Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-05-22
SHOT HIS SON.
a Country Storekeeper Doses q Thief.
Who Proves to BE His Son, With
New Albany Times.1


Who Proves to BE His Son, with
Buekshot-
New Albany Times.l
The particulars of a sensational family
shooting affray were reported this morn.
ing. stephen Barclay lives about nine miles
back of New Albany, where he keeps q
small country store. In the family is a son
about twenty -one years of age, named
William.
The young man, within the last few
months, has contracted a strong habit for
drinking and gambling. His father repri-
manded him severely, and, to enforce obe-
dience, cut of the supply of money he had
been in the habit Of allowing the son.
This seemed the end of the matter effect
ually. A few weeks later, however, Mr..
Barclay began to miss small sums of
money from his cash drawer and articles
Of value from the store. Determined to
discover the thief, and suspecting his son,
the father watched closely, and took from
William the keys, which the young man
was in the habit Of carrying.
The thefts still continued and became of
more frequent occurrence than before
Mr.. Barclay now became convinced that
his son was not the thief, and resolved to
watch for another suspect. On Monday
night he prepared for his vigil. Aiming
himself with double-barreled shotgun,
be locked the store, at the usual closing
hour, and then took his position at the rear
end Of the shop and quietly waited devel-
opments.
Nothing occurred until about 1.30 O'Clock
in the morning, when the watcher was
startled by hearing a noise directly under
him. The noise continued as some one
stealthily worked along under the flooring
to the front part Of the house.
The store is built on a raised foundation
and leaves a space Of about three feet be-
tween the ground below and the flooring
above, there being no cellar.
On reaching the front of the store the
noise was stopped for a few seconds, and Q
slight grating sound was heard.
Mr.. Barclay was unable to see who or
where the intruder was, but, warned by a
slight cough that the person had effected
an entrance, he raised his gun and fired in
the direction Of the sound. Both barrels of
the gun were discharged, and as the re-
port rang out in the close room q cry of
anguish arose from the wounded person.
Hastily lighting lamp, Mr.. Barclay
went in the direction of the sound and
found man PROSTATE, with about half his
body In the store and tho remainder i'm
prisoned under q plank in the flooring,
which had been raised up in order to allow
the burglar to enter.
Mr.. Barclay called for help and turned
the wounded robber around, and was hor-
rified to see his son staring him in the face.
Lifting the young man up the grieved
father laid him carefully on the floor, and
made an examination of the wounds.
The gun had been loaded with buckshot,
and half a dozen of them had lodged in the
side aud thigh of the unlucky tn eff. A
doctor was sent for, and tie young mans
injuries dressed. They were found to be
painful, but not fatal. The doctor extract
cd three buckshot from the leg.
On discovering that the young man was
not mortally wounded he was removed to
the house Of his father, about a hundred
yards from the store, and efforts made to
keep the matter quiet These efforts were
successful until this morning, when the
particulars were let out by Mr.. Waters, a
neighbor of the Barclay family.
Young Barclay was enga yed to be mar
ried to a young lady living in his neigh
borhood, but the wedding will not now
take place, as the lady on hearing of the
affair broke of the engagement.
Mr.. Barclay, ST., had report circulated
through the neighborhood that the young
man had accidentally shot himself while
out hunting, but the true story coming out
he did not deny it. Young William Bar.
clay is now pronounced out Of danger.