Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-01-10
The Shooting of Louis Meyer by
William Williams.

ap 1t Is always with regret that We IecOl
crimes committed IN Lafayette county III
'e, so long as human nature is weaK. so long
will continue to err. and so long Grimm
courts, Jails, penitentiaries and the galiov
ld will be maintained in the land. In the ca:
'ir OF which we are now called on to write tbcl
H. is this to say, that the community in while
it occurred promptly rose up to vindicaI
all the majesty OF the law, and the officer of til
Id peace put in an appearance in the nick {
es time.
William Williams Ia u carpenter, who h.
been 4 resident OF Odessa, in this count,
= since about March last. He Is about 30 veal
y old unmarried /; rather incorporate ; a goo
es workman when sober. but is said to nav
been more or less under the influence q
ID liquor almost continuously for four or fiy
e months.
o Louis Meyer was a German, about 81 year
v OF age. with u wife ana two children,
barber by occupatlon, industrious whel
n sober. but frequently under the Influence o
r liquor, and somewhat quarrelsome.
The account which we write of this affa,
Is obtained from an old and reliable citlzel
OF this county, now living in Odessa. L
r seems that about a month ago William
g agreed to build a shop for Meyer. FL,
: procured from Meyer, by pretending tina
r he wanted II to help him in obtaining q sell
= Element with two men whom he had employ
Ell, i note for the entire amount agreed TO be
I paid Tor the house. After Meyer gave
: this nots he regretted his action, and de.
; sired to get it back in his possession, AS vii.
liams did not go on with the building OF the
house. as he thought that he should. Final.
ly Williams gave up the note aud Mrs.
Meyer destroyed 1t.
On Monday last. January ), at 4 O'Clock in
the afternoon, Williams and Meyer met on
the platform in front Of Wilkenning's tin and
stove store. Meyer requested Williams
to 90 up stairs, lin the public halD, with
bin, that they might talk over their affairs.
Williams refused, and said be did not want
any difficulty. but advanced toward Meyer.
Whep Williams got close to Meyer the lat
ter reached out 10 grasp him. and succeeded
10 catching him by the thumb. The two
then struggled for q while, Meyer retaining
his hold of Williams thumb. Williams ask
cd his opponent to let go, but Meyer answer
ed, I'll break your d-n neck. or cut your
Oh throat. You are armed, d-n you, and
L am not. You want to kill me-" Never
then pushed Williams, or Williams broke
from him, and reeled back of of the plat
form into the street, but retained his foot
Ing. AS soon as he fairly gained his feet
Williams drew a pistol aud fired at Never.
the ball taking effect In his right breast.
about one inch to the left OF the right MIN
pie, and penetrating the lower part of the
lung. Meyer staggered forward, with his
head inclined, when Williams fired a second
time, the ball entering the forehead near the
lett temple, passing downward through the
brain. Meyer then fell. He lived four hours
and a halt, during which time be was in q
comatose condition.
Immediately after the shooting Williams
went to his boarding house, Mrs. Sutber.
lands. In thirty or forty minute a
crowd had collected at tine scene of the hon.
lcide, and started toward Mrs. SutherIaud,s
10 arrest Williams. rs soon as he saw them
coming he broke and ran in a northwesterIy
direction, toward a clump of timber. When |
about half way there, the crowd pressing
him closely, he turned and presented his
pistol at Mr.. Cass RyIand, who was in the
lead. Mr.. Ryland quickly raised his gun
and fired at him, missing him, however. and
he continued his flight. turning north, to-
ward Greenton. In the meantime Deputy |
Sheriff Joseph Bowman. who was in the |
neighborhood serving election papers, met
Mr.. Bowdry Mediation in the road, near |
Creasy's, and learned from him the situa. |
ton OF affairs. The two rode off at full speed |
10 meet the pursuers and pursued. From
the higher ground they saw the flash OF Mr.. |
Ryland's gum. which guided them some.
what. As they entered the enclosure where
the picnic Was held, last spring, about three
quarters Of a mile from Odessa, Mr. John
Laushlin Joined them. When they reached
the hollow they saw Williams scrambripg ND
out OF it. and Mr. Bowman pointing his
pistol at him ordered him to hold up his
hands, which he did. He then ordered MIR.
MEDIATION TO disarm him, which was done.
alr. Bowman then took his prisoner to
Odessa. Finding that there was conside ra.
ole excitement In the place he summoned a
guard and kept him securely under suryeil-
lance until morning. He then sent him to
Lexington in charge of MIR. Peyton Ander.
son and Mr.. Blake, who saw him securely
locked IN Jail.
ln an interview which we had with VII.
llams at the Jail he said to US that Never
hid frequently threatened him ; that he WAS
a very powerful man, and when he took
hold of him and pulled him about he became
a'srmed for his life, and IN his excitement
hred at Meyer, hardly knowing what be did.
That Meyer while he was jerking him
around by the thumb cursed him and said
he wanted to take him up to the platform at
the public hall, over Mr.. Fox, store. adj.
Joining Wflkenning's, and throw him down
anu break his id neck. WiIlisms said.
further. that he had no idea of resisting ar.
rest. That on the contrary he told Mr..
bowdry Mediation that be would give him.
SELF up to any officer of the law, and that II
was on this assurance that MIR Mediation
was In search of Mr.. Wm. Mediation, the
OF Clay township, when he met
AIT. Bowman. But, he said, when the crowd
for Mrs. Sutherland's, armed with
ahet guns, 1t looked as II they Intended to
mob him, and becoming alarmed he ran. as
recorded above. He denies having shot at
Ms pursuers, is has been publicly stated.
we here give the outlines of the difficulty F,
between the men and the fatal consequences !,
our informant says that public sentiment
N Odessa Is rather agai INST the prisoner. .
several persons on hearing that Meyer was d
'hot, said, before being told, civilians did
A day or two before Christmas be
Ire" bis pistol and attempted to shoot Dir. I
newton Henry, and be had come to be
a bad character. His opponent Ii
'ore none too good a character, as he y
vas otter drunk and quarrelsome. :,
The citizens of the place are especially g
OF praise in their prompt attempt
o arrest the offender. There Is not one "
w In a hundred that would have done so Il
Veil. "What is everybody's business is f.
lobody's business" is an adage especially
rue In cases of this kind, and hundreds n, "
Instances are on record, where no otticer be- -
ng at hand, criminals have been allowed to
Walk away, scot free. after The preparation +,
I grave crimes; but the cases are rare 81
where immediate action has resulted I'm the C.
pprehension of the offender. II it were
ways done, and il punishment were me,ed Al
ut as it should be, by the courts. there W
'ould be far less lawlessness in the land. VI
This case is only one more evidence OF The ~
'trse OF strong drink and, though we hold ~
D the old democratic doctrine of personal -,
berry, we cannot close our ewes TO the fac, h,
nat one act like this Is a more potent pro. dl