The Columbia Herald
Published Friday, September 24, 1897
A fighting affray occurred here at the depot on the evening of the 21st between Bud Phillips and Tom Hightower, which resulted in the killing of Hightower. They had some words in the morning, and met again late in the afternoon, and the quarrel came up again. Hightower was rushing on Phillips with a knife when shot him several times through the head and once through the body, causing instant death. Hightower leaves a wife and several children. He had been told that morning that if he did not stop drinking and attend to his own affairs, some one would kill him; he was an overbearing character. Mr. Phillips' friends regret the killing very much. Hightower was buried at Hunter's grave-yard. Phillips is still at large.
HIGHTOWER, Tom. Dock, circa 1860 - 21 Sep 1897. (22 yrs.; a phosphate gang leader in Mount Pleasant; married Mary Elizabeth Woods Hightower, 13 Mar 1882 in Carroll, TN. after Dock died she married Thomas Riddle; 6 children, 5 boys and 1 girl; wife was 1 month pregnant when he was shot; member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; children were sent to the IOOF school in Clarksville, Tn after he died. Ref: Brian Hightower e-mail.)
Information presented to Mary Bob McClain Richardson by Brian Hightower, 24 Feb 2011.
