The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-03
MYSTERY SHROUDS SHOOTING OF WATTS ,. BY JAMES H|LLMAN Had Been No Previous Trouble Between the
 Two Men INJURIES ARE NOT,
 CONSIDERED FATAL Hillman Released on $500 Bond---Two Were Alone in Office When
 Hillman Suddenly Drew
 Gun and Fired

W. X. Watts, d young real estate dealer, was seriously shot yesterday
 morning by his business partner, James II. lIillman. in the offices of the Hill ! man Watts Land company. 21t Brown
 Marx building. The cause of the shoot ing is mystery Accounts of the affair are that il
 occurred at about ii;4a o'clock yes.
 terday morning. 1t is stated that both MT. Watts and Mr, Hillman were going oyer the accounts of the firm when suddenly Hillman secured .32 Ncaliber smith X Wesson pistol from his desk and fired one shot al Watts who was close by. It is stated that Watts saw Hillman point the pistol and raised his right arm. This action saved Watts life as the bullet struck the arm near the elbow and furrowed to the arm pit where it entered the right side and went downward into the ab- domen. It is stated that the abdominal wall is not penetrated nor is the liver affected by the wound.
 Watts Resting Comfortably Immediately following the shooting Watts ran out of his office and into the office of Otto Marx. where he
 stated to friends that Hillman had shot mn Dul that ne cpulu not tNDln1n the reason why. Bige boy's ambulance was quickly summoned and Watts was re- moved to the infirmary of pr. F. NJ. Robinson at Fourteenth street and Eleventh avenue. south. It was stated last night that he was resting very uncomfortably as his wound was pain ful though not necessarily fatal It is considered merely q flesh wound ac- cording to the doctors in attendance. At the infirmary Mrs W. A. Watts. who is in attendance upon her husband volunteered a statement to report CT of how the tragedy had occurred.
 Mir. Watts would not talk as his phy-
 sician refused permission, stating that 1t would tax the strength of the pa- tient too much.
 Mrs. Watts Issues Statement We cannot understand why Mr. Hillman shot Mir. Watts" said Mrs Watts last night, ''as they are both the best of friends and MT. Watts would lay down his life for MT. Hillman. There is nothing the matter with the Hillman- Watts Land company. It's affairs are in excellent shape and the company is making money. The shooting can be explained in only one way, and that is that Mr. Hillman was not himself at the time He was not accountable for his act.
 As to the shooting, l was in Bessemer at the time and the ac- count I give of 1t is the one my husband gave me. It seems that MT. Watts was seated at MT. Hill l mans desk when Mir. Hillman, who had been in an adjoining office, came in and walked over to my husband. Mir Watts. thinking that Mir. Hillman cared to seat himself at his desk, got up and walked over to his own desk and then turned to face MT. Hillman and addressed few words to him. It
 seems that while my husband had walked the few steps to his desk MT. Hillman had secured his pis- tol from his own desk and as my husband turned he saw MT. HilI- man deliberately point the weapon at him. Mir. Watts thew up his
 arm just as MT. Hillman fired Ac- cording to my husband there was not word spoken and there had never been a cross word between them at any time My husband, who loved MT. Hillman like brother, Is heartbrollen over the act of his friend and business partner. ''I had been to the office of the company at 9:30 o'clock in the morning and there had seen both MT. Hillman and my husband. At that time MT. Hillman had ad- dressed my husband as his bud die,' and l cannot understand what could have possibly occurred in two hours that would lead MT. Hill man to shoot my husband except irresponsiblity It is 8 very re- grettable affair."