Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-07-22
S. L. DODDS KILLS LESLIE FRENCH
French had Threatened to Kill Him on
Sight.

AAA%hIllolA1 ny, oUIJ - -
morning at $50 o'clock S. l..
Dodds, planter and fnancier, and
one of the most prominent men
in Western Kentucky and Ten
nessee. shot and killed Leslie
French on the public highway
one mile south of Hickman.
French and two other men
beat up a negro that lived on one
of Mr.. Dodd's farms, and the ne
gro swOre out a warrant for
them. This enraged French, and
he Immediately sent Mr., Dodds
word that ne was going to kill him
the first time he came to his
lower farms. This morning Mr..
Dodds was on his way to his
lower farm in his automobile,
and met French and George Ev-
ans and two other men, all in
one single buggy, about one
mile out from town. Mr.. DOdds
was not in his auto at the time
he met these parties, but had
gotten out to adjust something
about the auto, when they drove
up on him and stopped and began
getting out, but before French
and Evans had time to get out
Mr.. Dodds shot French with
shotgun which he had in his
auto, shooting him through the
head and killing him almost in
stantIy. Mr.. Dodds Immediately
turned back to town and surren-
dered to the officers.
French was very dangerous
character and had been in num-
erous shooting and cutting
scrapes and was considered by
everybody as a very treackerous
and dangerous man, and would
have no doubt carried out his
threats and killed Mr.. Dodds if
he had gotten the drop on him.
Mr.. Dodds is a man who never
had any trouble and the whole
town and community regret that
this should have happened, but
feel that Mr.. DOdds could not
avoid doing as he did under the
circumstances and was justifi-
able.
MIR. Dodd is we'll known in MacCn,
where he has visited several times,
having been the guest of Mr. G, G.
Wade, with whom he is associated in
business. as we'll as being lifelong
friends. Mr.. Wade and Mr.. Louis
Graham, who is also friend of Mr..
Dodd left last Sunday afternoon for
Hickman, KY. They returned to Ma
con Thursday.
The following account of the trouble
is taken from the Hickman Courier:
The trouble which led to the tragedy
has been brewing for several days.
From the information we can gather,
the facts in the case were about IS fol
lows:
Two weeks ago Lester French and
two other men whipped a negro that
worked on the Dodd farm in the over
bottom. What caused the friction be
tween the negro and the whites we do
not know, but the white men were ar
rested on this account and cited to ap
pear for trial before Judge w. A. Nay
lor Saturday afternoon of the day on
which the killing occurred. 1t is al
legged that French made threats of vio-
lente against Mr.. DOdds on this account
and these threats reached his ears.
The account of the affair as given by
Mr.. DoGds on the witness stand yestsr-
day afternoon in his preliminary hear
ing was about as follows:
Saturday morning | started to my
bottom place in my automobile to look
after some business among other
things had mule CO which had been
hurt in a wire fence. l too< with me
nv automatic gun, as had been warned
bv several people that Lester French
had threatened my life and advised me
to be preparen to meet him. Charlie
Jackson told me he heard French make
the threats, and Sheriff Johnson, Tom
d lton. Sid Handy, John Wrights, all
officers who had had dealings with him
also C. l.. Walker, who knew him we'll,
told me he was a dangerous man and
not to let him get the drop on me. l
had also heard of him making attempts
to carry out some of his former threats
and | was afraid of him.
81 had not gotten far from town
when l noticed that my car was running
hot and steaming considerably. The
first chance l had to get water was at
this end of Seymour lane, and stopped
and began to fill the water tank on the
machine. While doing this, l had my
back to the west, and did not notice a
buggy appr aching me from opposite
direction; when did they were right
on me-four men in the buggy and i'm
mediately recognized Geo. Evans and