Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1914-09-29
Waylaid at:Bridge On Clarks-
vile Pike Late Friday
Afternoon.
BULLET STILL In HIS HEAD.
billiard Young A Strange Me-
gro, Held on Suspicion
, Sheriff Smith Working
On Case.

John NJ, Renshaw, former Sheriff
of Christian county, who lives on the
Clarksville pike about a mile from
the city limits, was shot by an assas-
sin Friday afternoon at four o'clock,
on or near the bridge that spans the
East fork of Little river, about half
way between his home and the city.
Mr.. Renshaw started to town in his
buggy on business and was shot from
the roadside in the vicinity of the
iron bridge. The bullet entered his
head below the right ear and ranged
upward apparently into the brain.
Mr.. Renshaw was rendered uncon-
scious but did not fall out of the
buggy. His horse kept on up the
hill toward town and about two hun
dred yards West of the bridge his
son, Jared r. Renshaw, who was
returning from the Fair grounds,
met his father sitting in bent DO
sition in his buggy bareheaded, his
hat having fallen off. AS they met,
the son rushed to his assistance and
discove ed that he had been shot He
turned the buggy around and drove
home as fast as he could and tele-
phoned for physicians and three doc
tors were soon on the scene and a
brief examination was made and it
was thought best to bring Mr.. Rem
shawto the Jennie Stuart Memorial
Hospital, where an offort was made
to locate the bullet. Brain matter
was oozing from the wound and
pieces of skull were removed in an
operation that did not restore con-
sciousness. Mr.. Renshaw's condi-
ton was regarded as hopeless from
the first. He has fingered in an un-
consci 1us condition, and was still
alive yesterday, uttering incoherent
words at times, but making no ra-
tional statement.
The only clue points to two negroes
who were seen sitting on the right
side of the bridge as Mr.. Renshaw
approached. A little son of Mr..
Fred Harmed, returning from school,
passed them on the bridge, met Mr..
Reushaw beyond the bridge and
heard the shot a little later. A col
ored man named Ernest Bell, who
was at a barn on the Carroll place
near by, saw the two men on the
bridge. One was tall and the other
short, both black and well dressed.
A negro man over in w. T, Fowler's
field in sight of the bridge and col
ored woman who lives at the old toll
gate house West Of the bridge were
near enough to have seer ,he men.
Following the shooting, they are be-
lieved to have run down the river
to the 4. c. Railroad crossing and
tren to have separated.
A negro corresponding in descrip-
tion to the tall one was arrested at
Edgoten Saturday afternoon and
Sheriff j. w. Smith, being notified,
went after him. Tracks had been
on the river bank and the
mans shoe appears to fit one set
of them. He is held on suspicion.
One theory is that the shooting
may have been done by negro who
had been whipped recently by Jar
red Renshaw for stealing chickens,
but this is not considered probable.
The accepted theory is that the
motive was robbery and after shoot
ing Mr.. Renshaw the men took to
their heels. He had a purse contain
ing $50 in his pocket, which was not
molested. Sheriff Smith acted with
great promptness and vigor as soon
as he learned of the outrage. With
MS deputies, Lieut.. Hawkins and
officer Jones of the police force and
a posse composed of Vego Barnes.
J. ]. Cliborne and Harvey McCord an