The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-10-19
KILLED BY AN EDITOR.
Tragic Death Of a Prominent st,
Louis Lawyer.
He Goes to a Newspaper Office for
Satisfaction and Gets a Bullet.


Col 4 " alasback, a prominent attorney
of st Louis, No, Twas shot and instantly
killed in the editorial roons cf the st. Louis
PDs Dispatch by Col John A. cockerell, the
.hf editor Of that paper. Slayback had
come to aen:a,,l nj explanation of an as
sault on him through lii, columns of the pa
per Of a political nature, and as alleged, was
attempting to draw revolver when Cock
srcll anticipated him, and he fell a corrse.
The following particulars Of tho tragic affair
are cleaned from the st Louis papers:
1t abeu $40 o'clock p. m. Col Slayback
and W Ii lloptnn were seen snrnin. tho
corner If Fourth aid Market s'ree.S. talk ~
together in al excited mo ID, anti evidently
ten,liap in tie direction of the Post D'1,aftp
build ng The stairs leadi 9 to the repnrto-
tia rooms were climbed in haste, and Cock
erell and Slavback me. face to fac. TIE
Goloa; hogan to dcnounce Cocker Il in
seat hing ,,sanncr for the assaults
made upon him by the f.tf Dispatch In the
fury which had taken possessiolt Of him the
Colonel drew revolver from his pocket as
Ii TO wreak vengeance for the OUTRAGE which
had been inflicted on his honor Gockerell,
who had the advantage Of his adversary by
reason of his self possession, also drew his
revolver and fred at Slayhack. who fell
mortaly wounded and gasrcd his last breath
in Il fea' niintitcs afterward
The immediate cate Of Col. Slavback's 9
action is supposed to be the !. owinf, which
appeared i'm the Post Dispatch:
sMr Alonze W. Slavback. an individual
whose chief claim to distinction rests upon
the fact that he is the law partner of 1ol.
James o. Broadhead. rose n meeting or
Democratic ward polit clans in this city
inst night, anil without personal provoca-
ton, proc e appy a. sfP'ng pr; n,aa q we
and it's conductors, making charges which he
knew to be false. This is the same 4. W.
Slav!ack concerning whom the FOL
lowing card was written and published in
this city by John NJ Glover on the llth day
of November 1881. Mr. Glover recently ran
the Ninth district, and received hearty in
f1orsclncrt from the Democratic voters Of
character Mr. Glover is alive vet
The letter referred to above was an open
one liz John NJ Glover, accusing Col. Slay-
back OF cowardice, and was published in the
| r,sf- Dispatch.
After tic killing the body was taken to an
undertaker's
Col Slayback was well known lawyer
and brother of Charles +. Stayback, fresi.
dent of the Merchants Exchange. He leaves
widow and six children, the eldest grown
] ,tp daughter. aud the youngest an only boy
! of few Years.
JUDGE w. II. Ciouton who accompanied
y Col S.ayback to the office. made statement
as t. what occurred He "a most posi-
lively that Slavback was unarmed; that hg
wne ureatiy excited and avawei his inten
I ton befara raasii'nr the office Of slapIing
the editor On arrival III the office tloptoI
saws Savback catered the sanctum of Mr.
Co kereil and was proceeding To eliyest MIN.
self of his coat. nd Ind it partly of when
the shot was fired, VIII ch struck the victim
in the ie breast, just below the lef, nipple
producing death almost instantly.
Cockcren drove to police headquarters
and surrendered himself
John NJ. McGufiin and Victor I Cole made
a statement as To what occurred in the room
1 where the shooting took place. hey say
In substance. that Slayback. on entering the
room, threw his coat back and dew re.
volver and advancing said: Well. I'm here
sir Then observing Il Nea, on on Cocker
ellis desk. h. asked: Is that fol
me-" To which Co .kerell replied, No, it's
for use only To defend myself. S'ayhack
then sail, "ioa are prepared 10 draw: ther
draw And Coskegell then answered. =
don't have 10 draw: don't want TO draw
go away from here; | don't want 10 hav'
anything to do with you Slavba'k an,
j Clorton meantime pressed forward ant
/ crowded Cockerel against the wall IheI
i they all got into sort OF fus>le
each having hold Of the other, cnckercl
bcinr tho most crowded. The lat
ter asked MeGuifia TO take Savhac>s psto
from him, AMI while he Was attemptln. {.
do 50 awcapon was discharged. and Slavt al
staggered and in "A moment sank To the iioor
Mc(iuffin saws he did not see tlapton have
pistol. but thought he was attempting, III hi
struggle with Cockercl to turn tn. iattnr.
weapon in si,.h way that IN, would shoe
himself Mct;uifin o. tanned S.aynack s pis
tol, and locked il up in a safe