The Dunwody Building

The Massacre

On March 6, 1915, a man named Monroe Phillips, a man known to have a short temper, walked upstairs into Mr. Dunwody’s office and shot him in the head. The action came as a result of a disagree about a payment that Phillips owed Dunwody. Following the murder of Dunwody, Phillips unloaded on Albert M. Way, a client of the lawyer. Way was shot in the face, but did not die instantly. These gunshots drew a crowd in the street, and without uttering a word, Phillips lashed out on the watchers. He first shot and killed an off-duty policeman named L.C. Padgett. Phillips next target was judge E.C. Butts, in which he shot in the leg. Butts was a former Mayor of Brunswick and State Representative. He would later go on to serve as Captain of Infantry for the United States Military in World War One, and upon his return, became a judge for the City Court.

At this moment, Phillips began firing at anything in sight. He shot at bikers, storeowners, policeman, and passerby. At one point, he even shot into the Brunswick Bank and Trust Building.

Phillips fired on the citizens for over half an hour, but was eventually shot and killed by E.C. Butts, the man who he had previously shot. Butts had hobbled to a local store in which he purchased a shotgun with buckshot. He approached Phillips, who at the time was in the drug store, and shot him in the gut. After being shot, Phillips is quoted to have said, “Well, you’ve just about got me; finish it up.” He lived only a few minutes after.

Every injured individual was sent to the local hospital, and every physician in the county was asked to come in and address the wounds. That day, 5 people were killed by Phillips, and another 32 injured. Several individuals passed in the days following their injuries, as well.