Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-11-30
MAIN WITNESS
 LEAVES CITY.
J. R. Thomas, Who Figured in Wilson Saloon Trouble
 Departs at Night.
HE PAYS HEAVY FINE
Policemen Said to Have Been Drink" ing in Saloon When Pistol
 Was Fired.

When Judge J. k. Stewart, in the J. R. Thomas, charged with carrying a pistol, yesterday morning the de- fendant did not appear. Upon be- ing arrested Monday Il ght by Chief of Police E. c. Stanley at the re- quest of City Attorney w. B. Sorrells, Thomas made bond for his appear ance, the paper being signed by J. W. Matthews, who conducts barbecue stand ca Fourth avenue and for whom Thomas worked. The bond amounted to $50 and forfeiture was taken yesterday, when Thomas did not show up in court.
 It was announced by Matthews that Thomas had left Pine Bluff sometime during Monday night and it is be- lieved that he returned to his old home in Russellville. Thomas made good the bond, Matthews said, before his departure and told num- Der of friends that he intended to leave the city. With his departure t is believed that he carries away much valuable evidence relative to the trouble which occurred in John Wilson's saloon on Saturday night when Wilson defed local officers with Winchester rifle and made his escape, later submitting to peaceful arrest. Wilson entered a plea of guilty to two charges of disturbing the peace in Magistrate J A. Fraz- ier's court yesterday and paid $10 fine, with trimmings, in each caser The charge of res sting process will be. aired in the magistrates court next Monday.
 The sudden departure of Thomas from the city adds a new link to the mysterious affair in the Wilson sa- loon last Saturday night. It is be- lieved that his departure is of more than ordinary significance and that he was induced to leave the city by certain parties, who feared an ex- pose. Although Wilson strongly de- 3lares that Thomas did not fire the
 hot that attracted officers to the sa- loon and has really never diyulged the name of the alleged white man who is reported to have dropped the pistol on the floor, it appears that Wilson was trying to protect not only Thom- as, but other white men who are said to have been in the saloon drinking at the time of the q disturb- ance. It was stated yesterday and commonly circulated on the streets Monday that two Pine Bluff police- men were in the saloon drinking with Wilson and Thomas when the shot was fired. Just who fired the p's- tol remains mystery. There are several who know who did the shoot ing. but they have not revealed the identity of the man. While Thomas submitted to heavy fine for carry ing a pistol many believe that he
 
 was not really the guilty party. Ed Wilson, brother of John Wilson, as- serts that his brother assured him
 shortly after the trouble that no policemen were in the saloon when the shot was fired. It is known, however, that others who claim to have been in the place before or dur ing the trouble are Of a different opinion.
 Thomas friends insist that he left the city because he was discharged by his employer and Matthews, him. self, says that he gave him his time because he was drinking, and advanc- ed h.m additional money to leave the city, after Thomas had strengthened up the bond that he had signed for him. Matthews contends that he did not know of the pistol episode when he discharged Thomas
 Bankhead, a negro bartender in Wilson's saloon, turned the pistol over to the officers after the trouble and is reported to have told them that he did no know whose gun it was, but believed that it was Will sons.
 A confidential statement, which Wilson is said to have made to prom inent white men who befriended him in his recent trouble. IS said to be to the effect that he was trying to protect several white men who were in the saloon drinking. There is no report of any trouble having occur l red previous to the firing of the D S.