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Sunday, October 16, 2022

Prohibition Officer Harry Cheatham Shoots Doug Dunham, Oct. 16, 1922

Doug Dunham Is Probably Fatally Shot by Officer. . . Officer Claims Gun Was Accidentally Discharged; Dunham Says He Took Aim

“Doug” Dunham was shot, probably fatally, by Prohibition Officer Harry H. Cheatham of the office of the divisional prohibition director, John Murphy, Norfolk, Saturday night at the Brown filling station on the Concord road.

Cheatham, who has been in Salisbury since August 17, securing cases against people handling liquor in and around Salisbury, accompanied by three deputy marshals sent here by Brownlaw Jackson, marshal for the Western North Carolina district, who were serving arrest papers in cases found by Cheatham. About 6 o’clock they went to Brown’s filling station to serve papers on Jake Brown and Doug Dunham. Cheatham also had a search warrant covering the Brown property.

While there Dunham was shot, accidentally, the officer claims, deliberately, Dunham claims.

Dunham was given first aid by Dr. Bryant of Asheville, one of the deputy marshals while waiting for an ambulance.

The deputies were on the outside of the building when the shooting ??? ham. Cheatham also had a search ??? (words missing from story).

His gun was accidentally discharged when he forced a door leading from the store, run in connection with the filling station, to a room in the rear. There is an offset in the floor between he two rooms and the officer claims to have stumbled. Duham in a statement said the officer never entered the rear room but opened the door, aimed and fired at him when he turned to return to the store room.

The prohibition officer claims that a half gallon jug, which contained brandy, was smashed in the rear room, while Dunham claims that there was no liquor about the place.

It was said at the hospital this morning that Dunham had a fairly good night. His condition was still regarded as critical. The bullet entered his side, passed thru his liver and spine. He is reported to be paralyzed in the lower part of his body.

Cheatham was arrested by Sheriff Krider yesterday on a state warrant and released on bail in the sum of $2,000.

Dunham’s Statement

Dunham’s statement Saturday night to an attorney follows:

“A colored woman came into the store for kerosene. I went into the back room to get it and had just filled the vessel with oil, turned to go back into the main part of the store, and just as I had turned about half way round, I looked up and saw Cheatham with a pistol pointed towards me. He then shot me in the same position that I was in when I first saw Cheatham, or knew him to be there, for he never spoke to me or called before he shot me. “He did not speak, either before the shooting or afterwards. Cheatham absolutely did not stumble and the gun was not discharged accidentally, for he had the pistol leveled and aimed at me when he shot.”

Offers Statement

The following statement was issued by Cheatham Saturday night and a copy was sent to his chief in Norfolk:

“I was sent to Salisbury by the divisional chief of general prohibition agents from divisional headquarters in Norfolk, Va., arriving in Salisbury on August 17, 1922, under instructions to locate, investigate and find cases against people handling liquor in and around Salisbury. Following these instructions, and prior to the time that my identity became known, I had found a large number of cases in this vicinity.

“On the morning of October 13, 1922, I received telegraphic instructions from the office of the divisional chief at Norfolk to report to that office on October 16, 1922. In order that I might finish my work before leaving Salisbury, I made arrangements with the U.S. marshal of the western district of North Carolina to serve arrest warrants in the cases found by me. The deputy marshals arrived Friday night, and it was decided that the arrest warrants be served Saturday, October 14, 1922, and that search warrants, which I had sworn out, in a large number of cases, would be served at the same time.

“I had been out with the deputy marshals and they had served papers on quite a number of people against whom I had cases, at the same time, with the assistance of federal agents from the office of the federal prohibition director, I had executed a number of search warrants.

“At about 6 p.m. the marshals decided to serve arrest warrants in the cases against Jake Brown and Doug Dunham at a place on the Concord road known as Brown’s Filling Station. We drove up and into the filling station. I had a search warrant covering the entire promises of Jake Brown, and as the car stopped I got out and started into the store, which is run in connection with the filling station. As I went around in front of the car I saw Doug Dunham in the store in a bending position, looking out of the door at me. He straightened up suddenly, and not knowing just what to expect, since I had been told several times that Jake Brown’s place was a dangerous one to raid, I removed my pistol from its holster. Dunham turned and made a break for a door opening into a room at the back of the store. I began to run after him. Dunham slammed the door in my face and bolted it on the inside. I stepped ack with the intention of kicking the door down and as I took the backward step heard a crash as of breaking glass on the other side of the door. I later learned that this crash was caused by Dunham breaking a half gallon glass jug containing brandy. After this I forced the door by a kick and lunge against I with my right shoulder, not expecting the dloor on the other side of the door to be lower than that of the store (it was about 5 ½ inches lower), together with the fact that I was more or less unbalanced when the door gave way, I completely lost my balance, and in an effort to prevent myself falling threw out both hands. In some way, probably by the hammer of my pistol striking the door jam, it was discharged. As the door flew open I did not see anyone in the room, being dazed and blinded by the explosion of the pistol. The first thing that I was impressed with after regaining my balance, and recovering from my daze, was a remark by Dunham, ‘My God, I’m dying.’ I then saw him in the semi-darkness in the corner of the room to the right of the door.

“There was no one in the room at the time beside Dunham and myself, the other officers, who were on the outside of the building, heard the noise and came running in. We immediately assisted Dunham to a comfortable position and telephoned for a doctor and ambulance. While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, Dr. Bryant, one of the deputy marshals, who is a practicing physician, rendered first aid and made an examination. Upon arrival Dr. Van Poole administered morphine and Dunham was placed on a stretcher and then in the ambulance. He was taken to the Salisbury hospital, where he was immediately put on the operating table. “I accompanied Dunham and the doctor in the ambulance to the hospital and did all that I could to assist. I had neither intention or desire to shoot this man or any other, and know of nothing that I regret having happened any more than I do this accident.”

From the front page of the Salisbury Evening Post, Monday, Oct. 16, 1922

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