The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1919-05-20
POLICE FEUD LEADS
TO FATAL SHOOTING
PLAIN CLOTHES AND UNIFORM
ED MEN IN BATTLE. DAWSON
MAN ONE OF TWO KILLED.

ISAA~S1 WS10 OIOOSilJ W q
tragic climax on the docks of the
company in Savannah when several
men on each side clashed in a fight.
during which revolvers were used, re-
sulting in the following casualties {:
Frank Hirt, Sc years old, member
of the uniformed police, dead from
a bullet wound through his heart.
D. F. Gore, % years old, married,
member of special police, shot
through the left chest, just over the
heart; died after lingering two days.
Herman A. Campsen, 80 years old,
unmarried, sergeant of the terminal
police, shot through the left eye;
condition uncertain, but may recov-
er with the loss of his eye.
Charles H. Fennell, sergeant of the
uniformed police, and Charles w.
Hood, head of the plain clothes men,
have sundry wounds received in per-
sonal encounter, but neither was
wounded by bullets.
Gore a Terrell Countian.
Dean F. Gore is a native of Terrell
county, and was reared near Dawson.
He is son of Mr.. J. M. Gore. Up
on receipt of the news that he had
been wounded Mr.. and Mrs. Gore
left for Savannah to be with their
son.
Gore was a special anti-vice officer
last summer on the police force of
Macon. He served on the detective
force of that city, was in charge of
enforcing the work or fight law for
the Macon Manufacturers Associa-
ton, special agent for the Southern
Express Company and later resigned
to take his present position with the
Central of Georgia. He was only re-
Gently transferred to Savannah.
According to the account given by
the Savannah News of the tragedy
the immediate cause of the difficulty
occurred when Sergeant Campsen or
dered Gore and Rogers off the wharf
of the Ocean Steamship Company.
Heated language was used, it is said,
when the men who had been order
ed off the dock telephoned to their
superior officer, Hood, who soon ap-
peared upon the scene. Hood remon-
strated with Sergeants Fennell and
Campsen that his men had a right
to be on the dock, but the situation
was acute and in the course of the
argument that followed Fennell
struck Hood and the melee quickly
became general.
In the shooting that followed Hirt
Il, 1r4 ,r>c nal 1r1l1oI o,,I TaraayN
sen and Gore rushed to a hospital.
Both suffered the loss of much blood
and Campsen was unable to make a
statement. Chief of Police J. A.
Woods secured a statement from
Gore, which was typewriter at the
chiefs office and then taken to the
hospital for the wounded man to
sign, which he did. This statement
follows:
Statement by Gore.
eve did not know all of this was
coming up, Chief Wood. l came walk
ing down in plain clothes with Hood
and Rogers, and Sergt. Fennell was
drunk, and he and Hood got into an
argument, and Hood said for them
to be reasonable, and come on to the
office, and that he would remove the
men from the docks.
"Campsen came up after Hood and
Fennell got to fighting and caught
me in the belt and searched me for
my gun, and after he did not find my
gun, as | had it in my waist, he hit
me over the head with his pistol, and
as I started off he shot at me but
missed me.
81 then turned and shot Campsen
in the head or eye. In the fight be-
tween Hood and Fennell, q Campsen
struck Hood over the head with his
pistol, after he turned me loose.
"After Campsen hit me over the
head with his pistol and shot at me
looked around and saw Hirt. and he
(Hirt) shot me over the heart. and l
held one hand over my heart and
shot Hirt two or three times. l am
the man who shot Hirt and Sergt.
Campsen. Hirt had his pistol in his
hand and staggered over to the steel
post and died I had 80 special blue
steel pistol. Hirt is the man who shot
me. I don't know what pistol he shot
me with. but he shot at me two or
three more times after he first shot
me. Hood never shot any one, and
Rogers did not have a pistol with
him, and he did not shoot at all"
Resented Their Presence.
The friction between the plain
clothes men and the men in uniform
was brought about, it is stated. be-
cause of the pilfering that has been
going on at the docks of the steam
ship company, and the detailing of
special agents to detect the criminals.
The regular police resented the pres
ence and activities of the plain
clothes men, feeling, it is said, that
their duties were being usurped.
There had been several clashes be-
tween the men, and, though nothing
of serious nature had occurred, the