The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-05-26


vice-like death embrace of a negro
giant, whom he had shot and killed
Wednesday night in the railroad yards
at limo, after the negro died with
his lips virtually touching his own,
was told yesterday by J. H. (Halleck)
Wilson, who came to the Cape after
having been cxoncrated by coroner's
jury in Illmo.
Wilson, who has been q police officer
at IllmO for Il years and now is Il
deputy sheriff and special agent for
the Cotton Belt railroad, came to the
Cape yesterday afternoon to escape
the demonstrations by the crowds in
limo that followed him wherever he
went yesterday.
Mr.. Wilson is 4 candidate for sheriff
Of Scott County. He has been known
al his life as fighting officer, and
the negro whom he killed Wednesday
night makes the fifth man he has shot
to death.
He told The Tribune tic story Of
his fight with the negro and how it
felt to have man die while lying
squarely on top of the officers own
body.
''This one took me Il little bit by
surprise when ne made 4 Jump 1T ne
SO soon," he began. Il wasn't exactly
expecting him to begin fighting and !
didn't have time to dodge.
- guess It must have stunned me
a bit when he hit me first, for the next
thing | knew: l was fat CT NY back
on the cindcrs and he WIS or ton of
me a-hitting away at ny face He
had leg on either side Of ny body
and was sitting astride ne.
He did most OF the beating with
mis- left hand, and I guess used the
other to get his knife out of his
pocket. He was sitting up pretty
straight and every time he hit me
thought he was going to knock ne IN
conscious
81 put up my left hand and arm to
ward off some of the blows and he
sla5hed at ne with the knife. | had
been working for my gun with my
right hand and after he CT nc that
once, l knew he had something that
he could kill me with.
81 had made my mind up that | vas
going to shoot to Kill him rs soon as
l could get az my gun, and when he
cut ny hand | know then it Was his !
life or mine-and pretty quick too.
by the time l Get the revolver uD
with my right hand had to reach |
back beneath my hip to get The was
leaning closer over NC. l tried to keep !
my left hand GOING to Yard him off |
All this happened in d2rncd sight |
less time than | can sit here and tell |
it to you.
Anyway, l PUSHED the Gun into his
side as soon as ! could get the barrel |
pointed in his direction and let him
have the first bullet.
81 was in a hurry and / didn't have
the gun high enough. The bullet went |
INTO his stomach little above the left /
groin and it came out, we found out
in his back. 1t didn't seem
10 stop his fighting me any. and !
thought: I'll get you this time" ]
began to feel more confident that |
was going to clean him after | got my
yum and and by that time | had moved
he barrel Up to the right side Of his
lody iust below. the ribs.
THAT bullet stopped him from beat
ne my face thought had him and
ried to turn over, thinking that by
LONG that he would tOpple over at my
;ide As / squirmed under him the
zig black simply layed right down on
ne with his fac next to mine and put
us arms around me. He began tryi1a
0 hug NE to death. /;
at felt like his hands wero .,c-cd
ogethcr behind nc, and as =, oIa abe
PRESSURE OIL, it made = shoulders
che. His wind was &C irc nor and
is breath Kissed in r. ,r~e. .
81 moved the gun rg-thsr IN and ,
'ouged the muzzte in WI. thought
would get his heart, ant .s.sd the
rigger the third time. Tn bullet {
OF him, guess, because his hea5 i-s; I
Jumped down on my face and f. G
loment, till l could help myself, h.
ace was right up against mine. &c
81 reached around with my left hand 7
nd grabbed him by the throat and S
lied to push him off. Then l found
ut for the first time that l was t
aught in the dead mans arms and his Y
luscles we're set hard in the embrace
bout my body. l couldn't push him 5
way. f
81 kicked ont sideways withone of Il
y feet and rolled over with him. l -