It Was Will McKay Geo. Neilson Killed

Case(s)
Source Type: Newspaper
Publisher: The Tuskaloosa Gazette
Place of publication: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Date of publication: Aug 18, 1895 12:00 am
Source URL: View Source
Transcript:

IT was WILL McKAY GEO. NEILSON KILLED:

Further particulars from Brookwood are to the effect that the negro, killed by Deputy Sheriff Geo. Neilson, was a very bad young buck named Will McKay, who had the reputation of being a very mean negro, who was always in fusses and fights. It seems that the immediate causes which resulted in his death were about as follows: Will and his mother lived together in Brookwood and another negro, whose named we could not learn, had been visiting the deceased’s mother. This displeased the boy and he got a gun and ordered the negro away. The mad [man] left but returned later in the day and Will McKay proceeded to empty his five shooter at him, none of the balls taking effect. It was for this shooting that a warrant was issued and placed in Mr. Neilson’s hands for the arrest of the negro boy. Monday night Mr. Neilson took the warrant, and went to Will’s house to execute it. He found his man in the house and ordered him to throw up his hands, but instead of doing so, the coon drew his gun and made an effort to use it, but before he could do so, he received the full contents of a shot gun in his breast, from the effects of which he died the next morning.

No blame is attached to Mr. Neilson as he acted in self-defense. The negro killed was such a bad character that not even his own people around Brookwood sympathized with him.