The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-10-05
MISSOURI.
Political Riot at martInAbure.
Three Men KIlrod and some wounded.

WELLsvILLE, Mo-, October2.
The following are the particulars, as
far as can be ascertained, of the shoot
ing afray which took place in Martins
burg, in this county, on Wednesday
last:
While the Board of Registration was
In session, returned rebel soldier
named Sam. Fletcher, handed letter
to Union man named Reed, ordering
him to leave town in fifteen minutes.
Reed showed this letter to the register
ing officers. who, to prevent an out
break, which seemed imminent, ordered
the arrest of Fletcher, but when the
constable attempted to serve the war
rant Fletcher refused to be arrested.
Drawing revolver, he called upon his
friends for assistance. Mr.. Galloway,
one of the registering officers, ordered
the constable and the men summoned
to his aid. to disarm Fletcher. A
bother of Fletcher then interfered and
drew revolver upon Galloway, but
just when in the act of firing, Galloway
shot him dead. a man named Mar
shall then shot Galloway, wounding
him, and received ball in his head in
return.
In the meantime the sheriff had inter-
fered, to prevent Fletcher from using
his pistol; but when the firing began he
ran away. Fletcher then ran a short
distance and shot at the officers, who
returned the fire, giving him mortal
wound, from which he died in short
time. Quite number of shots were
then fred at the officers by persons con-
cealed in buildings and by unknown
parties in the crowd.
The registering officers and constable
and posse surrendered themselves and
gave bonds to appear at tho next term
of court. Both of the Fletchers and
Marshall were returned rebel soldiers
and desperate characters. The affair
created great excitement, and yesterday
about forty armed ex-rebels collected
near Marlinsburg for the purpose of
wreaking vengeance upon the register
ing officers, but the citizens rallied to
their support and thus far have prevent,
ed any other lawless acts.
ST. LOUIS, October 8.
The Republican OF this morning pub
fishes version of the shooting affair at
Martinsburg, this State, which differs
from that telegraphed from Wellsvine
yesterday. This statements says a young
lad was allowed to stand by the regis
tering officers and indicate who should
be registered. This occasioned much
dissatisfaction, and the anonymous let
ter previously referred to was handed
him, the reading of which led to an an
CRY discussion, Samuel Fletcher taking
prominent part. The sheriff ordered
Fletcher 10 be quiet, but he refused, was
arrested by the sheriff and taken away.
A dispute then arose between brother
of Fletcher and a man named Purdy,
and both parties drew revolvers.-I
Neither had fired, however, when Gal
lovay shot and killed Fletcher. Mar
shall then fired at Galloway and Gallo
way killed Marshall. The sheriff and
Sam. Fletcher then returned, and Gal
loway seeing Fletcher approaching fired
and shot him in the side, intlicting a
wound from which he died in twenty
minutes, Galloway is said to have then
dourished his pistol and called upon
some one to take up the fight, after
which he went to Mexico, and when a
warrant was issued for his arrest he
could not be found.