The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1871-08-16
The Murder of oliver $. HaIstead.

stead, Jr., well-known Washington habitue, and
familiarly known as "Pet" Halstead who figured
somewhat prominently in the early history of Cali
fornia:
Some time since Halstesd engaged rooms for
Mrs. Wilson at a house in South street, Newark n.
j., and informed the proprietor Mr.. Weiss, that be
was the legal adviser of the woman. This occurred
about the LIST OF May, after which time Mr. Hastead
was regular visitor at the house, his visits, from
the circumstances above named, exciting neither
suspicion nor comment. 1t seems, however, that
prior to the LIST of May Mrs. Wilson had been on
terms of intimacy with named George Bolts,
a charcoal dealer. Halstead broke up this intimacy
and Bolts threatened TO take his life. This threat he
put into execution yesterday. On Saturday Mrs.
Wilson was absent from the house and it was not
known by the other inmates that she had returned
OF that any other person was in her portion of the
building She occupied two rooms on the third
floor; one ofthem, large room used as parlor and
the other opening from it as bedroom.
Mrs Wilson is thirty-seven years old and is the
mother of two children. She married a number of
years ago locksmith, Michael Wilson, from whom
she was separated several years since account of
alleged adultery.
Oliver S. Halstead was ffty-three years old and
graduated at Princeton College in 1889. He was a
personal friend of President Lincoln and of Gen
Phil. Kearney. It was to him that Kearney wrote
his famous letter from Harrison's Landing rejecting
upon McClellans action during the days bat
tie before Richmond No public character was so
well known in Washington; he went everywhere
knew everybody, and was prominent individual in
social as well in political life There was nothing
he did not know or nothing he could not do; there
no bounds to his ambition and no limit to his
imaginations. He was lavish in his expenditure and
generous prince when he had money, and
when money failed him his credit was literally be-
slowed. The tragic end of his long and eventfll
career will once more revive in the memories of
thousands who in Washington during the war
many amusing "reminiscences of one who was the
best known man of that time. He was married in
1910 to daughter of Stephen Mecker, one of the
wealthiest citizens of Newark, and leaves wife and
six children among whom are two sons, twenty-five
and twenty years of age.
Bolts, the murderer, lived at No. 90 Bellevue ave-
enue and had two children. He had been separated
from his wife for a number of years, but whether
they were divorced is not known. Halstead went to
Mrs Wilson's rooms on Saturday afternoon, and dur
ing the evening had supper with her About two
O'Clock the next morning Bolts went to the house
and demanded admission. Two daughters and a
son-in-law named Wes occupied the house with
Spies and his wife. The youngest daughter answer
ed Bolts that Mrs. Wilson was not at home she be-
ing Ignorant of her return, and begged Bolts to go
away her sister exceedingly i'll and she feared
the effect of the Disturbance he insisted that she was
at home and created considerable disturbance, but
was not admitted Having returned several times
during the morning, policeman warned him that if
he created any further disturbance he would be ar
rested He came back at eight O'Clock however
and the door being opened by Weis, Bolts pushed
him aside and rushed up stairs, saying he would
shoot somebody before he was through
Mr. Halstead in the act of dressing, and was
in the outer room, the door of which was fastened
Mrs. Wilson had heard of Bolts previous attempts
TO enter the house and warned Halstead not to ad-
NIT him. Halstead then returned to the bedroom,
shutting the door after him, and Mrs. Wilson re-
quested Bolts to 90 away. Bolts, who is an English
man, exceedingly powerfully built, having large
frame and six feet two inches in height threw him
self against the outer door, bursting it in and then
attempted TO enter the bedroom. Against this door
Halstead was standing Bolts threw himselfaganst
the door, tearing loose the upper hinge and knock
ing out entire panel He said, "rn shoot
you" and then fired at Hslstead, who had not yet
recovered from his leaning position against the door
The ball passed through the side of his nose and
face, and thence entered the body below the third
rib. 1t passed through the lung and severed the
large artery which supplies the lungs with blood just
at its point exit from the heart The wound could
scarcely have been in a more fatal spot Halstead
fell back into chair, and thence to the floor crying
to Mrs Wilson, +" Take the pistol from him. and
Z % dop H.
speak after this, though he breatbed for twenty-five
or thirty minutes. DR.. Young was summoned, but
life was extinct
Dr. Dood, the county physician, probed the wound
and determined the location of the ball The rooms
were placed in charge of officers, and the county
physician ordered an inquest. Major G. B. Halstead,
brother of the deceased, arrived at 10 O'clock and
took charge of the remains after they had been
viewed by the jury. No trace of blood was found
except on one of Mrs. Wilson's skirts, which was
lying on the ehairinto which the murdered man fell |
There had evidently been little or no struggle be.
tween the two men. The family on the lower floor
heard the blows of Bolts and the firing but none of
them arrived at the scene until after the murderer
had escaped.
Botts after the shooting, walked down South !
street to Herman street, down Herman to Thomas |
up Thomas to Railroad avenue, where he again en-
tered South street, and proceeded to South Broad |
street. Here he arrested by Officer Thomas |
Callen He made no resistance, remarkiDg that he |
had been having " little shooting affair" He said
Pet wanted TO have her all to himself and was not
willing to divide; I've got satisfaction and don't |
care if l swing for itn A Smith & Wesson revolver
was found on his person, one of the barrels being
empty. he had $50 dollars in money. He was i'm
mediately locked up; no one was allowed to see
him, and up to last evening he was not aware of
the fact of Halstead's death. The woman Wilson
was deeply affected and from her actions evidently
had had more than ordinary interest in Hastead
Thousands of persons visited the house. the police
station and the place of inquest and the excitement
throughout the city was intense. Little sympathy
is felt for any of the parties this terrible tragedy
and the weight of sorrow and shame falls on the
family of the murdered man, who move in unex.
ceptiona society," and have, both within and out of
the State, high connect ons and large influence.
ANYBODY can soil the reputation of an individual,
however pure and chaste, by uttering a suspicion
that his enemies viii believe and his friends never
hear Of A puff of the idle wind can take million
of the seeds of thistle and do work of mischief
which the husbandman must labor long to undo
the particles being too fine to be seen and to light
to be stopped. Such are the seeds of SANDER, so
easily sOWn so difieult IN he gathered nm and vet