Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-07-09
AN AWFUL TRAGEDY.
The Charlottesville Advocate Of Saturday

The Charlottesville Advocate Of Saturday the
9Th, says:,
! Our town was thrown into high excitement on
Monday last by the arrival of runaway couple
from The county of Amherst. First came Dr. VIII.
,iams and Miss Morriss (the afianced Iovers) with
two brulhers of DR.. w. and Mr.. Hill. Soon
afterwards, Mr. Richard Morriss and his son Rich
ard Uhe father and brother OF Miss Mdrriss) and
MIR. Shelton arrived in hot pursuit after the lug
,ves The whole Of Monday..evening was consum
ed in proposltuns from one side to The oiher-D
Williams refusing to give up the young lady to the
father. Counsel were called in, who decided iha
there was no law by which Mr.. Morrss could re
cover possession of his daughter. Threats passed
freely on both sides, and young Morrlss being iolo
that his sister would not be given up without 8
fight, drew pistol upon one of DR.. Williams
brothers, who showed that he was fully. prepared
for such an emergency, aud blood would have beer
shed had not the bys,anders interfered to prevent
It, The parties were then arrested, disarmed and
bound over to keep the peace Ia The course Of the
evening, Mr.. Morriss obtained possession of his
daueh and thus ended the affair 10 Charlottes-
Vile.
The sequel 10 the affair is thus given by a cor
respondent of the Advocate, writing from Loving
sion NELSON G. ii. } on the 4th:
On last Monday about sunrise, party consisting
of DR.. l.. d. Williams, of Amhers', his two young
err brothers, and Mr.. E. }. Hill, arrived here in
company with Miss Morris, daughter of Richard
G. Morris, Esq. Of Amherst, on their way North,
to consummaie the marriage of the DR.. and Miss
Morris, Mr.. Morris being violently opposed to the
match.
Some three hours after the first party left, Mr.
Morris arrived in hot pursu it-accunpanied by his
SON Richard.
We learn that he overlook the party in Char
lottesvilIe. What occurred is known TO you II
seems all parties were apprehended, bound over in
small penalties, and Mr.. NJ, obtained possession Of
his daughter. The Williams party started back
and reached here about twilight-and MIR. Morris
arrived in about half an hour after, and put up al
the same houss, Mr.. McCaul's.
The Willlamses informed the landlord that they
did not wish to 60 to the public table. il Mr.. NJ.
was to De there. They were informed that Morris
had ordered supper in his room. and were requested
to 90 down 10 the table-and they went according
ly. Young Mr.. Morris, it seems left his fathers
room, went to a Coffee House, got small julep
and returned to the tavern, and instead ofgoing Il
his fathers room, and in spite of request TO 60
there, he went To The public table, at which there
were some fifteen or more persons, several of whom
were ladies'. lie took his seat dlrecllyopposile Dr.
Williams, (ths was doubtless accident, } and in
stead of eating commenced staring him in the face
Dr. w. continued TO sip his coffee, when to the
CONSERVATION Of all. Morris seized plate and threw
it violently in Dr. Williams face at The same time
sprngng up with drawn pistol. All parties fol-
lowed suit. The confusion and alarm, the shrieks
Of The ladies', and shouts Of the men, the rush Of
,d ,f,v ha docorhod 'ho
evidence was, that Morris frs, barrel did not 90
off, the cap exploding. The witnesses think that
he and DR.. w. exchanged shots. But by whom
any Of The parties was shot is mere matter Of con-
lecture, except DR.. w. He was shot in the bar
room by young Morris. For there was a general
rush up stairs from the dining room. DIR. w. "a
head, Morris after, and others following. There
had been loud shout, that they should clear the
dining room.
1t is supposed there were FROM five 10 seven shots
in the dining room, and one others are positive two,
up stairs. Hill! was certainly shot in the dining
room, the right side about The lower part OF his
vest, through which the ball passed. Young Nor
ris was caught by some one in the bar-room as he
was falling, taken up stairs. and died almost Instant
ly. He was shot from behind, the ball entering
near the spine. His corpse left here Wednesday
evening for Maj. Yancey's. DIR. Williams and
Hill are both here dangerously wounded. Hopes
are entertained that both may recover. The pros.
pecl for DR.. WIS. recovery are more flaterng. -
Capt Murrs was in his rom with his daughter
when the affray commenced, and reached the bar
room only in time 10 receiver his son as falling.
All the living persons, except Capt. Morrs,were
immediately arrested at the instance of Justice,
by special consiables. without warrant
Their trial came off on "Wednesday before COL
Jas billiard, John Horsly and Wilson Peters,
Esqs., and after hearing the evidence of host Of
Witnesses who gave testimony with hardly shad :
ow of varience, all were promptly discharged who
were present (he two younger Williams, and the
Warrant dismissed as 10 Hill and Williams, against
whom aIso the process issued. This resutwss in
eyitable from the evidence.
The parties could not have been in our place
half an hour, before these awful results followed
Hill was doubtless shot by Morris, and he thinks
tha, Morris was shot by him in The dining room |:
though Mr. Morris says, his sun told him, that Ro.
bert Williams shot him. Circumstances render
both statements doubtful. if improbable.
am happy To say that though The dining. room
was full Of ladies' aud gentlemen, and though it
was night, and persons were passing about the tav-
porch and street, fortunately no one else was In
jured.
The Williams intended, under advice, to leave
for home, Immediately after supper. The evidence
was conclusive Of young Mr.. Norris intention TO
have difficulty, al sulne time, il not that night
have no heart 10 speak of Capt Norris anguish
and almost frenzy that nighl-nor of his saddened
and melancholy and unhappy state OF mind nex'
lnorning-nor yet of the piercing shreks, The wall
Ing, and unulerable agony Of his unhappy daugh
er Her father started home The next morning,
his daughter lying down in carriage, the picture
of the deepest suffering and broken heart.
HIPS widowed mother is by his sde-l learn
that the utmost misery has been thus visited on
bath families. Old MIR. Williams is an invalid, and
several of his family i'll. The shock at Mr.. Nor
ris' home any one may imagine, and not over esti-
mate what heard was its effect
CO We learn by private letter received in this
place, on Monday last, from Lynchburg, that Miss
Morris has committed sucide.-ED's SPEC.
EXTRAORDINARY CASE "A correspondent. on
whose accuracy we rely implicitly relates the follow
ing extraordinary freak Of nature /:
Nearly two years ago, very respectable lady OF
this city, then seventy four years of age, had Sc
we're fit of sickness, degree that her life was de-
V0,trtn hnF caIy