Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-12-26

Souther Field by Major Lawrence
Churchill, commanding officer, that
q gun battle had been fought be-
tween Souther Field soldiers and
Dave Wlngate, at the latter's farm
about A miles beyond the camp on
the Aries route to Andersonville.
But he insisted that no soldiers had
been shot by Wingate, and declared
that when all the Iacts are brought
out, as they are beng gathered by
him in an official investigation of the
affair now being made, the soldiers
side OF the story will be dlterent
than Wingate made it appear.
Major Churchill declared the SOL
diers had first gone TO the home OF
Widow Goud, at whose home the hrst
trouble started a week ago last
Thursday night, by invitation, and,
this beng the case, Mlngate had no
business to interfere with them as
long as they were not IN his home
and not molestlng HIM. He further
declared that the soldiers had been
obtaining liquor from some source,
evidently in that section, which he had
note been able to locate, and lntl-
mated a possible connection between
these liquor sales and the trouble.
While not attempting to excuse the
men for any Wrong-doing they may
have engaged in, he said his inquiry
up to this time had shown them not
wholly to blame, and asked that judg
ment be withheld by the puDIlc until
the full facts come out, promising
to make public his findings, if the
public is interested, when completed,
but intimating that some of the de-
tails were likely not to be, suitable
for public prints.
Marks of the Battle.
Newspaper men yesterday visited
the home of Mr.. Wlngate, the scene
of the two gun battles. They were
shown numerous bullet marks in
fences and outbuildings, recently
made by rifle or high-powered pis-
tolls. Two hundred vards away, in an
clubhouse behind which the soldiers
hid and from which they fired at
him, according to Mr.. Wingate, were
numerous buckshot marks and some
of the shot were picked from the
timbers. They were also given sew
eral empty AZ pistol shells, which
Major Churchill later Unidentified as
similar W ClOSe uoGu III tHS army
weapons.
Douglas Cameron, well known Am
ericus auto mechanic and son-in-laW
of Mr.. Wingate, said he was present
last Sunday afternoon when the
party of soldiers appeared at the
Wingate home following the battle
in the dark Friday night, and began
firing at Mr.. Wingate. The latter,
he said, ran into the houes and grab
bed two shot guns with which he ran
into the yard and began answering
the shots that were already coming
in the direction of the house. One
of the guns he dropped and continu-
ed firing with the other. Mr.. Cam
eron jumped into his car in the yard
and hurried to Souther Field where
he reported to Major Churchill that
the battle was on and asking that Of
ficers be sent for the men. Mrs,
Wingate, an invalid, and Mrs. Cam
eron, her daughter, were terror
stricken in the house. Lieut.. Wyatt,
POST adjutant. hurried to the scene
and the men returned to camp,
although not with Lieut. Wyatt. Nj
Wingate insisted yesterday, and was
verified by Mr.. Cameron, that he
saw one of the soldiers fall, and he
pointed out two spots in the soft
ground of the field where it appeared
a man had wallowed or writhed. He
said last Tuesday, before the heavy
rain, what looked like blood was Wis.
ible at one of these places. Direct
and close questioning of camp offic-
ers later brought the emphatic de.
nial that any men had been wounded
or were in the hospital.
Love Affair Found.
At the home of Widow Jennie
Goud, where the trouble began, yes
terday it was developed as probable
that the men had been drawn there
through love affair of Effie Goud,
comely 16-year-old daughter of Mrs.
Goud, into whose home this men
are alleged to have attempted to
force an entrance on the night the
trouble with Wingate started. Miss
Goud, who lives exsSasa short distance
from Wingate's hoTsg, told newspa-
per man that she had been s'keep-
ing company" with Arigi" Tau
thorized spelling unobtainable)
Souther Field soldier, but that she
had walked from the farm to the
camp, distance of miles, after
writing him letter, to tell him to
stay away from her home, following
the first fight between Wingate and
the soldiers, and after Wingate had
forbidden the men to again visit the
premises. It was "Arigi," it was
said, who led the soldier squad in
the Sunday attack. Mrs. Gou d, her
mother, had little to say regarding
tho soldiers and their visits to her
home.s apparently wishing to avoid
the subject in the presence of strang.
ers. She knew of the several shoot
ings, however, her home being almost
in the direct line Of the fire between
the opposing parties.