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Ashville, North Carolina, July 5th, 1910.

One of the most shocking tragedies that has occurred in Asheville or Western North Carolina for many a day, was

accomplished this afternoon shortly before 2 o'clock on College Street when J.B. Allison,

formerly a night janitor and the employee of the city, shot and almost instantly killed Floyd

M. McGee, driver of the patrol wagon for the city.

After shooting McGee down as he attempted to get away, Allison then picked up a two-pound hammer

and struck the dying man several blows over the head. That, in short, is the evidence given by witnesses to the tragedy that stirred the

business section of the town this afternoon. According to Mr. Bowden, a shoemaker with a shop adjoining

the Black Street shop of Mr. Coffee on College Street, he and Floyd McGee were talking together in the shop.

McGee had just been seated on a stool in the shop and had just arisen when an arm was struck

through the door and a pistol shot rang out. Mr. Bowden said that he saw the hand and arm to the elbow

in a pistol, that immediately he started to the rear of the shop and into the blacksmith shop,

and that McGee was behind him.

The shots, he said, continued to ring out,

and after going into the blacksmith shop, he looked back and saw that McGee had fallen. Another witness, a man who was at work on the forge,

said that after McGee fell, Allison picked up a hammer,

it weighs two pounds and is covered with blood,

and struck the fallen man several blows over the head.

McGee died in a few minutes after being shot and struck in the head

with the hammer. After doing this deadly work, Allison started to leave the plays. The news of the

tragedy had spread like wildfire, and as Allison went out, one in the crowd that had gathered, cried,

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