Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-01-06
TRAGIC. END OF a CHRISTMAS EVE
FIGHT.

FIGHT.
On Augusta street, Christmas Eve, an
ARRAY occurred IN which Gerard S. Greg
orv. a son Of Mr.. Addison Gregory. was so
severely beaten that he died of a fractured
skull. on Tuesday afternoon last, at
o'clock. The following employees Of the
Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, were arrested
on the charge OF having inflicted the beat
ing: Thos. II. Binford, ]. Fl. Nichols, L.
L. Vasseur, Harrison Snuff and II. W.
Dickerson. we give below the particulars
of the inquest.
The jury of inquest summoned by Coro-
ner Harlan, consisting of F. M. Young,
Foreman, and Messrs. P. N. Powell, G. B.
Somerville, Joseph B. Woodward, J. E.
Graham and J. T. Tompkins, assembled
on Tuesday evening and after viewing the
remains adjourned to meet in the office OF
Commonwealth Attorney, Echols, We'd
nesday morning. On reassembling, several
witnesses were examined.
THE PHYSICIANS TESTIMONY.
DR.. McChesney testified that he was
called TO see Gregory on Christmas day
Sunday. He had three wounds on the
back of his head and one in front over the
eye. The most important one was a cut
two and thalf inches long at the point in
the head where the occipital bone joins the
temporal bone. It was a clean cut as it
done with sharp Instrument. Probed it
with his finger aud found the outer table
of the skull fractured. The wound might
have been made with bottle but not with
a blunt instrument. Thought death was
caused by compression of the brain result
ing from suppuration. A post norton
would be required to determine all the
facts On Sunday when he first saw him
Gregory felt sore, but exhibited no symp-
toms Of brain disturbance and felt well
enough to have walked out. Enjoined
upon him quiet and warned him that if
dangerous symptoms were to appear they
would come seven or eight days later.
These symptoms appeared on Friday last,
when for the first time Gregory showed
signs of mental disturbance. He died
from his injuries on Tuesday evening
about O'Clock.
TDr. McChesney was instructed by the
Coroner to make a post norton examina
tion, and having selected DR.. Fultz, City
Physician. as his assistant, left the jury
room to make the examination, the result
of which is given further on.]
Edward Staples testified that he knew
nothing whatever of the fight, and only
saw Harrison Snuff when he was carried
by store in which witness was stand
ing. Saw Vasseur at church the next
night, but did not see him at the locality
of the fight.
Edward Parker, a clerk in the store OF
r. ]. Dettor e Co., said that on Christ
mas Eve after the gas was lighted, he
heard some one in front of Burns saloon
crying out and then heard glass breaking
He remarked ''There goes one of John
Burns wlndows.'' The maa crying out
screamed "Oh-h!'' as if being choked
and that was followed by cry Of ''mur-
der'' several times repeated. He went to
the store door and looking through saw
man being lifted from the ground by some
other men, Did not think that man was
Gregory They led man by the door af
herwards. Knows Vasseur and Nichols
by sight but did not recognize them in the
row. Did not see Gregory that night nor
did he see anybody carried by the store
door. Mr.. Dettor was at the door and
came in and closed it.
J. W. Washington, (col.) was going
down On the opposite of the street and
saw the crowd and heard a cry of "mur-
der.r Saw tall man standing on the
pavement bleeding freely in the face. Saw
Capt. Vasseur there standing about ten
feet from the bleeding man. The bleeding
man who was tall and slim started off and
aooked back at the crowd as he went. Next
morning witness visited the scene of the
fight and found half pint bottle, not
broken, and small syringe.
THREE MEN DOWN AT ONE TIME.
r. J. Dettor testified that be heard a
row and the rafting of glass and thought
that it was Burns window. Went out on
the store step and looked out. Saw three
men lying on the ground, one in front Of
BuTuS
the Burns building, and third in front of
the B. & o. Express office. The two first,
be heard some one say had been knocked
down, and the last was being beaten by
two men and was kicking very lively
Knew none of the parties. A few minutes
after, he saw Mr.. Addison Gregory pass
his gsore leading bis son. Heard that
young Gregory was the one being beaten
in front Of the B. & o. Express office.
WHAT ONE IS ALLEGED TO HAVE SAID.
Frank Poindexter (col.,l saw the fight
ing but could identify no one in it, and
after discovering that they were all white
men took no further interest in it than to
say that sit was scandalous shame that
three men should beat and kick one man
500 The next morning Sunday VasseuF
came to his house with black eye and got
colored man, who boards there and calls
himself an ''Indian DOCTOR to put some
thing on his eye to reduce the swelling
In reply to questions about the eye Vas
seur said that he and some more railroad
men were going down the street the night
before and while ''fooling'' he ran against
Gregory. That Gregory hit him with a
bottle and a general row came off and all
got into it; that Snuff got pretty badly
hurt but not so badly as they thought he
was. Witness did not recognize Vasseur
as one of the men beating Gregory. After
the beating was oyer Saturday night the
men engaged in it came by his store walk
ing very fast. After this three or four
railroad men came down for Snuff and
carried him by. he was as Timber as a
rag. Witness saw black bottle lying on
the spot next morning and a good deal of