The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1911-04-21
TRAGIC CAREER
OF J. II. TILLMAN
Once Remarkably Successful,
He Died In Want.
HE SHOT AN UAARMED MAN.

III SRUI AN UHARMED man,
After That People Stunned Him and
Renorse Got at Him-His Telegram
Rebukine Colonel ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Would Not Receive Him Into the
Ministry
James H. Tillman. ex-lieutenant gov
ernor of South Carolina. who died of
tuberculosis recently at AsheviIle n
c., came into national prominence on
Jan. 10, 1903, when he shot and killed
n. q. Gonzales, editor of the Columbia
State. because of scathing denuncia
tons printed in that newspaper.
He was at one time an officer of the
United States army, and his death
brought to a close career marked by
tumultuous passion and ability of no
mean order. One of his uncles was an
officer Of the famous Palmetto regi
ment in the Mexican war and was kill
ed in the assault on the castle of Cha
pultepec while planting the colors on
the walls of the fortress Another was
the first man over the third line of the
Federal intrenchments at Franklin and
captured the battlefiag of an Ohio regi-
ment Still another uncle is Senator
b. r. Tillman, and his father, George
ID. Tillman, served a term in congress.
AT twenty eight he was commission
ed colonel of volunteers, and he was
the youngest man to reach that rank in
the Spanish war. He was a young man
when he was made lieutenant gov
ernor. Up to the day of the shooting
everything to which he had turned his
hand came out well. His seemed to be
one of those magnetic personalities that
could not be held down He had a
promising law practice. He had hosts
OF friends, who liked and respected
him
Telegram to Roosevelt.
1t was in burst of unrestraiped Das.
sion that he sent his telegram to Presi.
dent Roosevelt in 1902 asking the pres
ident to withdraw his acceptance of
Humans invitation to present a sword
to Major Micah J. Jenkins of the rough
riders. The president had lust recalled
an invitation to Senator Tillman to
meet Prince Henry of Prussia on nc.
count of the fistic encounter between
Senator Tillman and Senator McLaurin
on the floor of the senate chamber in
Washington.
1t was while he was lieutenant gov
ernor that the incident of the Jenkins
sword took place. 1t may be recalled
that after all the turmoil and mud
singing in the matter poor Jenkins
refused to accept the sword. He was
In fair way to be the sole substan-
tial sufferer by the incident when one
or the Gonzales brothers, proprietors
OF the Columbia State. undertook to
raise a subscription to purchase an
other sword for him. This was done.
and the presentation was made by the
president in the course of his visit to
the Charleston exposition. Tillman
was said to have been particularly
offended at the action of Gonzales.
Tfllman contended that Gonzales
had sent him a message saying that
he (Gonzalesl had made Tillman show
the white feather twice before and
would make him show it again. At
all events for several days before the
shooting occurred Tillman went
around with two pistols. He said that
secret information given him by his
friends had convinced him that the
editor would shoot him on sight.
Gonzales Was Unarmed.
Gonzales was not carrying a weapon
when he was shot. He made no move
to attack or provoke his assailant
when their paths crossed at a street
corner.
Tillman's trial lasted three weeks.
and he was acquitted. 1t might have
been expected that he would start in
to make his career all over again. In
the course of the trial his family
showed every disposition of kindness
toward him. His uncle and wife were
always with him. But the shooting
and the memory Of 1t must have prey
ed on his mind. for he was never the
same man again. Then there were
other circumstances that harassed
him. Many people passed over to the
other side Of the street whenever they
saw him approaching. 1t made him
uncomfortable.
He started boom for congress. but
1t fell through In a way that was not.
reminiscent Of the successes of his
previous political career In 1904 he
wanted to enter the ministry. hoping
by this means to get away from the
stigma which had attached itself to
him. But the church would not re-
ceive him. More and more people nut
him under the ban. His relatives
turned away. and finally his wife left
him. He became impoverished. and
when the end came he was in want.