The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-07-11
AyIRGINIATRAGEDY.
A Terrible Family Feud-The Wal.
worth Case Eeiipsed.

twelve miles from Winchester, resides
! Franklin Littell, with large family
on q fine estate, said to belong to his
wife. All of the children. numbering
six or eight, are grown. Two Of them
Oscar l., a physician. and Lycurgus,
until recently, have been living in one
OF the Western States, where they spent
their patrimony, and returned, however,
to find one of their brothers, younger
than themselves, fourishing as farm
er on the old homestead, the owner oI
quite a number OF valuable cattle, and
good stock Of farming utensils, etc.
Disappointed in the bootless result oi
their business efforts in the west, and
Jealous OF the thriving condition OF
Clinton Littell, their brother, who re-
maiued at home. they became trouble
come, bitter and resentful toward their
mother and him, and bethought them
selves how they might better their own
condition by impoverishing him.
Among the children are two or three
daughters, one of whom took side with
Oscar and Lycurgus against their
mother and the rest Of the family.
Since the return of the two brothers
from the west, the household Of the
Littells has been in continual turmoil,
which eliminated on Saturday morn
ing last in a dreadful tragedy.
BY some means, the two discontented
sons became suspicious that their
mother was about to vest all her pro-
perty in her most worthy son, Clinton,
which greatly increased their rage. But
when, in short time, they found that
their suspicious were not ill-founded,
they concluded to put the old woman,
her fayorite son, and such others Of
their brothers and sisters as adhered to
them out of the way entirely. On FRI
day one OF them went to one Of the
neighbors and borrowed Colts navy
revolver, remarking that he wanted it
to show his brother that he could not
beat him shooting at mark" The
father OF the family was at Washington
and did not return until Saturday even.
ing. Early on Saturday morning, while
the rest of the family were sitting at the
breakfast table, Oscar and Lycurgus
walked deliberately into the dining
room, locked the door behind them, and
one of them took out the key and put
it into his pocket, and them commenc-
ed firing at the party at the breakfast
table. Oscars revolver, which was
also a Colts navy, fortunately failed to
60 off, though he tried nearly every
barrel OF it. Lycurgus's attempt at
murder was more successful. Clinton
received ball in the abdomen and a
severe blow on the head from Oscar 8
pistol, which he vigorously used for that
purpose, when be found it failed to re-
spond to the trigger, and, from the ef-
lects OF his wounds, died a few hours
afterwards, in intense agony. The old
woman received flesh wound in the
right leg, the ball entering just below
the hip joint on the outside, and pass
ing through, down aud out on the in
side. just above the knee joint.
The parties at the table, with the ex-
ception of the girls before referred to,
as soon as they realized their danger,
defended themselves as we'll as they
could. They succeeded in disarming
their assailants, while the younger son
sprang through the window. ran around
the house and broke open the door
they had locked on the inside, through
which they Immediately ran into the
yard. One OF the parties attacked, how
ever, seized q rife, and, when about
sixty yards distant, fired, the ball strik-
ing the lower calf OF Lycurgus, passing
in and around the bones, lodging under
the skin on the opposite side, causing
but slight wound.
The tenant on the farm, Mr.. Ever
hart, went in great haste to Winch bester,
and summoned Drs. Miller and Love,
two experienced physicians,..to the scene.
The doctors found no one about the
place except the parties engaged in this
horrible affair, and they still under the
influence OF great frenzy, and conclud.
ed that it was decidedly too unhealthy
place for even them to remain longer
than their duties to the wounded and
dying would require. Clinton died in
the arms OF Dr.. Miller within half an
hour after the doctors reached the
house. Lycurgus raved madly, and
affected q desire to swallow an ounce or
two OF some soothing narcotic, but was
easily dissueded by his sympathetic
sister. On Sunday morning Dr.. Miller
assisted by DR.. Somerfeld and another
ply sician Of the neighborhood, made a
post naortem examination OF Clinton Lit
tell. After a long search, the ball was
found more than half way down the left
leg, between the thigh and knee, having
passed into the left side of the abdo-
men, through the small Intestines,
severing them in two places, and out at
the left side, where it struck promi-
nent bone, and was turned down into the
left leg. Internal hemorrhage. which
resulted, produced death.
The affair has created great excite
ment in the community, Oscar and
Lycurgus Little have been arrested and
lodged in jail.
ANOTHER AoOoUNT.-sTATEMEST OF CO.
LUNBUs LITTLE.
Mr.. Columbus Little, the oldest OF the
six brothers lately engaged in the dis
tressing family feud at White Post, uear
Berryville, Clark county. Va, has made
statement to the Washington Star in
regard to the occurrence. Columbus
Little, it seems, is a coachmaker in
Washington, on 6 street, near Seventh
street, powerful man, IS years OF age. !
He presided ct the breakfast table on
the morning OF the fatal shooting Of
Clinton Little and the wounding Of
their mother and other members OF
the family. He claims that the pub
lished kilograms and letters are gross
exaggerations. His account Of the un-