Jim Kershner’s This day in history » On the Web: spokesman.com/topics/local-history

From our archives, 100 years ago

Accused triple murderer William Byrd finally got a chance to tell the jury why he shot two men at a Dishman construction site.

Short version: They had threatened to kill him for weeks, so he decided to pack his own gun and get it over with.

Their hatred of Byrd stemmed from two powerful motives: Byrd was dallying with one of their wives, and they both owed Byrd a lot of money.

Byrd said he had been hiding from them for weeks, but he finally got a revolver and decided to “get a settlement” with them. One of them “called me a vile name and threw a hammer at me.” The other “came toward him in a threatening manner.”

So Byrd whipped out his revolver and shot them.

The third man, the Dishman justice of the peace, was pursuing Byrd after the shooting when Byrd shot him dead from 230 yards.

Byrd reportedly “chewed tobacco constantly during the trial,” which seemed to bring him relief.

During final arguments, Byrd’s lawyer based his defense on the notion that Byrd was merely defending himself.

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1879: Thomas Edison perfected a workable electric light. … 1944: During World War II, U.S. troops captured the German city of Aachen.