Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-12-21
TRAGEDY IN CHARLOTTESVILLE.
DR.. Oliver Killed by Mr.. Aver.

On Thursday morning last, Charlottesville
was the scene of terrible tragedy On that
morning Mr.. Geo. S. Aver, man OF wealth,
and a prominent member of the Baptist
Church, who resides near Upperville, in Lou
doun county, called at the residence of DIR. A.
r. Oliver in Charlottesville, aud inquired for
DIR. Oliver, who was at that time, about clock,
still in bed. Mr. Brown, brother-in-law,
aroused the Doctor, saying: Mr. Aver is
here and wishes to see you.
The Doctor, in his night clothes, then went
to his chamber door, and, extending his hand
to Mr. Aver, said How are you, old feow?'
Aver said II cannot take your hand; | must
have your blood for the injuries you have done
me, - drawing at the same time a revolver and
commencing to fire. Oliver retreated into the
chamber of his wife and got under the bed,
and Aver, STOPPING down, fred twice upon him
in that position. -Four shos were fred, one ia
king effect in the breast, another seyering an
artery above the heart, and third lodged in
the throat He was almost instantly killed.
Mr. Aver then left the house, and went to a
magistrate to surrender himself--the magis-
trate not placing him under arrest, he went to
the house Of the jailor to await the action of
the officers Of the law.
A coroner's jury being empanelled, after a
full hearing of the evidence, rendered the fol-
lowing verdict:
''We find that the said Anthony r. Oliver
was killed about clock A. NJ. this Deem
Der l6, 1859, By pistol in the hands of George
S. Aver
The offence committed by DIR. Oliver, which
instigated Mr.. Aver to assail him as he did, is
one which public sentiment in this State con-
siders as justfying the taking of life. The
statement Of Mr.. Aver is to the effect that, last
May, Dr. Oliver and his wife came to Aver s
house in Loudoun, where they were treated
with the utmost kindness, and boarded for sew
eral months. While there, Oliver treated a
daughter OF Aver for consumption, who is said
to be young, pretty, and of prepossessing man
ners and availed himself of the facilities thus
affo1 ded to seduce her. The ruin of his daugh-
ter came to MIR. Ayers knowledge only few
days ago, and he i'm mediately determined upon
vengeance.
He arrived at Charlottesville on Wednesday
night last, and the next morning at o'clock
avenged, as above related, the great wrong in
ficted upon his family by the victim of his ven
geance When the deed was done, Mr. Aver
telegraphed to his family-who, it appears, was
not appraised before of his purpose-that he
had accomplished the purpose Of his visit to
Charlottesville, and was, at the time, in jail
Of the victim of this tragedy, the Dispatch
says
''Dr. Oliver came recently to Virginia from
New astlc-upon-Tyne He made himself we'll
known in good part of the State by his zeal
on the subject of immigration and his views of
agricultural improvement. At the late Agri-
cultural Fair be made an interesting speech to
the Pathological Society, in which he described
his tour in the United States in search of a
proper home for large number of the people
amongst whom he lived, and his ultimate Sc
lection Of the Valley and Piedmont regions as
best adapted for them of all the lands he had
seen in a journey Of 5000 miles. He induced
some sixty-odd families to come over with him
He settled in Charlottesville as practitioner of
medicine, and his companions found homes in
different parts OF Piedmont and the Valley
At the Fair, he exhibited double-barrelled
breech-loader which he said was the invention
of his brother in Scotland
DIR. Oliver was in manners quite frank and
animated-perhaps little too much inclined
to press acquaintanceship and confidence, and
very rapid and pretty good talker. He was
treated with much courtesy here. Last year,
upon his appearance in the Piedmont region,
he is said to have gained the friendship Of Mr..
Aver, who gave him letters of introduction to
prominent gentlemen in different counties