From Days Gone By June 19, 1913

June 19, 1913.

   Mr. Henry J. Claxton, postmaster of Kite, was dangerously, perhaps fatally shot at Kite Tuesday morning about 7, by Eldridge Price. It seems the shooting was the culmination of a row on Saturday previous. The Marshal arrested Jim Gatlin and Price interferred, causing his arrest and having to appear before the mayor on Monday. It is alledged that he had a pistol, but this he denied, and on Tuesday morning he was waiting at the post office when Mr. Claxton came down to open up.

    They were talking and Price, it is said, used some epithets that Claxton resented, advancing toward Price, and when they were about six feet of each other Price drew his 32-calibre pistol and shot him in the left side, the bullet entering just below the heart and ranging downward. Price was arrested and Sheriff Rowland and Deputy Ausbon brought him here and lodged him in jail. Mr. Claxton was carried to Rawlings Sanitarium where he was operated on. The bullet was located under the ribs against the spine, which the doctors thought best not to remove it yet. Both parties to the unfortunate affair are young men with families.

   Mr. Lee Rogers who was confined in the county jail, on account of his mental condition has improved to such an extent that he was permitted to return to his home in the country. The sick list includes Mrs. Otho Tanner, Mrs. Elizabeth Kennedy, Captain & Mrs. W. P. Tribble, Mrs. W. E. Price, Evlyn Pease and Dr. S. M. Johnson. Mrs. Mary Fortner, wife of Mr. Quincy Fortner died at her home near Kite after a long illness of dropsy resulting in paralysis. She was buried at Gumlog. She was the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. G. W. Schwals and survived by her husband and four children.

    B. H. Moye, Johnson County's representative is on his way to Atlanta to serve us in the General Assembly. Dr. Curtis Robinson has fitted up a dental parlor in the Robinson building on the north side of the square. Mr. Wade Bedingfield, former Warthen College graduate is now a student at Mercer taking literary and law courses.

    Maurice Acree has the first ripe peaches of the season. John Robbins, a negro cropper on Mr. Jordan Stokes place brought in the first cotton bloom of the season. J. W. Franks, who farms the Shurling place brought in the second bloom. Jack Henderson just missed out on the first bloom. He is the oversearer of the Tanner Farm.