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PRESCOTT—Cleotis Burton, 19, was shot and killed Saturday in downtown Prescott after allegedly terrifying residents by walking through town carrying a shotgun, authorities said. After firing one shot, Burton, who had a history of mental illness was killed around 8:35 a.m. Saturday by a blast from a 12-gauge shotgun reportedly fired by Thomas Cobb, a Prescott mortician. Burton had been walking the streets of the city for about thirty minutes when he was met by Prescott Policeman Buck Dickerson. Dickerson said in his testimony to the coroner's inquest (in which this writer was a member of the jury) that he received a call around 8 a.m. that morning of a Black man walking the streets with a gun. The caller said that the suspect was in front of Teeter’s and Ronnie’s Barber Shop. Dicker son said he drove across the railroad tracks to the area and saw Burton. The patrolman hollered, ‘‘What are you doing?’’ Burton responded, but Dickerson said he could not understand what he said. After the confrontation with Burton, Dickerson went back to the Police Station and Chief William Stovall accompanied him back down to the im mediate area. There they met Burton at the corner of the Nevada County Court House square. Burton told the officers to stop and to take no step further. Stovall told him to put down the gun, but Burton con tinued to ignore the officers. At this time both officers left Burton and went in search of his parents. Not finding his father, the officers located his mother and asked her to go talk to her son and get him to put down the gun. Then the officers went back to the station. A few minutes later they heard two shots, and headed towards the area. When Stovall and Dickerson arrived, they saw Burton lying out in the street beside a car with a flat tire, apparently caused by a discharge from Burton’s gun, (a 12 guage shotgun). Burton, who had a history of mental illness, was killed about 8:35 a.m. by a blast of 8 pellets (buckshot) in the right side of the body from a 12 guage shotgun fired by Cornish Mortuary mortician Thomas Cobb. A Coroner’s inquest, presided over by Justice of the Peace Hamp Miller of Emmet (Nevada County) was convened immediately and met from one p.m. to 4:40 p.m., adjourning until a further investigation was underway and when the mother of the dead man is able to testify. No charges were filed in the death as of Sunday. Events leading to the shooting were told by the testimony of key witnesses at the Coroner’s inquest. According to S. L. “Blue’’ Avery, Burton entered the Mortuary at around 8 a.m. and wanted to see the body of Johnny Ray Williams. Williams had been killed in a shooting incident earlier in the week by his father-in-law. Williams’ father-in-law had been charged with first degree murder in the death from information given by Police spokesman. Avery, a staff member at Cornish Mortuary, stated that Burton at the time of arrival at Cornish had a shotgun in his hands and went back and viewed the remains. Then somebody came back to Avery and said that a man was sitting in the viewing room with a shotgun in his lap. Burton had been sitting in the room for two or three minutes and finally got up after per suasion. Avery then said: “I went to Teeter’s and the Pharmacy and asked if they had seen him (Burton). Minutes later someone came in and said a man was standing in the middle of the street with a shotgun! Avery then went outside and asked Burton, ‘‘What is wrong?’’ Burton turned in Avery's direction and said, ‘‘Do you think I would be out here with a shotgun in my hand without more backing?’ Avery attempted to persuade Burton to put the gun down, but Burton said, ‘“‘You white (expletive deleted) get off the street!” “So I turned back and tried to get into Teeter’s, but the door was locked, then I ran down the alley,’ then Burton said “Damn it run! “Then I ran to the end of the alley, that is when I heard two shots, a short pause between, and were fairly close, maybe 30 or 40 feet,”” said Avery. Another witness, Mrs. Dixie Clary, employee at the drug store gave her account of the day’s fatal incident: “I arrived at the store around 8:30, there were already three people at the store at the time, Lola Dillard, another employee Blake Fairchild a delivery boy, (Continued on Page Two)
