The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1915-06-22
.ESTHRAcE AFFORD KILLS
OLIVER SMITH SUNDAY
Mes Had Been Drinking All Day
Pump Gun Used-SeIf Defense
Clsimed-Fired One Shot.

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Az about s o'clock Sunday evening
Esthrage Afford shot and killed Oliver
Smith. The men had been the best of
/ friends and had spent most Of the day
drinking together. Afford used a six
shooter pump gun and only fired one
shot. II took effect back of his right
ear and death was instantaneous. Al
ford is a son of Jack Afford, is %
years Of age and unmarried. Smith
was 30, and leaves a widow and six
childreR. He was son of Crit
Smith. who conducts store on the
Mt. Salem pike just beyond McKin-
Iney. The killing occurred not far
from Floyd's store, in the Geneva set
| Element, a mile or so south of Nc
Kinney. Sheriff Weathafrd was no.
titled of the killing and with his depu-
ties, W. s. Drye and Marshall Her
ring arrested Afford. They found
him at the home of Mrs. Annie Kit
trell, not far from where the tragedy
occurred. The officers had no trou-
BILE in arresting him and bringing
him to Jail.
There are conflicting reports of the
killing, so this paper gives both sides
of the tragedy, one coming indirectly
from the wife of the dead man and
the other from Afford, who admits
/ firing the fatal shot.
Afford, who is % years old, made
the following statement TO an |. j.
representative in Jail yesterday: ~
am son of JACK Afford and live
near Mckinney. Oliver Smith went
home with me Sunday about supper
time and j asked him to eat. Said
he didn't want anything, but would
wait until ! ate my supper. He vent
with me to get some whisky. which
told him ] had at home. After sup
per we started out, he saying he was
going to his home and | on my way
to Sam Douglas When we got to
Mrs. kittrell's we found Smiths wife
there. They called to me to come in,
saying they wanted drink. | told
them that | would not come II but
sent my bottle of WHISKY in to Smith
and the others. Oliver Smith prom
ised to bring my bottle back to me,
but would not do so. Said later that
it was his whisky and he would give
me none of it. Finally he came out
on the pike where | was and asked
me if it was whisky or trouble that
wanted. ] told him that if giving me
the whisky would cause trouble he
could keep it. He said it looks like
you are mad, and as he said so he
pulled a pistol from his pocket and
drawing it on me. cursed me. | told
him we were good friends and that he
knew | Rad no gun. | told him fur
Their that he had the drop on me, but
that if he would wait until got my
gun. | would settle matters with him.
He told me to go get my gun and that
he would be there when | got back.
| went to my home, nearly mile dis
tant, and got my shot gun and when
got back he was walking on toward
his home. | set my gun down, when
reached him. He asked me if !
wanted a drink? | said no. that ]
wanted hard feelings settled. Well.
he said. we will settle ID right here.
and stepping back he drew his pistol
from his pocket. ! grabbed my gun
and shot him. | then took my gun
back home. We had never before
mad any trouble and ! thought we
were good friends"
Afford was sitting in the jail SEEM
ingly careless of what had happened
when the |. j. man interviewed him.
He talked freely and seemed to think
that he had done nothing more than
his duty. He admitted that he had
been in jail, having served SEN
tence a year ago for carrying CON
cealed weapons. Admitting that he
had taken a number of drinks during
the day, he stated emphatically that
he was rot under the influence of
whisky.
Mrs. Smiths version of the killing
and the incidents leading thereto are
as follows, according to the state
ment of her brother-in-law, Fora
Smith, who was in town yesterday:
II had gone to Mrs. Annie Kittrelrs
house after my husband. where
found him. and little later Afford
came. He (Alford) began to demand
some whisky he claimed my husband
had. Nr. Smith sent him word to
come in. but he refused to, saying
he would never darken the door again.
Afford grew insistent about the whis-
XIV but finally left. In the meantime
Mr.. and Mrs. Smith and their two
year-old child started home. When
in about quarter of a mile of their
abode, they were overtaken by AL
ford with shotgun in hand. He
told Smith that he wanted his whis-
ky and was going to have it. Smith
answered by saying that he would
give him a part of it; that he wanted
drink for in the morning. Afford
remarked that he wanted all or none
and that if he did not hand it over
he would kill him. Smith remarked
that he could kill him but he could
not scare him, and started off toward
home with his wife. They had gotten
only few steps when Afford fired
and her husband fell dead. The load
from the six-shooting pump gun had
taken effect back of his right
ear and death was instantaneous.
Only one shot was fired"
Fora Smith, brother of the dead
man, said that he saw his brother
and Afford about noon Sunday. They
were drinking, but were seemingly on
the friendliest of terms. He saw
them again little before dark Sun
day evening and asked them for a
drink. His brother told him he had
nothing to drink, whereupon Afford,
in a good naturedly way. said, 'd-n
YOU, I'll give you a drink at the
time pulling from his pocket quart
bottle nearly full of whisky. Mr..
Smith drank with them and left.
Nothing was said or done by either
party to indicate that there was any
thing between the men. According
to Mr.. Smith. Afford went TO his ia
TIERS house, nearly mile distant,
after the gun he did the killing with.
The dead man was 80 wears old
land left a wife and six children. He