I wonder if things happened exactly as the slimy Mr. Ames says they did.
"Mr. Ames bought the 675-acre Holly Hill estate...and built a new fence... Relying on an obscure state law, Mr. Ames billed his neighbors for part of the cost of the fence."
Sleasy cheapskate lawyer finds an obscure statute and uses it to screw his neighbor. Then he impounds the guys bull and charges him $500 to get it back. That's what some folks call being "neighborly". I have little doubt this guy could have retreated from a 74 YO man without shooting him FIVE TIMES.