The Gonzales monument. "There are not many monuments in the United States to newspaper editors but we have one in Columbia." This monument commemorates the life of Narciso Gener Gonzales, a founder and editor of The State newspaper in Columbia, who was murdered by James H. Tillman on January 15, 1903. Tillman, the Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina and the nephew of South Carolina's United States Senator 'Pitchfork' Benjamin Tillman, shot and killed Gonzales at the corner of Main and Gervais streets. According to reports, Gonzales walked unarmed down the street when Tillman confronted him and opened fire. Gonzales died a few days later in the hospital. The newspaper speculated that the confrontation stemmed from Gonzales' severe opposition to Tillman's policies in many of his editorials in The State, as according to a January 16, 1903 edition of The State, Gonzales had previously called Tillman a 'criminal candidate' and a 'proven liar' during the previous primary election. Erected by popular demand A Tribute to the aorth and service of N G Gonzales Born August 5, 1858 Died January 19, 1903 A great editor An eminent citizen An honest man Without fear and without reproach his fellow citizens bear this monument to perpetuate his memory. [unknown side] Founder and First Editor of The State For twelve years he conducted it with signal ability and conspicuous courage a potent voice for civic righteousness. An influential factor in every movement for the welfare of the people. The measure of success is not what we get out of ilife but what we leave after it. Editorial Dec 13, 1930 ---------- from Wikipedia Narciso Gener Gonzales (1859 – January 19, 1903) was born in St. Paul's Parish, South Carolina, South Carolina. He and his brother, Ambrose E. Gonzales, were the founders of The State newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina. Gonzales was the son of General Ambrosio José Gonzales and Harriet Rutledge. His father was a Cuban revolutionary general who opposed oppressive Spanish rule. His mother was the daughter of the wealthy South Carolina rice planter, state senator and writer, William Elliott. Gonzales was shot on January 15, 1903 by James H. Tillman (nephew of "Pitchfork" Ben Tillman), the Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, and died four days later. Tillman escaped punishment, however. The jury was considered rigged and highly partisan considering Tillman shot Gonzales in broad daylight in the presence of many eyewitnesses. He was acquitted ostensibly on a shaky self-defense theory, but in reality because the jury believed Tillman was right in taking justice into his own hands. Gonzales had waged a crusade against Tillman in his newspaper, helping ensure Tillman's defeat in the 1902 South Carolina governor's race. In 1891, he and his brother Ambrose E. Gonzales (1857–1926) founded The State, a newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina. It supported a number of progressive causes; its editorials called for an end to lynching, the reform of child labor laws, and women's suffrage. The paper was also frequently critical of the policies of Benjamin Tillman, who had been elected governor of South Carolina in 1890 A memorial cenotaph for Gonzales was later erected on Senate Street across from the State House in Columbia, purportedly on the route Tillman regularly walked home.