Lamar-Pike-Monroe County GaArchives News.....Thornton Dies From Shot March 28 1907
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Lynn Cunningham http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002535 June 11, 2004, 5:55 am

The Barnesville News-Gazette, Barnesville, Ga.
Deplorable Affairs Occurs at Unionville Saturday Night

Saturday night at Unionville in Monroe County, several miles north of 
Barnesville, a fatal difficulty occurred between Mr. Wirt English and Mr. Rufus 
Thornton, which resulted in the death of Mr. Thornton from a pistol ball. The 
affair has caused universal regret among th friends of both families and from 
the best information obtainable it grew out of joking remarks which were not 
intended to be offensive to either party. The two men had been friends and 
nothing had previously occurred to estrange them in any manner.

They met in a store at Unionville and said a few words jokingly to each other 
and before anyone knew it they were mad and had drawn their pistols on each 
other, each, it is claimed, firing one shot, the shot from English’s pistol 
taking effect in the lower part of Thornton’s body. It is stated that the ball 
from Thornton’s pistol just missed English. They were at short range and the 
wonder is that both were not killed. Thornton died in a short time after being 
wounded. Mr. English is a brother to Mr. Pink English of the city and Mr. 
George English, now of Griffin, but who lived here until last fall. He is 
highly spoken of by people who know him and his act is alleged by friends to 
have been clearly in self defense. The people who are friends of both families 
express great sorrow over the unfortunate affair.

The commitment trial will be held in Forsyth Friday.

(Transcribed 6/06/04 Lynn Cunningham)

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