Trial of Judge Wilkinson, Dr. Wilkinson, and Mr. Murdaugh on indictments for the murder of John Rothwell and Alexander H. Meeks : in an affray which occurred at the Galt House, Louisville, Ky., on the 15th of December, 1838 / reported by T. Egerton Browne.

  • Wilkinson, Edward C.
Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Trial of Judge Wilkinson, Dr. Wilkinson, and Mr. Murdaugh on indictments for the murder of John Rothwell and Alexander H. Meeks : in an affray which occurred at the Galt House, Louisville, Ky., on the 15th of December, 1838 / reported by T. Egerton Browne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    *■•« le the Gait House, and at the iamo time handed me a $ 100 Mississippi Bank Bill, which he requested I would hold over for a week or two, as he had information with regard to the arrange- ments of the Banks below, (hat the discount in a few days would be considerably reduced. He then went away, and in the course of an hour or so, re- turned, accompanied by two gentlemen, as I after- wards learned, his brother Judge Wilkinson and .Mr. Murdaugh. When the Doctor came in the second time he said ho would have to throw the coat on my hands as it did not fit and his friends had told him it was badly made—not fashionable; it was the Judge that said most about it's not being fashion- able. I ofTered to get any alteration necessary made. He said no, that it was no coat at all. As soon as I found they were not disposed to take it, I said I would keep it. The Doctor then took out some money and said he would pay for the pantaloons and vest; which had boen sent to the Gait House. The Judge said, no, do not pay for them, perhaps they would not fit—they would he like the cat. I thought he and Murdaugh had more to say against the clothes than the Doctor, who, I saw, would be pleased enough only for them. He said the law was, that if a coat did not fit it should be taken back. When the Judge interfered so much, I said it took more than one to judge a coat, and that I thought he had already said more than he ought. The Judge, who had boon sitting near the stove, then jumped up and said he did n re to be in- sulted. I remarked that I did not intend to him. He snatched up the iron poker at the stove and rushod at me with it, attempting to strike me, but I received the blows on my arm. Seeing that no one in the store was interferring, and hearing something about a Bowie knife, I thought to get them to the street where some one would be passing, and I seized the Judge and jerked him to the side door, near the corner, going into Third street. As I got him to the door, I think I slipped and fell, and the Judge fell with me. I thought the whole three were on top of me, and I struggled till I got the Judge under me, and I raised to keep off the Doctor, or to pull him down, when he tried to stab me with his knife, but was prevented by some one. The knife was like this now handed me I think it is the same knife. The Judge still held on to the poker. I should have stated that when the Doctor drew his knife on me, a voice quite near, which I thought was Murdaugh's, cried out, kill the damned rascal. It was then that some one ran up and held the Doctor's arm. I threw them off, and got out on the pavement. Murdaugh was on the pavement, with his knife drawn. I picked up a brickbat, and told them I would whip the whole three if they would lay aside their weapons. Seeing no interfer- ence I returned into the shop, and the Doctor fol- lowed rne in with his drawn knife in his hand, de- manding his $100 bill. In the scuffle I had lost my pocket book, in which it was, but some one just then, who had picked it up, handed it to me, and I gave the Doctor his £100 bill. They then went away with the knives drawn, and the Judge carried off the poker. Several persons came into the shop after they had gone, and some advised me to get them taken up. I did not at first want to do so, but after a little time was persuaded to go to the Mayor's office. I started for the Mayor's office, accompanied by Bill Johnson; but before this I went to Mr. Ful- ton's store and got a small dirk knife from Mr. Noel, which I put into my watch pocket. As we went to the Mayor's office we called at Vacaro's and Hymen's Coffee Houses, to enquire for the Mar- shal, Mr. Turner, or one of the police officers. Not meeting any of them we proceeded to the Mayor's office, and wont up stairs to Mr. Pollard's room. I told tho circumstances to Mr. Pollard, the Clerk of the Police Court, and told him I wanted a warrant. He asked me for the names. I said I only knew for certain that one was Wilkinson, but I could get the names at the Gait House. Mr. Pollard said he could not give me a warrant without the names, but if I saw Mr. Turner I could get him to go with me and arrest them without a warrant. I told him that I would go to the Gait House for the names, and bring tho::) to the office. We then-started for the jail in search of Mr. Turner, and went round there, but could not find him, as he was not there. Bill John- son went into the .jail to enquire for Mr. Turner, and I staid outside on tho pavement enquiring about the officers. Before Johnson came out I started off to Market street, and over towards Rothwell's cor- ner. I saw Rothwell, my brother-in-law, standing at Dr. Bernard's office, and told him what had hap- pened. I was going up Market street, and he went along with me. We tried as we went along to find Mr. Turner, or one of the City officers, but not be- ing able to do so, we proceeded on to the Gait House. We went into the bar-room and I saw Mr. Sneed, who minds the bar, and asked for the Register, and the names of the three Mississippi gentlemen. In the meantime Mr. Everett came in, and I asked him if he would give me the names on paper. He very politely said he would, and immediately did so. I then got talking with Mr. McGrath, who was in- side the counter, and told how I had been treated at my own store. In a short time Judge Wilkinson came into the bar-room, and came up to the counter to take a glass of water. I was leaning on the counter, and said to him, I think you are the gen- tleman that struck me with the poker in my own house to-day? He observed that he was, and then said, I will not quarrel or fight with a man of your profession, but if you interfere with me, or lay a hand on me, I'll kill you. As he said this he put