The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-05-05

Ed jenkins, colored, is dead, and Jim
| Lowery. white man was in the Pensa-
cola hospital lowering between life ana
death, having been dangerously wound
ed hy bullet in the head. His life was
despaired of yesterday but up to late
hour he was still alive. At one time
during the afternoon he rallied ana
made what were said to have been some
incoherent statements, but, so far as
could be learned, they gave no light
on what is a disputed affray. on the
Ferry Pass road Until it is cleared up
Deputy Sheriffs Bayless and Graham
have been ordered detained at the coun-
fty jail, by the sheriff. who proposes to
hold them until the rather serious sit
iuation can be cleared UP entirely.
! At 73i West Belmont street last
night. a negro woman named Dixie
Merrill lay suffering With a pistol
wound In her leg, this having been in
flicted, according to her story. by the
negro. Jenkins, who was shot and kill
ed a moment after he stepped from a
taxicab owned and driven by Joe Press
ley. of Bagdad. Lowery was also from
Ba gdad, and the reason he was in the
car it was said, was 10 show PRESLEY
the shortest and best road to Pensacola.
Lowery had his little girl with him,
il was reported, and the shot which
wounded him so dangerously, and prob
ably fatally, passed quite close to her
head.
The deputies assert that the shot
which wounded Lowry was fired by
the negro, Jenkins. PRESLEY, however,
stated that the negro was running when
shot. The deputies told the sheriff
that the negro started firing first and
that they tried to halt the car before
shooting PRESLEY stated that he did
not know, and did not think that the
men We're officers. He said that his
car was hired first to take the negro,
Jenkins to a train at Milton, but later
the negro changed his mind and paid
the driver $50 to make the trip to
Pensacola. This was believed to have
been decided on to get the woman to
a doctor before the Santa Rosa officers
could locate and arrest jenkins.
Calls ii Murder.
w. r. Flowers, of Milton, who wit
messed the tragedy, termed it deliber-
ate murder.
Mr.. Flowers. who is a prominent cit
izen of Santa Rosa county, was in car
closely behind the one driven by Press
ley He stated that there was nothing
TO indicate that the deputies We're Of
fieers of the law and when they began
firing he believed them to be highway
men He stated that four autos came
over the ferry and his was the second
to leave the boat, closely following
the one which was fired upon. He was
of the opinion that the deputies sig
nailed the first car in the manner Gus
tomary when passing on country roads.
When the car was about abreast of thel
deputies, Mr.. Flowers states that they
began firing with their Winchesters.
He SAYS that the negro jumpel from
the car and sought shelter of tree.
He SAYS that the negro did not have a |
firearm of any kind in sight as he /
crossed the road and that he certainly |
was not shooting Mr.. Flowers states |
emphatically that the negro offered |
no resistance and that i'm his opinion, |
there was no occasion for shooting the
man.
Mr. Flowers was accompanied by his |
brother-in-law, Monroe Cox, and when |
they reached the Pressly auto they
found Lowery badly wounded aad the
negro was dead beside the tree. Mr.. /
Flowers and his companion looked In ]
the car and in the roadway but saw
no trace of the firearm alleged to have
been used by the negro. Mr.. Cox sub
stantiated the statements made by Mr.. /
Flowers and both expressed a desire tn
testify at the inquiry into the shoot
ing
In discussing the matter Mr. Flowers