Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-04-13
Misfellanenns.
bridegroom Shot Down While
Receiving 1.-THE Congratulations
of his Friends.

Dark and bloody was the deed! A
feeling of horror thrilled through the
hearts of the many witnesses who stood
by and saw a young and happy BRIDE
groom shot. down, and, without any
apparent cause, by the hand of the
sneaking assassin.
A merry and joyous company had
assembled last evening in the parlOr OF
the St. Nicholas Hotel, to do honor to
the union of two loving hearts-the
marriage of Mr.. j. c. Foster, of Bow
ling Green, KY, to Miss Ross Bird, OF
this city. Father Donnelly had just
performed the marriage ceremony. The
bride was in the parlor attended by a
bevy of beauties and merry young
maidens. The proud bridegroom had
but lust passed out to the saloon to re-
ceive the pledges and congratulations
of his friends, when there entered an
uninvitedguest,a q Mr.. Thomas Smith,
of IndepaFdence, who at once accosted
Foster. A very few words passed be-
tween them. A bystander overheard
the following conversation, the mean
ing whereof isstill shrouded in mystery.
Foster was standing at the corner of the
bar when Smith said: q
''YOu do not mean it.
81 do"
"Then prepare youself." Atthe same
time he produced a navy revolver and
fired into Foster.
Turning around, without word OF
explanation, the assassin wake d out Of
the saloon, putting up his pistol he
walked coOlly across the street past the
Court House. Turning between the
Market House and the Court House, he
mounted his horse, and fed out into
the darkness of the night, unmolested,
unpursued. The bridegroom staggered
backward as he received the shot, and
fell upon a window bench. Medical at
tendance was soon upon the scene, and
the wounded man was carried up stairs
His cries We're continuous. His only
exclaInatiOns being Tom Smith, why
did you murder mel" "Oh, why have
you shot me down upon this my we'd
ding night" 81 who was your best
friend and loved you! Oh, Tom, why
have you murdered mel"
A hasty examination of the wound
by Drs. Milligan, Taylor, and othel
surgeons, whose names we were unable
to learn, show that the bullet passed
through the right hand, and had enter
ed the abdomen near the groin, and hat
glanced obiiquely downward, lodgins
about three inches from where it ha(
entered. The opinion of the surgeon
was that the wound was dangerous, ,bu
not necessarily fatal.
The scene in the parlor was beyonl
description. The fair and elegantly
attired bride stricken down IN her grie
and horror, was surrounded by he
bridesmaids and relatives. Here ant
there were fair girls, lying PROSTATE ant
insensible from fright. Sobs and whis
pers were the only sounds to be heard
All was sadness and grief, where jo,
and glee had reigned supreme not TWEEN
ty minutes before.
Tom Smith is now under indictmen
for robbing Stone & Thornton's Bank
in 1867, on information furnished b,
Jim Crow Childs. Smith has been
refugee from justice, in Canada, fo
about two years, having but recent,
returned to his home at independence
His capture is considered doubtful. w
have been unable to learn the caus
that led to this deed of blood. TIL
whole affair remains enshrouded i'm
veilof mystery.-[K Kansas City Bullitu