Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-03-03

SERIOUS ACCIDENTAL PROMINENT
MERCHANT SHOT By MIsTAKE.-A most
distressing accident occurred near the
Chesapeake & Ohio depot. on Wednesday
night. about O'Clock, in which Mr.. Co.
lumbus Halle, OF the firm of L. Bumgard-
ner & Co., wholesale liquor merchants
was shot and dangerously wounded by Mr..
j NJ. Erskine Miller, commission merchant,
his next-door neighbor and friend. The
commercial house Of Mr.. Halle is on Au-
| gusta ST., and his warehouse is opposite the
depot and adjoining the store Of Mr.. Mil
| Ter, and it is very rarely that any of the
| firm visit it after dark. About o'clock,
J Mr.. Miller was sitting in his counting room,
and heard what at first he supposed was
some one in his own building, on the lower
! floor: it sounded as if some one had drop
] ped tile bar of the lower door with a heavy
thud. Thinking it was burglar, he took
| to the front door and called stranger who
was passing, to tell his hands at the coal
yard to come up there. In the meantime,
while waiting, he looked into the windows
of both adjoining houses Zone Of them l..
Bumgardner & Co.'S, but saw no light and
no sign of any person, though the noise
seemed to have been transferred to L..
Bumgardner & Co.'S room. Unfortunately,
a suspicious circumstance occurred at this
moment, in the passing of a stranger and
the simultaneous stopping of the noise in
the store, looking as if confederates had an
understanding. He then, while standing
at his own door, no assistance having yet
arrived. heard a fumbling lasting several
minutes at B. & Co.'S door, as if some one
was trying to get out. The door opened,
and the figure of a man appeared. Mr..
Miller stepped forward. and called out,
"Who are you?" and the figure stepped
backward. He called again, ''Who are
your" and receiving no answer, and think
ing that that the man in the dark was pre-
pairing to shoot him, standing in the light;
he fired. The man fell, exclaiming, GU
have killed mel" Mr.. Miller, still think
ing he had captured burglar, called out
again. ''Who are your" and the man re-
piled, "Come to me: [ am a dead mani"
He agaiu asked who he was, and the man
said, 'sHaile." Mr.. Miller was filled with
horror at the thought of having killed his
friend, and Immediately procured assist
ance, and conveyed him into his counting
room. On getting there Mr.. Halle asked,
.@'What made you shoot me?''' and Mr.. Mil
Lar explained that he had called to him and
received no answer, when Mr.. Halle said,
II didn't hear you.'' Mr.. H. is a little
deaf.
tDrs. J. N. McChesney and A. M. Hen
KEEL, and DR.. B. M. Atkinson, the family
physician, were Immediately despatched
for and on arriving found that the ball had
entered the throat just to the right of the
windpipe and passed clear through, falling
Oil the floor just where Mr.. Halle fell. In
it 5 passage out it grazed the vertebr8,
pi oducing paralysis of the nerves of the
ri ght arm. He was made as comfortable
as could be done in the room Wednesday
night, and his family were soon on the spot,
With loving attention to his wants. On
Thursday morning he was removed to his
residence. Last evening he was comforta-
bile and DR.. Atkinson, his attending physi-
clan, thought there was every prospect of
his recovery. He had recovered the use of
his arm to certain extent.
The parties to this deplorable accident
are two of our best known citizens. Mr..
Halle is gentleman about sixty years of
aiye, and has a high place is the esteem and
affection of our people, both for high bus
iIless character and winning social traits.
MIR. Miller is popular young merchant,
who has for long time done business next
door to Mr.. Halle, who was one of his
M ost intimate friends. His distr ess at the
accident is of the deepest character and it
is no exaggeration to say that his suffering
is far greater than that of his wounded
fir lend.
Justice J. H. Waters went through the
fcrmallty of recognizing Mi. Miller to ap-
pear in case Of further inquiry into the
case.