot wounds caused by
a. )nald NJ Balm.
The jury recommended that Balm be
held for further examination by the
grand jury.