Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-02-28
SELL HOWELL.
How he was shot and Killed at New
Orleans ON MardI-GFas Day-What
the New Orleans Papers Say
as TO the Affair.

| Howell met his death: AT half-past six
| o'clock about twelve pistol shots fred in
| rapid succession on Common street, near st.
| Charles attracted a large crowd of people,
| who ran to the place. Among the first who
| arrived on the scene was And b. A. NJ Don
! Ogb, who met man named b. +. Towns
| end, an attorney at law, from CoffeeYille,
| Mississippi, who was running bareheaded in
| the direction of st. Charles street. N 'Don-
| OCH arrested the party and turned HIM over
| to an officer. He then returned on Common
street. and saw one Ed Howell, conductor on
| the Jackson railroad, standing opposite
| NJ 'Cown's store. on the north side of Com
mon street, and holding two Trantor pistols,
| one III each hand. Nj 'Donogh ran up to
MIN Howell upon seeing him cried
out: Stand back I'll kill the
| first man who advances M'Donogh,
Notwithstanding the threat, rushed up to
him, when Howell pulled both triggers, but
| neither of the bullets took effect. M 'Donogh
| leaped upon him and, Selling both of his
| hands, twisted the pistols from him. Howell
| at this moment recognized the officer, and
| said i did not know Il was you, u Donogh;
| | surrender and delivered himself up. He
was conveyed to the central police station and
| there locked up. On the opposite side Of the
| street, In.Joseph Relss shoe store, No. $50
| Common street, the dead body of Sell Howell,
| general southern passenger agent for the
| Piedmont airline railroad, was found lying
|
| fusion reigned around the entire block, and
people rushed up from all quarters. Hardly
| had Sell Howell's body been discovered than
| another man, named A. L. Wimberly, a mer-
| chant from Cotieeyiile, Mississippi, was found
| living In the store No. "a st. Charles street,
| suffering from three wounds. Aids d. Hennes-
| sey and Pecora and Special NJ. Hennessey con-
veyed him to the Charity hospital on shut
| ter, and he was there examined by DIR. Pratt,
| the resident physician. DR.. Pratt discovered
| that Wimberly had received a wound IN the
| back, the bullet penetrating the LETT lumbar
region and lodging IN the abdomen, ln1ict-
| ing injuries which will IN all probability
| prove fatal. slight wound IN the Adam s.
| apple and a flesh wound near the left ear
| were also discovered. The wounded mans
| face was considerably marked with powder,
showing that when he was shot his assallant
was at very close quarters. As soon as the
excitement had somewhat subsidized, a re-
| porter Of the PicGyune instituted an investl-
| cation of the affair, and discovered that the
| difficulty was caused by previous misunder-
| standing, which had occurred on Monday
| between Ed Howell and Wimberly. How
| ell, who was in charge of one of the Pullman
| sleeplDg-coaches, on his way down to the
| city received on board as passengers, at COT
| feeville, Wimberly and another person. After
entering the sleeplng-car the two passengers
put their feet on the cushion IN front OF them,
! taking an easy position. Howell expostulated
VIII LDSnl IOE 50 UOlnS, anu luIOtHleu lHCu
that it was against the rules of the company
for passengers to put their feet on the seats.
WImberly became indignant, and used
abusive language to him. Howell went out
on the platform and was there followed by
Wimberly, who struck INN. Howell did not
resent the Insult, but avoided Wimberiy, who
went cut on the front portion of the train.
The matter then apparently ended, and
when the train arrived in the city Wimberly
and his friend left the cars. An ill-feellng,
however, was still entertained by Howell to-
ward his assailant. Yesterday morning,
Howell, met Wimberly opposite the st.
Charles hotel, but the latter retreated into
the hotel and disappeared. 1t is alleged that
at that moment pistols were drawn, but VIM
berry ss hasty retreat prevented bloodshed. |
subsequently, at half past SIX O'Clock IN
the evening, the Howeils met Wimberly, !
and it was then that the shooting COM
menced. Such was the excitement, and so |
many shots fred, that, although many pre- |
tend to have been present at the time, none |
were able to give an exact account OF the |
affair and say who commenced the firing. |
One of the versions heard was that the How |
ellis, Ed and Sell, entered Redwitz's saloon |
as Wimberly and friend were leaving, and |
opened fire on them. Wimberly returned |
the fire, wounding Sell Howell. The latter |
Grid out, i am shot and am going to die.
Some one seized him, but Sell believing him |
an enemy, made desperate struggle to free |
himself. Fearing that Sell might inJure him, |
as he was not recognized, the party threw
Sell down and left him. Sci, rose to his feet
and walked as far as R.ess's store, No. 1876
Common street, entered behind the counter
aud fell dead. One of sthe employees in
Riess's store says that as Sell entered he was
followed by a man who shot him as he
passed behind the counter, killing him ln-
stantly. Another party alleges that it was
Wimberly who followed Sell Howell into
Reiss's store and there shot him. reporter
of the PicayuHe visited Wimberly at the hos
pital, and found him lying In ward No. AZ.
Mulberry made the following statement:
He said that he was in company with friend
IN RedwitZs beer saloon on Common street, |
when the Howells entered. Sell Howell, |
upon seeing him, said to his brother, Here
is the -- who insulted you and fred at
him. The bullet struck him in the neck, but
glanced off. A second shot was Tired at him,
and the second bullet again took effect near
has ear, but also glanced off. He attempted
to draw his pistol, but was SO weak that he
failed to do so, and started to run out Com
mon street. As he was retreating he was
shot IN the back, the bullet entering, as stated
above, in the left lumbar region, caus-
ing him to fall. He entered store No.
"a st. Charles street, where he was
met 10y y man who asked him for his
pistol. Not knowing who the party was,
he inquired from him If he was friend. The
person replied That he was, ano, on his re-
Iteratlng the assertion, the pistol was given
to hun. Ia concluding his statement, VIM
berley said: / did not fire single shot, or,
II did, | do not remember OF having done
So. The reporter then visited the police
station, and found that Sell HowelI's body |
had been laid out there. A large number Of .
friends had assembled aroInd It, ana every |
where inquiries were being made as to the
details OF the bloody meeting. The remains |
were searched hy fIl nd IN fbar, !
were found some three hundred dollars and I
a magnificent watch, which were turned over |
to the proper custodians. Ed Howell gave
40 version OF the affair, refusing to speak I'M :
I'll he had consulted with hig attorney. d. Z.
Townsend, the attorney from Coffeeyille. who
was arrested while cunning, bareheaded, on ,
Common street, SAID at the station that at the :
Time OF the alray ne was in Redwltz's saloon. I
he heard some one say. There is the :
- who lnsulted you, and d shot fred. J
He ran away and was arrested. There is no :
doubt that after the alteration on the cars :
Monday, during which Ed Howell main .
aimed hls dignity and performed his duty SO | Z
as a conductor, though he | !
was struck by Wimberly, there existed a =
bitter feeling between the men, and both I
2arties were bent upon having hostile meet .
ng. The unfortunate appearance of the =
Howell brothers IA the saloon, where thew :
net Wimberiy, brought about the meeting =
which ended IN so tragic a manner and re- | ~
uted in the death Of a person who had in 4
10 manner been connected with the original =
lifficulty. Howell's remains were placed in y
coffin and conveyed to MIR. Johnsoa's un- y
iertaker's establishment on Magazine street. :,
where an autopsy will be held to-day by Dr. ;,
,has;ant, city physician. 1t vas learned ,,
alter Ia the evening that during the firing a | -
tray bullet struck Dr. Fred KING in the heel. L
nacting a severe wound. DR.. King, who is u
he agent in Georgia for Mr.. |. L. LYONS
r1ggist, was at the time standing at the
orner of st. Charles and Common streets.
sikng to a friend. At a late hour last night
was rUmored N the str5et that Wimberly Z
-as dying, and Judge Sheehan, accompanied n
y his chief clerk, MIR. A. D. HeDriques, ao- =
1rGingly repaired to the Charity hospital Tor 7,
le purpose of taking his dying declaration. ~
he judge found Wlmb-rly in bed, and when ~
e informed him that he came to take his u
wing statement, the wounded man replied