The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-05-28
A Desperate Conflict in the Land Of
Flowers.

MADISON, FLA, May 18.-Hickory
Grove Church, twenty-five miles from
this city in the interior of the county,
was yesterday the scene of q fatal en-.
counter between three brothers named
Langford on one side and three named
West on the other. Sunday.school was
in progress when the conflict began, and
members of both the families involved
were teaching classes within the church.
William Langford and his two broth
ers were sitting beneath tree in front OF
the edi6ce when John and Eugene West
drove up in buggy. Langford arose
and walked toward the buggy as if to
speak to the Vests. AS he neared the
vehicle pistol shots were heard, but who
fred first is uncertain. Eugene West
made move to leap from the buggy,
but before he could do so he was shot
and fell to the ground senseless. The
ball passed over the rear of the buggy,
striking Eugene in the back, near the
right shoulder, and ploughing its way
through the body to the skin over the
right breast, beneath which it lodged and
was subsequently extracted.
Another brother ran up and Joined tho
Vests, and fusilade in which all of the
six men took part was Immediately COM
menced. The firing brought out those
in attendance at the Sunday school and
a terrible panic among the women and
children followed, all running in differ
ent directions for their lives.
Two or three men who essayed to stop
the conflict soon decided to run and the
belligeronts were left an open field.
Thirty.fve or forty shots we're then fired
at close range as rapidly as the belliger-
ents could pull the triggers. When the
weapons had been emptied the combat
ants closed in for q hand to.hand struggle
with knives. VIM. Langford fell to. the
ground perforated by seven bullets and
died while the conflict was still progress.
sing. Babe Langford was shot through
the bowels, kidneys and right arm, and
also dropped in dying condition. Ills
recovery is impossible. Tof Laugford
was shot in the head and his left shoul-
der was literally hacked to pieces, death
nearly resulting from loss of blood from
this wound alone. Six long gashes in
other parts of his clothing tell of the
manner in which his antagonist piled
the knife. Toff's death is certain. John
West was badly cut about the hips, while
Abraham Vests injuries consist of eight
or ten knife wounds in the back, which
have laid it bare from the shoulders to
the hips. There is a possibility that
neither of the West brothers will die.
The third of the trio escaped almost
without scratch.
The origin of the trouble dates back
eight or ten years, to the time whe1s Col.
West and Capt. Langford, both deceased
fathers of the participants in yesterdays g
conflict, who lived on adjoining planta,,
tions, had a dispute, resulting in q feud
which has never since ceased to exist be-
tween their families. This ill.feeling
was intensified blythe publication during
the political campaign last Fall of con-
troversial letters of q personal character
by John West and William Langford ir.
the Madison Ne,u Era and the Recorder.
Subsequently the families had con.
ference at Thomasville, Ga, looking to o
compromise, and until yesterday it was
thought the family differences had been
amicably adjusted. Both families are
among the Oldest and most prominent in
the County, and are in comfortable
financial circumstances. Marital ties
connect each with several other families
of prominence, and there are fears in
some quarters that the vendetta will lead
to still more serious consequences. The
coroner was notified this morning, and
left Madison to hold an inquest.