FOUL MURDER ON THE WEST SIDE:  Ed Shirley Shot and Killed by Woodie Gates Last Friday at Brown's Still:  Last Friday afternoon, a negro, Ed Shirley, shot and killed Woodie Gates, colored, thus adding one more to the list of murders in Holmes county.

The murder was committed in the woods near H H Brown's naval stores camp, about fourteen miles north of Westville.  It was while Gates was at work that Shirley, armed with Gates's own shotgun, slipped upon him and shot him in the back, killing him instantly.  Gates's wife, Classie, is charged with being accessory to the murder.  Out of infidelity to her husband and too much admiration for Shirley the trouble came, and she demanded that Shirley put her husband out of the way.  It is alleged that the job did not appeal strongly to Shirley till Classie took her husband's old shotgun down and told Shirley, it is reported, if he didn't put Gates out of the way she would kill them both.  Thus impelled, Shirley took the gun and did murder as above stated.

Deputy Sheriff R A Brown arrested Shirley and the woman and took them before Justice of the Peace, T R McDonald, who committed them to jail.  Sheriff Hickman went and brought them to Bonifay where they languish in the iron cells of the county bastile (sic).

SOURCE:  Holmes County Advertiser, Bonifay FL, Saturday, 29 Jul 1911; transcribed by Cathy Strickland Popp