The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-09-17
A Triple Tragedy.

. ATLANTA, Ga, Sept. ga terrible
encounter, in which three men were
mortally wounded, occurred last night.
The parties were John and Matthew
Maxwell, father and son, and John R.
Shelton, who had eloped with and mar.
ried Miss Ida Maxwell. Mr.. John Max.
we'll is a highly respectable citizen living
at No. L. Elliott street. His son, Mat.
thew, is we'll known carriage manufac-
turer. Mfr. Maxwell has three comely
daughters, aged fifteen, sixteen and ni5e.
teen. The second, aged sixteen, Miss
Ida, has been quite belle, having "a host
of admirers. Among them was John R.
Shelton, a young man of good family but
careless habits, whose visits were forbid.
den by the girls father. Nevertheless,
they contrived to meet secretly, and
pledged their love. At 2 O'Clock this
afternoon a gentleman told Mr.. Matthew
Maxwell that his sister and Shelton had
planned an elopement, and the appointed
time was 2:90 o'clock. Hurrying home,
young Maxwell rushed up to the second
story room, which his sister occupied,
and demanded admittance, which vas re-.
fused. With a kick he burst it open and
found there Miss Ida, already dressed for
her escapade.
"My God sister," he exclaimed, "you
will not Disgrace the family by such a
proceeding as this ?" e
"I will marry John," she replied, ''if
I have to die in the attempt 1t is use.
less for you to try to prevent it,"
In vain the brother expostulated.
The girl remained obdurate. He then
went out, locked the door and left her a
prisoner and went to bis room. Return.
ing in ten minutes he opened the door
and found the room empty. 1t soon de.
yeloped that the girl, finding herself i'm.
prisoned, opened the window, jumped
to the roof, fifteen feet below, and thence
to the ground, another fifteen feet.
Thence her tracks were followed to the
side alley, where newly made carriage
tracks told that she had reached her lover
and was away. By this time the elder
Maxwell was upon the scene. The two
men we're fearfully agitsted. They went
into the house and at o'clock, armed to
the teeth, emerged and proceeded to
Davis street, whittier Shelton had taken
his bride after being married by Rev.
Virgil Norcross. Several clergymen had
previously refused to perform the cere-
mony. The two furious men went up to
Shelton's door, Shelton was standing on
the threshold with hatchet.
Oh you," exclaimed the elder
MAXWELL "I will sh0ot Won To death I'm.
less you give up my daughter"
"Do not come near me-" shouted
Shelton, raising the hatchet aud advanc.
ing. Just then the younger Maxwell,
seeing his fathers danger, stepped in be.
tween and received the cleave from the
tomahawk. Dropping the bloody instru.
ment Shelton drew his pistol and fired at
the elder Maxwell. simultaneously
Maxwell also fred, and all three men
fell across each other wounded and bleed.
ing. The girl, who had been the cause
of all this bloody work, rushed out upon
the scene, and, embracing her dying hus-
band, called him by endearing names,
while her father and brother were neg.
lected. In five minutes hundreds of
people had collected. Officers. came and
had the men removed. Shelton and
young Maxwell will die, while the death
of the old man is highly probably. Just
a month ago Matthew Maxwell was him
self the hero of an elopement scrape.
A young lady engaged to another eloped
with him the night before she was to
marry.