The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1918-02-14
PHYSICIAN KILLED
IN FLORENCE DUEL
D"el occurs I'm the Court House,
Hicks Calling to Confer with
the Probate Judge.

this city. is dead, and ]. wilbur
TICKS prominent young attorney
OF this place, lies in the Florence In
urinary seriously wounded. as a re-
suit or a pistol battle in the lower
hallway OF the Florence court house
ABOUT 1880 o'clock this morning.
Just how seriously Mr.. Hicks
wounds are cannot at this time be
stated. Attending physicians have
said that the wounds are NOT neces-
sarily fatal. yet they are dangerous
Late this afternoon Mr.. Hicks was
resting comfortably.
Ihe shooting took place directly
on the outside Of the door to the Of
nee Of Harry A. Brunson, probate
Judse, and before it ended Mr.. Brun-
son barely missed being the victim
vi an unlntentional shot from one
OF the pistols.
soon after the shooting began
Geddings Ilderton, oldest son of DR.
william 1lderton appeared and took
part In the shooting, which resulted
in his fathers death.
Inc coroner's jury this afternoon
handed in verdict to the effect that
Dr. llderton came to his death from
gun shot wounds, at the hands of 7
WILDER Hicks and Geddings llcferton
both Oh these men are in the custody
OF Sheriff Burch and will be held un-
I'll proceedings are had for their re-
lease.
The tragedy is the outcome of a
iamlly AFFAIR of the Ildertons. His
"l1e and grown children left home
many months ago and took up their
abode elsewhere. Mr.. Hicks Is at
torney for Mrs. Ilderton and her
children in a suit against DR.. Ilder-
toL Tor alimony, which the court Of
this county had already ordered him
to pay.
Ihts matter was to come before
Prboate Judge Brunson as master to-
day and when DR.. Ilderton appeared
In his office this morning Judge
Brunson, believing that he was un-
der either the influence of whiskey or
some dope" decided to put the case
on, and sent word to Mr.. Hicks. who
at that time was in the court room
upstairs with Mrs. Beulah White IL
derton and her sons. awaiting the
calling of the case.
Mr.. Hicks, as soon as he was ad
v1sed OF postponement, went to the
ohce OF the probate Judge to speak
With Mr.. Brunson, not knowing DR..
llderton was in there. AS he push
ed the door ajar he saw DR.. Ilderton
and stepped back into the hall. Nr.
brunson at the same time spoke
loudly to Mr.. Hicks. telling him to
not come into the office.
DR.. 1lderton. seeing Hicks, rush
ed to the door. threw it open and be-
gan firing on Hicks. Hicks drew a
pistol and began returning the fire.
rushed upon him, seized
him and threw him to the floor. He
continued to fire at Mr.. Hicks.
Judge Brunson and others rushed
up to pull Ilderton from Hicks body,
when Geddings Ilderton appeared
and In an effort to keep his father
from killing Hicks, reached over
shoulder and fired two
shots into the body of his father,
who at the time was hammering
Hicks in the head with the butt of
Hicks pistol, which he had taken
from him. AS Ilderton's son quit
firing, DR.. Ilderton fell over and died
in few moments without uttering
a word.
Sheriff Burch was soon on the
scene and arrested young Ilderton
and Hicks. Ilderton was taken tol
Jail and Hicks sent to the Florence
Infirmary.
The shooting was the result of
bad feeling between DR.. Ilderton
and Mr.. Hicks brought about by Mr..
Hicks acting as attorney for Mrs. IL
derton in her suit against DR.. nder-
ton for alimony.
Mrs. Ilderton and her children
separated from the husband and ia
ther early in 1915 and Dr. Ilderton
made an effort to secure a divorce,
SO it is stated. The case was heard
in the county court and the court
granted alimony, but it was stated
that DR.. Ilderton had never complied
with the order Of the court in that
particular.
There are five bullet wounds in
the body Of DR.. Ilderton, one over
the heart, one about three inches
from the right breast, a third in the
left abdomen and two in the left
shoulder.
Hicks has one wound in the head,
one in the right side and an ugly
wound from being struck in the head
with the butt of the revolver. a
third shot struck Hicks eyeglass