The Hattiesburg news., 1911-07-27
HON. J. J. HENRY
MAKES STATEMENT
Did Not Kill Rilbo Because He Did Not Want
to Destroy Worthless Life.

Starkville, Miss, July 26.-Hon. J.
]. Henry today made the following
statement relative to the drubbing he
recently administered to Theo. G. Bill
bo:
To the Public: The second con
tinuance of the case against me, grow
ing out of the difficulty with Senator
Bilbo, forces me to issue this response
to the false and malicious statements
from Bilbo and Ross Collins. Both
times, | have announced ready for
trial" and both times, the state has
asked for the continuance.
= | regret to take this course. I had
hoped that there would be a full fair,
and open trial, in which the testimony
I of sworn witnesses would disclose the
true facts to the public.
Bilbo has declined to prosecute the
case; and 1t SENS that there is to be
no trial. Why? Because Bilbo knows
that the truth will come and that the
truth will damn him forever. The
case having thus twice continued, I
will have no opportunity to ventilate
the whole affair, for the present at
least, as Bilbo, Collins & Co., are try
ing to make political capital out of
the matter aAd have no intention
whatever Of taking 1t to the courts
where It rightfully belongs.
There was no attempted "assassina-
.tion." had no intention whatever OF
killing Bilbo If had had any such
purpose, there was nothing to have
or at any time during our little inter
view, as he was too badly scared tC
offer any resistance more serious than
little scratching and kicking, al
though the evidence will show that he
was armed and ready. I intended tt
give him a good, sound whipping, and
!, did that. BY his vicious and coward
, ly attack upon me with it's invasion
of the silent city of the dead where
my sainted mother sleeps, with Its
desecrax1vn of her sacred tomb, he hat
forfeited his right to live, but I die
not want to kill him. Solely because
did not care to shed his blood,
made him a present~of his worthless
life.
His statement about. being beatef
into insensibility and unconsciousnesl
Is utterly untrue. He was never un
conscious, stood up in the car, straigh
tened out his clothing, engaged in or
dinary conversation with two or thre'
gentlement when ! was through will
him, and made arrangements f0r }Iedi
cal attention as soon as the train coul'
reach Sturgis. 1t was not uncon
a sciousness, merely cowardice, when HI
= whined and bleated and apologized
= He first made partial retraction ani
: apology, which did not accept, and h,
. then made full and complete apolog.
and retraction. He was not an un
; conscious man only an arrant coward
and would not even take his whippin,
like a man. ! was not behind him
did not strike him from behind, an,
spoke to him before hitting him, frs
demanding an apology and retractiol
of his language. The only time tina
I touched him from behind was whel
/ kicked him few times where
would do the most good.
AS for the statements about Ros
Collins being covered with a pisto
and held in a corner of the car. thi
is absurd. The truth is that at tn
first intimation of trouble, Collins rar
and ran in a hurry He left tn
smoking compartment, ran into tn
negro car, and hid in the negro water
closet, where he stayed hidden unit
the train pulled ont of Starkville. Thi
: of at least four disinterested whit
witnss ssses who were riding upon tn
train. He was probably wise in doin
3, So as he is the man who had taugh
5llDo the unSpeakaDle infamous lal
guage employed about me. There wa
no "crowd" or gang with me whe
whipped Bilbo. and the only ms
there was my kinsman, J. ID. Nichols
" Ny Starkville friends knew nothing O
J. the difficulty until after it was ovel
Q and did not even know was in towr
II
n in spirit, but in his bodily person. h
r vas playing "hide and seek" in tina
d negro water closet.
8 Mr.. Nichols has been hard-workin
farmer for many years and is now ell
y gafed in the mercantile business a
& this place. No man in the communi
n ~ stands higher as an upright, Law