The Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1852-1853, 1853-02-23
Shooting.

The following particulars Of an affair
which has created no little excitement in
the town of Ripley, Brown county, we clip
from the Cincinnati Gazette of Saturday:
The RIPLEY TRAGEDY.-Robert Peters.
who was shot on Wednesday, by Charles
Baird, whose sister he had seduced and re-
fused to marry, was still living when the,
kenton passed Ripley yesterday, but there,
was little probability Of his recovery.
Baird was in California when the news Of
his sisters ruin reached him; he immediate
ly lett his business, and scarcely took rest or
food till he reached Ripley. lie sought an
interview with Peters, and used every argu-
ment and every e~ntreaty to induce him TO
make the only separation left possible
Baird finally offered Peters three thousand
dollars Of his hard earning, if he would mar
~ his sister. When this was refused, Baird
drew his pistol. and shot Tie scducer, with
The intention, as he frankly AYERS, of killing
him on the spot. Miss 3 tirl Is said TO he
partially deranged. The utmost sympathy
/, felt in Ripley for Baird and his sister,
Peters is "a tailor, and formerly woI ked in
lEe establishment OF Mr.. Haddox, in this
city.
Another version Of the story is, that Miss
Band was engaged to II man named Pat
terSon, who refused to marry her, on ac-
count of receiving a letter f.om Peters, in
which he stated that he had frequently had
illicit intercourse with Miss. B., and advised
Patterson not to marry her. Baird was
written to by his sister, informing him of
her condition, and of Patterson's failure to
perform his obligations, and he returned
home to settle the matter with him. But in
an interview with Patterson, he learned the
above facts, and was furnished with Peters.
letter. He acknowledged it to be genuine.
but declined marrying the woman he had
SO foulIy wronged; and WAS punished, if not
AS he ought to have been, yet in a way
which the natural feelings Of almost every
brother will justify.
The Ripley Bee of Saturday, also says:
Tragic AFFAIR.-On Wednesday, about
noon, our own was the scene of one of those
shooting affairs, which, und:r the loose ad-
ministration of criminal law and the lax state
Of moral feeling, have become SO f~eariully
common.
Charles Baird, late from California, and
formerly of Adame county, shot Robert c..
Peters, with a revolver-the ball entering
the breast, passing through the upper lobe
of the lungs and out between the shoulders.
They had been standing talking privately
together, some two or three hours, near the
corner of the Warehouse, on the river bank,
at the mouth of Main street. Baird finally
drew a Colts revolver, and fired at Peters,
then within a foot Of the muzzle ofthe pistol
The ball took effect as stated, and Baird
f fired a second time, but just as he was in
the act he was seized by Peters and his arm
thrown up, so that the ball passed above his
| person-Peters threw Baird down, ard in
the struggle the latter, with the muzzle of
the pistol against the neck Of Peters,, attemp-
ted to cock it,; at this moment, Owen Brat
ford, who witnessed the affFay, interf cred
and seized the pistol. Peters was able TO
walk up as far as tho store of o. +. Shaw,
=. when he became sick and was carried to his
lodgings. He has been and still is doing AS
well as could be expected, and strong hopes
are entertained of his recovery.
The difficulty, we understand, originated
from the conduct of Mr.. Peters toward a fe-
Y male relative Of Mr.. Baird, of which taese
! are numerous, and conflicting versions and
\ rumors afloat.
Baird, although he remainedin town until
! after dark of the day of the transaction, and
t offered to surrender himself to the officers,
s was not arrested. A warrant was obtained
late in the evening, but the accused could
not be found, and has not been scene OF heard
of since.