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"A terrible tragedy took place in Bloomfield Sunday evening about 9 o'clock. The immediate cause of the trouble was whiskey. Jim Jones was drunk and was around on the streets asking for Ezera Boyles, declaring he was going to whip him. He finally came upon Boyles in the Indian restaurant and undertook to make good the threats, but Boyles proved the best man. The disturbance attracted George Greer, the marshal, and Henry Bolin, the night watch, who took Jones from the place and put him in the calaboose. Jones was afterwards released on bond after promising that he would go home and behave. After being released he was not disposed to go home and remonstrated with his Mother Aud, who had been instrumental in procuring his release, and refused to go. The marshal then insisted on him going and it was only through threat that he would put him back in the calaboose, that Jones went direct home and from there to Ike Glenn's, where under pretense of going duck hunting the next morning, succeeded in getting Glenn's shot gun. Thus around he came direct to the front of the livery barn where he undertook to get into the covered hack, supposeably to shoot Greer as he came around the southeast corner of the Crosser & McDavid building in going home. At this time Greer, the marshal, and Henry Bolin, the night watchman with three other parties, were standing on the side walk on the east side of the building and about 60 feet from the hack. The gun was cocked and in attempting to get into the hack, was accidently discharged by Jones. The charge passing up through the roof of the covered hack. This at once attracted the attention of the officers, who undertook to arrest Jones. He refused to be arrested and started for home, whereupon the marshal and his deputy began shooting at him, with a view to make him stop. Jones refused to obey the commands of the officers and ran home. After re-loading their pistols Greer and Bolin went to the house, where they met Wash Jones and wife, father and mother of Jim, whom implored the marshal not to shot Jim, that he had nothing to shoot with, that he had no shells for the gun. Greer assured them that he was not going to shoot Jim, and called for him to come out. This he refused to do whereupon Greer forced the door open and as he started to enter received a charge of shot in the right side of the breast. As he turned his pistol discharged in the direction of Jones without effect, and upon being asked by Henry Bolin if he was shot answered, "He has killed me." And was dead a few steps from the house near the front gate. Henry Bolin, then went to the door and as he entered the gun was leveled upon him, but he knocked the muzzle up and dodged under just as the discharge passed over his head. He fired at Jones and gave him a flesh wound in the right arm, the ball first passing through the panel of a door, behind which Jones was standing. He says his aim would have been better, but just as he was about to fire he received a blow and shove from Wash Jones, father of Jim, that threw him off his balance. He then covered Wash with his pistol, who held up his hands and went away from the gun which Jim had thrown into the room, from the north room where he (Jim) was standing. Bolin then covered Jim with his pistol and took him prisoner. Jones was so wrought up that he was a perfect demon and as he passed by the dead body of Greer gave vent to blasphemous epithets and curses and wanted to stamp his face into the ground. These are substantially the facts as we have been able to gather them. Greer was fearless and made a good marshal. Jones is troublesome and a bad fellow when under the influence of whiskey. The deceased was buried in the Walker grave yard. He leaves a wife and two small children and four older children by a former wife. His family was left in destitute circumstances, but was given temporary relief by the kind assistance of friends. The tragic death of George Greer brings two families to great grief and trouble which is deeply lamented. Jones is in jail and will be tried under the law.
(The above was transcribed from a copy of the Bloomfield Vindicator story dated Friday, April 1, 1904.)"
-- Story provided by great grand-daughter, M. Daig
"A terrible tragedy took place in Bloomfield Sunday evening about 9 o'clock. The immediate cause of the trouble was whiskey. Jim Jones was drunk and was around on the streets asking for Ezera Boyles, declaring he was going to whip him. He finally came upon Boyles in the Indian restaurant and undertook to make good the threats, but Boyles proved the best man. The disturbance attracted George Greer, the marshal, and Henry Bolin, the night watch, who took Jones from the place and put him in the calaboose. Jones was afterwards released on bond after promising that he would go home and behave. After being released he was not disposed to go home and remonstrated with his Mother Aud, who had been instrumental in procuring his release, and refused to go. The marshal then insisted on him going and it was only through threat that he would put him back in the calaboose, that Jones went direct home and from there to Ike Glenn's, where under pretense of going duck hunting the next morning, succeeded in getting Glenn's shot gun. Thus around he came direct to the front of the livery barn where he undertook to get into the covered hack, supposeably to shoot Greer as he came around the southeast corner of the Crosser & McDavid building in going home. At this time Greer, the marshal, and Henry Bolin, the night watchman with three other parties, were standing on the side walk on the east side of the building and about 60 feet from the hack. The gun was cocked and in attempting to get into the hack, was accidently discharged by Jones. The charge passing up through the roof of the covered hack. This at once attracted the attention of the officers, who undertook to arrest Jones. He refused to be arrested and started for home, whereupon the marshal and his deputy began shooting at him, with a view to make him stop. Jones refused to obey the commands of the officers and ran home. After re-loading their pistols Greer and Bolin went to the house, where they met Wash Jones and wife, father and mother of Jim, whom implored the marshal not to shot Jim, that he had nothing to shoot with, that he had no shells for the gun. Greer assured them that he was not going to shoot Jim, and called for him to come out. This he refused to do whereupon Greer forced the door open and as he started to enter received a charge of shot in the right side of the breast. As he turned his pistol discharged in the direction of Jones without effect, and upon being asked by Henry Bolin if he was shot answered, "He has killed me." And was dead a few steps from the house near the front gate. Henry Bolin, then went to the door and as he entered the gun was leveled upon him, but he knocked the muzzle up and dodged under just as the discharge passed over his head. He fired at Jones and gave him a flesh wound in the right arm, the ball first passing through the panel of a door, behind which Jones was standing. He says his aim would have been better, but just as he was about to fire he received a blow and shove from Wash Jones, father of Jim, that threw him off his balance. He then covered Wash with his pistol, who held up his hands and went away from the gun which Jim had thrown into the room, from the north room where he (Jim) was standing. Bolin then covered Jim with his pistol and took him prisoner. Jones was so wrought up that he was a perfect demon and as he passed by the dead body of Greer gave vent to blasphemous epithets and curses and wanted to stamp his face into the ground. These are substantially the facts as we have been able to gather them. Greer was fearless and made a good marshal. Jones is troublesome and a bad fellow when under the influence of whiskey. The deceased was buried in the Walker grave yard. He leaves a wife and two small children and four older children by a former wife. His family was left in destitute circumstances, but was given temporary relief by the kind assistance of friends. The tragic death of George Greer brings two families to great grief and trouble which is deeply lamented. Jones is in jail and will be tried under the law.
(The above was transcribed from a copy of the Bloomfield Vindicator story dated Friday, April 1, 1904.)"
-- Story provided by great grand-daughter, M. Daig
===
"A terrible tragedy took place in Bloomfield Sunday evening about 9 o'clock. The immediate cause of the trouble was whiskey. Jim Jones was drunk and was around on the streets asking for Ezera Boyles, declaring he was going to whip him. He finally came upon Boyles in the Indian restaurant and undertook to make good the threats, but Boyles proved the best man. The disturbance attracted George Greer, the marshal, and Henry Bolin, the night watch, who took Jones from the place and put him in the calaboose. Jones was afterwards released on bond after promising that he would go home and behave. After being released he was not disposed to go home and remonstrated with his Mother Aud, who had been instrumental in procuring his release, and refused to go. The marshal then insisted on him going and it was only through threat that he would put him back in the calaboose, that Jones went direct home and from there to Ike Glenn's, where under pretense of going duck hunting the next morning, succeeded in getting Glenn's shot gun. Thus around he came direct to the front of the livery barn where he undertook to get into the covered hack, supposeably to shoot Greer as he came around the southeast corner of the Crosser & McDavid building in going home. At this time Greer, the marshal, and Henry Bolin, the night watchman with three other parties, were standing on the side walk on the east side of the building and about 60 feet from the hack. The gun was cocked and in attempting to get into the hack, was accidently discharged by Jones. The charge passing up through the roof of the covered hack. This at once attracted the attention of the officers, who undertook to arrest Jones. He refused to be arrested and started for home, whereupon the marshal and his deputy began shooting at him, with a view to make him stop. Jones refused to obey the commands of the officers and ran home. After re-loading their pistols Greer and Bolin went to the house, where they met Wash Jones and wife, father and mother of Jim, whom implored the marshal not to shot Jim, that he had nothing to shoot with, that he had no shells for the gun. Greer assured them that he was not going to shoot Jim, and called for him to come out. This he refused to do whereupon Greer forced the door open and as he started to enter received a charge of shot in the right side of the breast. As he turned his pistol discharged in the direction of Jones without effect, and upon being asked by Henry Bolin if he was shot answered, "He has killed me." And was dead a few steps from the house near the front gate. Henry Bolin, then went to the door and as he entered the gun was leveled upon him, but he knocked the muzzle up and dodged under just as the discharge passed over his head. He fired at Jones and gave him a flesh wound in the right arm, the ball first passing through the panel of a door, behind which Jones was standing. He says his aim would have been better, but just as he was about to fire he received a blow and shove from Wash Jones, father of Jim, that threw him off his balance. He then covered Wash with his pistol, who held up his hands and went away from the gun which Jim had thrown into the room, from the north room where he (Jim) was standing. Bolin then covered Jim with his pistol and took him prisoner. Jones was so wrought up that he was a perfect demon and as he passed by the dead body of Greer gave vent to blasphemous epithets and curses and wanted to stamp his face into the ground. These are substantially the facts as we have been able to gather them. Greer was fearless and made a good marshal. Jones is troublesome and a bad fellow when under the influence of whiskey. The deceased was buried in the Walker grave yard. He leaves a wife and two small children and four older children by a former wife. His family was left in destitute circumstances, but was given temporary relief by the kind assistance of friends. The tragic death of George Greer brings two families to great grief and trouble which is deeply lamented. Jones is in jail and will be tried under the law.
(The above was transcribed from a copy of the Bloomfield Vindicator story dated Friday, April 1, 1904.)"
-- Story provided by great grand-daughter, M. Daig
"A terrible tragedy took place in Bloomfield Sunday evening about 9 o'clock. The immediate cause of the trouble was whiskey. Jim Jones was drunk and was around on the streets asking for Ezera Boyles, declaring he was going to whip him. He finally came upon Boyles in the Indian restaurant and undertook to make good the threats, but Boyles proved the best man. The disturbance attracted George Greer, the marshal, and Henry Bolin, the night watch, who took Jones from the place and put him in the calaboose. Jones was afterwards released on bond after promising that he would go home and behave. After being released he was not disposed to go home and remonstrated with his Mother Aud, who had been instrumental in procuring his release, and refused to go. The marshal then insisted on him going and it was only through threat that he would put him back in the calaboose, that Jones went direct home and from there to Ike Glenn's, where under pretense of going duck hunting the next morning, succeeded in getting Glenn's shot gun. Thus around he came direct to the front of the livery barn where he undertook to get into the covered hack, supposeably to shoot Greer as he came around the southeast corner of the Crosser & McDavid building in going home. At this time Greer, the marshal, and Henry Bolin, the night watchman with three other parties, were standing on the side walk on the east side of the building and about 60 feet from the hack. The gun was cocked and in attempting to get into the hack, was accidently discharged by Jones. The charge passing up through the roof of the covered hack. This at once attracted the attention of the officers, who undertook to arrest Jones. He refused to be arrested and started for home, whereupon the marshal and his deputy began shooting at him, with a view to make him stop. Jones refused to obey the commands of the officers and ran home. After re-loading their pistols Greer and Bolin went to the house, where they met Wash Jones and wife, father and mother of Jim, whom implored the marshal not to shot Jim, that he had nothing to shoot with, that he had no shells for the gun. Greer assured them that he was not going to shoot Jim, and called for him to come out. This he refused to do whereupon Greer forced the door open and as he started to enter received a charge of shot in the right side of the breast. As he turned his pistol discharged in the direction of Jones without effect, and upon being asked by Henry Bolin if he was shot answered, "He has killed me." And was dead a few steps from the house near the front gate. Henry Bolin, then went to the door and as he entered the gun was leveled upon him, but he knocked the muzzle up and dodged under just as the discharge passed over his head. He fired at Jones and gave him a flesh wound in the right arm, the ball first passing through the panel of a door, behind which Jones was standing. He says his aim would have been better, but just as he was about to fire he received a blow and shove from Wash Jones, father of Jim, that threw him off his balance. He then covered Wash with his pistol, who held up his hands and went away from the gun which Jim had thrown into the room, from the north room where he (Jim) was standing. Bolin then covered Jim with his pistol and took him prisoner. Jones was so wrought up that he was a perfect demon and as he passed by the dead body of Greer gave vent to blasphemous epithets and curses and wanted to stamp his face into the ground. These are substantially the facts as we have been able to gather them. Greer was fearless and made a good marshal. Jones is troublesome and a bad fellow when under the influence of whiskey. The deceased was buried in the Walker grave yard. He leaves a wife and two small children and four older children by a former wife. His family was left in destitute circumstances, but was given temporary relief by the kind assistance of friends. The tragic death of George Greer brings two families to great grief and trouble which is deeply lamented. Jones is in jail and will be tried under the law.
(The above was transcribed from a copy of the Bloomfield Vindicator story dated Friday, April 1, 1904.)"
-- Story provided by great grand-daughter, M. Daig
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