The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-01-31
JEFF BAXTER SHOT
TWICE, MYSTERY
AS TO ASSk|lAhT
WHETHER WOUNDS WERE SELF
INFLICTED OR NOT NOT DEF
>iNTELY KNOWN.
STRANGE CHAIN CIRCUMSTANCES
While Standing in an Abandoned Cab
In Wounded Man Claims to Have
Been Grabbed and Shot by Some
Unknown Assaiiant.

Unknown Assaiiant.
Mystery as dark and seemingly as
unfahomable as that which involves
one of Conan Doyle's masterpieces
and for the solution of which the
work of nothing less than the original
and genuine s. Holmes, Esq, would
be necessary, surrounds the shooting
and perhaps fatal wounding of T. JEFF
Baxter, a resident of the Kettle Mills
section of the county. The shooting
occurred about 80 of 10 o'clock Sun
day morning and efforts to solve the
mystery surrounding it have SO far
bee without effect. Physicians
who attended Mr.. Baxter rather in
cline to the theory that the wounds
were self-inlicted although they pro.
nounce no definite opinion.
Mr.. Baxter was twice shot while in
an abandoned or vacant cabin on the
edge of his small farm about three or
four hundred yards from his resi-
| dence. He maintains that he was
shot by some unknown person, al
though unable to give a description of
his alleged assailant, After, the
shooting Mr. Baxter returned to his
residence walking down rocky and
tortuous path from the ridge to the
valley below. His course was easily
traced by blood.
DR.. M. NJ. Basley, of Hampshire,
was summoned, and when he found
the nature of the wounds he called
DR.. Otey J. Porter, of this city, to the
scene. The latter reached the resi-
dence about 2 o'clock in the after
noon. They found that Mr.. Gaxter
had been twice shot both shot enter
ing from the front and ranging hear
the point of the heart. One shot
went straight through the body al
most on direct line. The other
ranged downward and lodged just
above the hip. The slightest varia-
ton in the range of the bullets would
have necessarily proved fatal. That
the shooting was with a good strong
pistol is evidenced by the fact that
ho h.111n
man Of more than usual thickness.
That they we're fired at very close
range is evident from the powder
burned clothing.
So far as known Mr.. Baxter had no
enemies. He lieved with son, Jchn.
about eighteen, and a daughter, Eva,
about twenty. A bachelor brother,
who formerly made his home With
them, Art Baxter, died a few months
ago. Mr.. Baxter's farm adjoins that
of R. Farris and the cabin was near
the line between their places. His
next neighbor is w. H. Edwards a
we'll known Confederate soldier. The
latter heard the shots, but Mr.. and
Mrs. Farris were leaving their home
in buggy at about the time the snots
were fired and did not hear OF the
tragedy until the news reached the
church later in the day So far as
anyone in the neighborhood knows
Mr. Baxter had no enemy who would
desire his life nor was he on unfriend-
ly terms with any one.
When the shots were fired they
were heard by w. H. Edwards. He
says there were two shots, one, then
a brief interval and a rather musfled
shot. The wounded man makes the
same statement. He says he went
to the top of the ridge on the line of
his place to attend to his sheep; that
he entered the door of the vacant
cabin, which stood ajar; that imme-
diately upon his entering the cabin
some unknown man jumped from be-
hind the door, grabbed him and shot;
that his assailant held him, abused
him and then in a brief interval hot
again. However, Mr.. Baxter declares
that he cannot describe his assailant:
that he was so stunned, or dazed
when he was grabbed and shot that
he had no opportunity whatever to
size up" the man who did the shoot
Ing, nor does he undertake to assign
any motive for the shooting. Efforts
made by Constable Tom Edwards and
others who were early on the scene
to find the footprints of any person.
other than Mr.. Baxter going to or
from the cabin were unavailing. al
though owing t. the brush and debris
around the cabin 1t would have been
altogether possible for person. to
have entered without elaving any
foot prints.
When the shooting occurred, Mr..
Bakers daughter was at home and
his son was off on a visit to Mr..
Wright, a neighbor. The son states
that he was returning from Mr..