The evening Argus., 1869-05-04
q jDoilv ARGUS.
oFr1o1AL PAPER.
SINGULAR TRAGEDY AT DAVENPORT

particulars Of a singular tragedy which oc
CURED in that city on Monday afternoon,
the 3D.. 1t says;
EarIy yesterday afternoon youth named
George Clayton student at Griswold Col
ege, between seventeen and eighteen years
OF age. called at the residence of Mr. John
Haley, on Western Avenue, and invited his
daughter Mary to take ride into the coun
try. Young Clayton had been paying her
some attention, and, as she was only about
! seventeen years Of age, her ia'aer had re.
uucstpi her % uaas" accompanying rlm
! When he made his wishes known she r..
fused TO 90 with him, but upon his pressing
his invitation she told him che could not
| 90. as her father had forbidden her TO do So
He still urged her to 60, stating that it
would be the last time he would ever ask
her The young lady consulted her mother
and was given permission TO 90, with the
! understanding that they should not be gone
! more than half an hour. The fine horse
and stylish buggy were nj the door, aud the
young couple started of 10 enjoy the
beautiful May afternoon. Clayton, young
aud full of romantic feTyOr, was lively and
seemingly happy He drove down sixth
street and into the country in the vicinity
OF Black Hawk, three miles away, aud then
turned towards the city. He had come this
way but n short distance when he asked her
to take the reius She did so. She drove
slowly little distance, when Clayton put
his hand in Il side pocket of his coat, and
told her he had got something here
"What is it?" He pulled forth small
sized Smith & Weston revolver, asking, "Do
you think this will shoot ?'
why, no, that's nothing but play pis.
tol,"
an show that it will shoot SAID Clay.
ton, placing the pistol against her temple IS
he uttered the words.
She supposed that he was in sport, and
putting her hand up quickly, pushed the
pistol away, ard told him to "shoot into the
road" He turned the pistol toward the
roadside, and, with his thumb kind o
snapped it several times. She drove along
for a short distance further, keeping watch
OF him the while, when be again called her
attention to the pistol, saying "doHt
you think 1t will shoot She made him
the same answer as before, calljngit mock
pistol.
Clayton replied, "a will show you" and
raising the pistol, turned its muzzle towards
AIS head about nine inches from his right
temple, fired
He fell forward upon his knees, with his
head over the dash board, and the horse
started as if frightened. She, supposlng that
he was still playing, asked him to get up
and attend to the horse His only reply
was a moan She took hold Of him, lifted
him back against the sea-, and saw the
blood upon his face Then she realized
her situation She was alone with an at.
iendant who had put ball into his own
brains She tried TO lift him upon the sea!,
the horse made fresh start aud Clayton
fell upon the wheel, evidently unconscious.
Her presence Of mind did not desert her.
She CrRsped tho reins, stopped the horse,
and finding that Clayton was still uncon-
sclous, wound the reins about the dash handle
and looked around TOR assistance. Twenty
rods away stood a farmers house, aud she
hurried to the place, told the woman what
had happened, asked her to summon help, |
and ran back 10 the buggy. Nhch Hn' !
reached it Clayton was standing on me |
ground, with his hand upon the seat, the |
blood running down his face. She asked !
him, "Why did you shoot yourself = He |
made no reply whatever but turned and
leisurely got into the buggy, and stood
with one hand resting upon the top, and |
the other holding the pistol at an elevation
of about forty.fve degrees, looking ht her,
smiled AS if in answer to her question, and |
sank back upon the seat without saying
word. Fearing to 20 near tho buggy she
stepped 20 the horses head and had the
animal until the summoned farmer arrived.
The farmer took seat at the side OF Clay |
ton, started towards the city, while the
young lady walked in the same direction.
She had gone but short distance when q |
gentleman overlook her with buggy, and |
brought her to her fathers house.
The farmer brought his charge TO Smith
livery stable, where the buggy belonged
Here CLAYTON seemed to understand all that
WAS said to him, although he was unable to
sneak one word. He was conveyed to his
boarding house, corner Brady and Third
streets, and placed in his room. There he
Law in half conscious condition until eight
o'clock, when he passed into coma'ose
state. At twentytbree minutes past eleven
he died.
Young Clayton has been student at
Grswold College for nearly year. lie Is
the son of Mr.. d. b Clayton, who 10 en-
cared upon tie Pacific Railroad, and re-
sides at present at Echo City, Utah Tern
tory, with his wife, the s;eP.mother Of his
unfortunate son.
We visited the remains Of the untor'un'
ate youth this morning, and heard some OF the
testimony before the coroner's jury. While
il was evident that he believed he had not |
been well treated by the young girl Ia mere
miss of tender years, and her parents, we
do not believe he shot himself intentionally,
or had any idea Of doing her violence. We
read a long letter which he wrote to friend
a few days ago, and considering the man
ner in which he referred to his future, he
certainly could not have meditated the TRACE
dy which occurred. He was seventeen years
of age, little reckless and wild in his ideas,
aud on the eve Of entering the West Point
Military Academy. We think he IS more
entitled to sympathy than either cenaure or
ridicule,
The state of Virginia in lsG0, with q To-