The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-01-04

i nue.. Had been there but few. moments
when Mr.. Burner came. let HIM IN. He
went up stairs to Fanny Lewis room, and |
reckon it was about twenty minutes later
about s oclock-when heard noise at the
front door. L went to the door and Mr.
George Amiss walked in / asked him
to go into my room, but he refused, say
ing he would go up stairs He went ur
stairs and | into my room. heard him
knock at the door and ask them to open
it. tie told them if they did not open the
door he would kick it down. 1t was not
| long then until | heard noise cont
know whether or not he kicked open the
door. The noise sounded as if some one was
kicking at the door. Shortly after heard a
louder noise and went up stairs to see what
was the matter. 1t sounded as if piece OF
! furniture hld fallen. When | got up there
| saw Mr.. Blrner and Mr.. Amiss Just in
side of the door. Mr. Amiss seemed to he
holding Mr.. Burners hand and Mr. Burner
begging him to let 60 saying he would go up
town. He got his hand loose from Mr..
L
him. suppose the loud noise | heard was
the report of a pistol. Saw a pistol but
could not tell which of the men held it. When
l got to my room door, asked Mr. B. to go in
there, but he refused, saying he must go up
town, that he was shot. He did not say who
| shot him. He then asked if / had any one
who could go with him. Not having any one,
volunteered TO go myself. Followed him
to within few steps OF the hotel and saw
him enter. Then | went across to Ann Haw-
| kins.
On cross eXamination-Am and Burner
were in the room when l saw the pistol
Think it WAS swinging in the hand of the
party holding it. Am not positive
Fanny Lewis testifed-Was in my room
about o'clock, when Mr.. Burner entered
He came in, sat down by the fire and COM
menced reading the book | had Just laid
down. Shortly afterwards l heard voices
| below, and then knock at my door. Asked
who it was, and the answer came, George"
| went TO the door where Mr.. Amiss was,
and told him that | had company; that he
should 60 down stairs for few moments
lie did not go, but said if you don't open the
door will break it, | said to Mr.. Blrner, |
am going to open the door, and when | do
you go out. Just as | turned the key of the
door Mr. Amiss knocked against it-proba-
bly, with his fist. The two men met Just on
| the door sill. Neither spoke. They went to-
gether, and scutfled out into the hall. What
transpired there. / did not see. | ran back
into the room and then heard the report of
| pistol, but don't know who shot it. | saw no
pistol.
On cross examination witness stated that
the door was not broken. l was terribly fright
ened. The fact of the two men meeting in
my room alarmed me. l had never heard of
difficulty between the two men. They
were friendly SO far l know Mr.. Amiss re-
manned in my room about five minutes after
Burner left. DO not remember what he said
beyond telling me not to cry
The witnesses were both good looking girls
handsomely dressed and intelligent. The state
ments made before the jury do not correspond
in every particular with their statements i'm
mediately after the occurrence
THE VERDICT
The verdict of the jury was "that upon the
I'd day of January 1888, about o clock D. m :.
Jno >. Burner received pistol shot wound
at the hands of Geo. Amss, and that said
Jno J. Burner died on the following day,
January Sd, 1888, from said gun shot wound :"
Last night post norton examination of
the body of Mr.. Burner was made by Drs.
Henkel, OF Staunton, and Campbell of Wo cd
stock. The examination disclosed that the
ball had entered the right lower portion of
the abdomen, perforating the abdominal wall,
peritoneum and intestines, and lodged in the
back bone, from which it was extracted, hay
ing imbedded itself to the depth of about /
inch. Death resulted from internal hemor-
rhages and beginning peritonitis