Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-10-21
A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.

The heart sickens, and the strongest nerve is
powerless as the mind is brought to view the
terrible affair which occurred in the Rotunda
at the Fair Grounds last Thursday, between
one and two O'Clock. William NJ. Brown
about thirty-five years old. was an industrious
and enterprising farmer, residing near Fisher
Vile. in Augusta County. He was attending
the Fair with his wife. children, and friends
A few minutes before his death be had been at
the Secretary's Office seeing after premiums
which had been awarded to himself. and also
to his wife, upon articles they had exhibited
Returning to the Rotunda he Joined his wife,
who was leading child by the hand. Near
the western door he was met by a young man,
Thomas Jefferson Stuart COyner, about twenty
| four years of age, who resides on an adjoining
| farm to Brown, and who placed pistol at his
| body, and shot him in the lower part of the
| left breast. Brown seized the pistol, and his
wife caught hold of Coyner. Brown could not
wrest the pistol from him, till Capt Long, OF
| the Artillery, who was standing near, struck
| him in order to overpower him. Brown quick
ly fell from the effects of his death wound, his
wife bending over his PROSTATE body. bewa1l-
| lug his sad fate. and giving expression to all
| the affectionate love of wife so suddenly
bereft of her husband. and comforting him in
Attorney Echols. being near by, repaired to
the scene. He INTERCEPTED Brown as to who
shot him. and the cause for it, who replied that
Coyner shot him without cause. Justice " q
fffx, Il RlverhSads dist,iSt.-wAwas present,
issued warrant Sor a jury. when Sheriff
Lightner summoned the following named
persons as jury OF inquest hiessrs. J. S. Nc
| Gorkle. Joseph Houseman, John s. Lghtner,
= oil II,
F. Tate
The jury examined several witnesses on the
day of the murder, and adjourned to the follow
ing day. They met again after the compile
tion of the autopsy of the body. by Drs. Frank
Hanger, J. T. Tate. and T. W. Shelton. There
were also several other physicians present.
The jury returned a verdict that the death of
Brown was caused by the shooting of pistol
in the hands of Coyner. The ball was found
It passed through the body to the spine where
IL lodged. 1t inflicted three wounds on vital
organs, any one of which would have produced
death.
The jail was guarded Thursday night by
an extra police force. Justice, and acting Core
ner Fix, issued authority for his removal to
Richmond, fearing an exercise of violence in
a summary punishment of him.
A. O. Braxton, Chas. E. Kemper and c. D. A.
Curry, Esqs., are Coyner's counsel
PROFESSOR MINORS ILLUSTRATED LECTURES
We learn with pleasure that our old Richmond
friend, Professor B. B. Minor, has made ar
engagements for delivering his illustrated "Lec
lures on the Stars and the Bible'' before the
Wesleyan Female Institute. He expresses his
high qualification that the Wesleyan has ac
cepted his co operation in the noble work of
Chris tian education. We think that the other
seminaries will also avail themselves of this OPP
portunity, to have him deliver his lectures to
them. He will probably continue his work in
the room of the Y. II. c. \. Or at Professor
Dunsmore's room, where. he hopes to have his
school, and that of Professor Kable.
His illustrations are full and elegant, and by
thus addressing the eye and ear, the matters
presented cannot fail to make a lasting impress
sion. His lecture last night was on the solar
system, Tonight it will be on the solar system
also, in which he will introduce the wonders of
the telescope and spectroscope. The third will
be on ecipses transits, and comets. The nebu
lar system is also embraced in his concluding
lectures. His effort is to combine instruction
with innocent amusement, by means of the sci
opticon. Should he be able to appear where the
public can attend, we bespeak for him large au
diences. The admission fee will only be %
cents each evening.
DEATH OF MRS. COLONEL WIN PRESTON
JOHNSTON Mrs. Johnston, who has been in
feeble health for some time past died at Lex
ington, Monday, at P, NJ. Col Johnston, ac-
companed by his son-in-law, Mr.. Geo. A Rob
inson of Louisville, KY and several members
of the family, reached this city last evening
from Lexington with the corpse on their way
to Louisville, where the inteImenJ will take
place.
Our esteemed townsman, Mr.. Henry ST Geo.
Tucker, who is son-in-law of Col Johnston,
is absent in Eastern Virginia, remote from tel
egraphic communication, and could not be i'm
mediately informed of the sad event. Mrs Tuck
er is with her father.