Horton Shot

May 9, 1934
Baxley News Banner

Baxley was thrown into high excitement when the news was telephoned in here that "Buddy" Ashley, a seventeen-year-old negro had shot and killed Wesley Holton, a prominent white man at Veal’s still about four miles northeast of here.

The facts leading up to and including the killing are as follows, as near as can be obtained from eye witnesses of the shooting. They say that Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Holton were returning home, after going a piece of the way with Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Livingston, who had been spending part of the afternoon with them. On returning home they found Izarah (Buddy) Ashley and brother, Walter (Noog) Ashley on their way to a negro row just a little distance from where the shooting took place. It appears that Mr. Holton was advising the two negroes to stay away from the negro row which was just a short distance from them when "Noog" Ashley asked his brother, "Buddy" for his pistol, stating that he would kill Mr. Holton. Instead of giving "Noog" the pistol as requested, "Buddy" said he would kill him, drew his pistol and shot him from the front, the bullet taking effect just below his swallow, breaking his neck and causing his instant death. After killing Mr. Holton the negro turned to Mrs. Holton and her little daughter. Miss Myrtice and started to kill both of them, but their running, screaming and begging for mercy frightened the murderers and they fled to the bushes.

Immediately after the above, Sheriff Padgett was telephoned, and with Deputy Sheriff Napoleon Dyal, Chief Wilson Baxley, Night Policeman Bell and about two hundred and fifty citizens from and near Baxley went immediately to the scene of the killing and began to put forth every effort to apprehend the two Ashley negroes. About nine o’clock Walter Ashley was located in his brother-in-law’s house about three hundred yards from where the killing took place.

Due to the fact that public feeling was running so high it was thought best by the authorities to guard this negro quietly in the room of his brother-in-law, Gould Brown, where he was located until the public had quieted down and left the scene where the negro was lodged. It appears that the authorities used good judgment in taking this particular precaution, as the people here are tired and disgusted with good citizens being shot down by notorious laws who have no respect for themselves or anyone else.

While part of the authorities were looking after the safekeeping of Walter Ashley the other authorities and numerous private citizens who had gone to the scene to assist in catching the negroes were looking for Izarah (Buddy ) Ashley, who really killed Mr. Holton.

About twelve o’clock Sunday night, Deputy Sheriff Dyal and others were at the house of James Carter. While they were at Carter’s house Izarah (Buddy) Ashley, the negro wanted, appeared on the scene. Due to the fact that Deputy Sheriff Dyal did not know the negro personally and further to the fact that James Carter told Deputy Sheriff Dyal that the negro that he was in the act of shooting was not Buddy Ashley, Deputy Sheriff Dyal did not shoot him, and he left James Carter’s house on a run. Mr. Dyal outsmarted the negroes and stayed in Carter’s house until four o’clock Monday morning when Mr. Dyal arrested him and brought him to Baxley and lodged him in the Appling county jail for safekeeping together with his brother who had already been lodged there.