Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-01-24
T q Murder at Lexington.

The Rich uo'iI Ds.,rich has the lt lowing par
ticuIats Of the hoTrIb.r tragedy At Lexington Va,
OF wnIcr We published brreI account yesterday;
Through :hr p9li;erlrss Of ~ lric nd, We have
been permitted TO Gull the following account Of a
hoirid murder committed III Lexington, Va, on
Sunday night last, the 18th instant. The parties
were Mr. BLACKBURN, cadet OF the V. NJ. l., and
Mr.. CmRIsTIAS, a law student, the toTmec having
been most fnuIIy murdered. The letter says:
"For the last twenty -four hours dated 10th inst)
this village has been in S'ch State Of eXcIteHc Mt
as | have never before witnessed. About ha.!
past o clock yesterday Sunday evening, NonnE
Mr. BIlCh burn, cadet OF the V. VI. Institute, Was
killhrI by Nh Christian, law student. The caaSr
Of this sad affair this: Mr.. Christian had been
i'll the habit OF visiting Young lady of Flncast'e,
now IN this vIllaIe,l cousin OF MI. blackburn,
ann Is. nnvlur head UI known something GvTOsa
tory to tue character OF G. told his COUSIN OF Ii
! aud urged her to whiGw'th him 10 chuTc! no more
On the Sth inst. Christian sent word To the young
| lady that he would call nj hex unCc'S that even
ing escort her 10 CHURCH, " hen size declined i
iavUr Of his company. SuspeCtlns something Ton-,
Christian demanded an explanation, which Inc
| young lady gave hun.
! Las, Saturday mornnS Nh Blackburn paid his
| cousin Il visit al her uncle'S, when she told INN
that she had gIYian Christian her reasons Tor De
clinlug 10 keep his company. Learning this, Nh.
b. proceeded 10 town, nj once, sought orSht Chris
! tIaM, told him frankly and candIi.y that he had
| wHrUcd his cousin against Inn, ard that lac
felt justified III dong from the character that q.
sustained. No outbreak took place then, though
the. two parted with any other than good feelings,
| Christian Temarking that he would See Blackburn
| again.
On the same day Christian bought pistol anu
b, vie knife. and vas Heard 10 make tnTealS against
Blackburn several lines.
| Sunday morning while Christian was in the ia
VEN yard ct the Nc lowell hotel. lie had the knliC
III his hand and told Old MI. Dali, the stage drv-
er that he int m,!ed 10 use 1t that night AT hall
! 81, ,ip ctIDIt
| stationed himself III front Cf the church and
threatened to attack Blackburn he came olt,
but was restrained from dong 10y Mr.. A. moore,
or The murder would probably have been commit
ed III The presence OF the dispensing congregation.
Al this time nothing was known OF ChrISuan'S m
trntlonS, except ny few, who never dreamed Of
such rrS-tt.
In the evening the church bell rung, and the
people were CTOwIlns into The house OF God DR..
juRklE was To preach, aud Came with his family,
his daughter being escorted by young Blackburn
in the very hey day OF youthful hlaTy. As Black
bum PASSED into the YeStl5ule, Christian tapped
hun on the shoulder, and SaId he wanIed to speak
with him. Blackburn turned about, and tile two
walked OF together. Two cadets were standing
by and saw this One Of them, know ny of the
previous difficulty, remarked to the other ''let us
follow Iheni--iIey will have fight" "No,"
replied the Uller-"theTe is M feaT-C. has only
stick md i. will be Il full match Tor him." They
passed out OF the gate by themselves turned the
corner anu WdlhSu dS IdL dS tIIG nay oCh'SS IL
was then partially dark, the moon was not up and
daylight was nearly gone. James w. Massie, Who
was on his way to church, saw the Scuffle, saw the
| two fall and rushed forward. ChTlStlarS on per
cevIng him, Jumped up aud run off as rapidly as
possible NIaSsie finding that Blackburn could
not get up, and hearing gurgIng sound in his
throat, called ior he p. As SUon a> aid could be
| obtained poor Blackburn was taken to VIM.
Whites where he soon breathed his last, never
! having spoken word. When light was pro-
4I.n bal JVaIo lar,n
cash in the lett side Of his throat, an inch and a
| half below the ear. -Four physicians were in at
tendance in two or three minutes, but they ouly
arrived in time TO see one gasp and Is. was dead
In less than ten minutes from tie time Blackburn
left the church with Christian, he was corpse.
DR.. Junkim had assembled the pulpit and opened
the service, and few OF the congregation, tLeIe-
tore' knew Of the murder till the close OF the SET
mon. As many cadets had entered the church.
one after another, heard it and left. causing a
stent deal OF confusion. The congregation knew
KEEP: their seats.