The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-04-29
BILL JAMES HELD
FOR ATTEMPT TO
SHOOT WHITE MAN
BOUND OVER BY SUPREME
COURT" TO THE GRAND
JURY.
TROUBLE OVER LINE FENCE
Lee Grisham and Family Testified
That James Had Shotgun and Rifle;
That He swore and Threatened
Mr.. Grisham Released.

Charged with assault with intent t.
murder Lee Grisham, a white man
Bill James, colored, was tried Tuesday
morning before the supreme court
consisting of Esqs. Fariss, Hayes anC
Guest. A similar charge had beer
preferred by James against Mr.. Grish
am, and both cases were decided
from the same evidence.
Mr. Grisham, his wife, young lady
daughter and fifteen year old son
James, testified to the following facts
their testimony varying scarcely a
shade in any particular:
On last Friday Mr.. Grisham and his
son had started to work when they
discovered that James had set some
posts on a disputed line between the
James and Grisham farms. Mr.. Grish-
am proceeded to pull up the posts, at
tracing the attention of James, who
came down and demonstrated with
AAiii' Sui sing anu using NilS ldhSudSC.
James then turned and ran back to-
ward his house, meeting his wife, who
carried a double barrelled shotgun;
James drew the gun on Mr.. Grisham,
threatning to shoot, him; Mrs Grish-
am, who had arrived in the meatime,
jumped between her husband and the
negro, preventing the shooting: Mr..
Grisham then remarked IF this is
your game / will get my gun" and
started his son to the house for the
weapon, and seeing that he was not
proceeding rapidly enough followed
him and secured the gun himself; that
when re returned from the house the
negro had secured another gun, Win
chester rife, and was standing some
distance back in the field, the negro's
wife being near the disputed line
that Mrs. Gricham, her son and daugh-
ter GRABBED Mr. Grisham and prevent I
ed him from going further; that Mr.. !
Grisham told the negro woman that |
she had better go home, but made no
attempt to shoot her
James Testimony.
James took the stand in his own be-
lalf He was a dramatic witness, re-
ating all the various conversations
n something near the same tone of
voice in which he had delivered or
leard them on the day OF the trouble.
lie persisted in repeating a number Of
oliloquies that he had held with him.
elf, said much of extent" referring
o his deeds; declared that Mr. Grish-
m was hard to get along with, and re-
ated instances in which Mr.. Grisham
ad trouble with other persons He
lso admitted having himself had
'ouble over other boundary lines.
lis story of the trouble was that lie
ad seen Mr.. Gresham removing the
osts and had gone down to remon- :
rate with him. that Mr.. Grisham had
lrsed him, and started his son for his
IN; that the witness then ran home
II his gun, meeting his wife coming :.
it'll it: that he had then returned to =
here Mr.. Grisham was and had
ought the gun with him, but that he
ID not attempted to shoot, having
when he "came to himself
at the gun was empty; that he re- .,
rned to the house and secured the
which had a defective
agazine and would shoot but once,
d had waited some distance up in
Q field until the trouble was over.
]. C. VOORHEES, represents James and
H. Dining Mr.. Grisham.
James was bound over in the sum OF y
1000 to answer to the grand Jury.
. Grisham was acquitted, as was the
gro woman, who had been charged
tn aiding and abetting her hus-
nd.