Christmas shoot-out, Irwin County 1908. Moore, Smith, Walters, Pollock, Shepherd
Wondering if anyone can shed some light on this incident which resulted in the deaths of at least three men in Ocilla, Irwin County, 1908.
Macon Daily Telegraph, Dec. 24, 1908 - page 1.
Dying Officer Makes Charges.
Policeman Cain Walters Says Tom Pollock Shot Him in the Back.
Ocilla, Ga., Dec. 23-
Twenty-four hours after the bloody duel which cost the lives of Leonard Smith, Charlie Moore and Virgil Moore and inflicted fatal injuries upon Policeman Cain Walters, the town tonight rests under a death-like pall with little evidence of the holiday spirit manifest. Ocilla is in sorrow. The life of the brave officer fast ebbs away. There is no chance for his recovery, physicians state. The community awaits the termination of his wounds with tense anxiety.
New Developments in Case.
Jack Shepherd and Tom Pollock are implicated and are in jail.
Policeman Walters charges Tom Pollock with having shot him in the back.
The trouble arose by Shepherd shooting a large firecracker. Being reprimanded by the policeman, the Moores and Leonard Smith became involved as friends of Shepherd and the policeman, and one version is the policeman opened fire and the other version is that Charley Moore opened fire.
The facts are not clear yet, as there was some drinking among the participants, and while there were three or four eye witnesses, yet they do not agree as to the facts and beginning of the trouble.
It is rumored that there had been previous trouble between the policeman and Charley Moore.
The town is shocked over one of the most tragic killings in this section. Leonard Smith was about 18 years old, and came from Dooly county. Policeman Walters is from Twiggs county, and the Moore brothers were from Meriwether county. They have all lived here two or three years.
---
Macon Daily Telegraph, Dec. 28, 1908 - page 1.
Walters May Survive Wound.
Unless Pneumonia Develops He Has Good Chance.
Ocilla, Ga., Dec. 27.-
Tom Pollock and Jack Shepherd, who were arrested Tuesday night on a charge of being involved in the killing of Leonard Smith, Charlie Moore and G.V. Moore, and the wounding of Policeman Cane Walters, are out of jail on bonds, awaiting a commitment trial on the 31st inst.
Pollock gave bond in the sum of $5,000 and Shepherd in the sum of $3,000. Pollock is charged with assault with intent to murder Policeman Walters by shooting him in the back, and Shepherd is charged as principal in the second degree. The cases were called by William Henderson, justice of the peace, for a preliminary hearing, but in the absence of Solicitor-General W.F. George, who agreed to attend court to prosecute the cases on the part of the state, whose boy had the accident to have one of his legs broken Wednesday, the cases were passed over until he could attend court.
Officer Resting Well.
Policeman Walters is resting well.
More Replies:
-
Re: Christmas shoot-out, Irwin County 1908. Moore, Smith, Walters, Pollock, Shepherd
Carol Powell 1/04/12