The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1922-12-08
NIGHT POLICE OFFICER
DAVE YATES MURDERED
Negro Gambler Shoots Officer Yates
in Cold Blood.

/
night in the vicinity of Black Bot
tom and the officer started at ono
to locate the disturbance. Somewher
near what is known as the Shu;
! Wells church house he met tW'
negroes, Joe Bailey and Babe Viii
liams. Bailey is said to be Missis
sippi negro and Williams is loca
character. Bailey came over here
from Lake County some two weeks
ago. He bore the reputation OF
gambler and an ugly character.
According to the story of the muf
der it is related by parties present
that Bailey entered one restaurant
just below the church and in a swag
gering manner, asked: Anybody
looking for me-" Receiving a neg
ative or no reply, he left and entered
another restaurant located in that
part of town, with the same que5'
ton: "Anybody looking for me?' He
was answered here in the same way
So from there, it seems, he was Joined
by Babe Williams, and the two, az
stated above, met the officer.
Approaching the negroes, Mr.
Yates inquired if they knew any
thing about some shooting in that
locality a short time before that, the
hour then being about ten o'clock,
The Bailey negro replied that he did
not, "but there's going to be some
right now" And then he fired at
Mr.. Yates, one of the balls entering
the left side thru the arm and pass
ing thru the body and out at the
right side. The conversation was re-
ported by the Williams negro. There
were no other witnesses except Hugh
Finger, who was at home in one Of
the nearby houses. He heard the
trouble and looking out Of his win
dow saw the officer fall.
Bailey and Williams made a hasty
getaway, leaving together, but sep
arated somewhere over on the H0l-
loway property Marshal Massey and
his assistants cornered Williams, but
failed to capture Bailey. Sh3riff
Cherry and his deputies were also
out after the negro, but he eluded
them all.
After the shooting the siren fire
whistle was turned on in a hideous
blast and many people assembled in
the vicinity of the murder.
Hugh Finger was probably first
to reach the dead man, then came
Mr. Willie White, whose garage is
lear by, and others and many friends
If the officer. The body was taken
@ the undertakers.
1t was said that six or seven shots
we're fired, two together, then after a
space of time four or five shots. 1t is
lot known whether or not Mr.. Yates
ired a single shot.
Tuesday morning the whole of the
ity was excited and posses were sent
tut in different directions to find the
legro murderer.
The Sheriff, officers and posse
raced the negro going west towards
he lake, found the place in She Parks
ottom where he stepped for some
hing to eat, but when they reached |
he lake they found the levee i'm
assable and could not cross, so the
heriff of Lake County, with his dep
ties, and Deputy Bob Hamilton, of
bion, continued the search in Lake,
nding tracks along the way.
News was received here Tuesday
light that the officers had caught
he negro, Joe Bailey, in Lake Coun-
Y, and on Wednesday morning it
as reproted that he was lodged in
lii at Dyer9burg.
1t is understood that Bailey con-
9ssed to the officers that he was
uilty, but that the other negro,
Villains, who was with him, did the
looting and killed Yates. So the
atements of the two negroes are
'nflicting. The chances are, how
yer, that Bailey is the murderer,
nee he was the aggressor first in
the neighborhood AMI
len in the attack on the officer and
le hasty retreat under cover.
1t was a foul and bloody deed and
Ie murderer should have the ex- ,
eme penalty of the law. q
Mr.. Yates has been one of our i
ost faithful and diligent officers. i
e was one Of the corps that SO far i
i've kept us protected and living in f
ace while other cities and towns '
I've been troubled with murderers. h
ugs and thieves. v
On Wednesday morning at 10 i
clock the funeral rites were con- C