Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-01-15
A SANCTUM TRAGEDY.
Attempt to Right a Wrong with
RevoIvers in New Orleans.

n6vOiveFS IN new orleans.
AN EDITORS OFFICE THE SCENE
OF A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER,
In Which One Man Received Wounds
That Will Kill,
And Others Were Severely but not Nor
tally Hurt.-KinfoIks In Mexico.
New ORLEANS, Jan. PA very
desperate shooting affray occurred
this morning in the Office of the
Mascot, an illustrated weekly paper
published here, in which all of the
parties engaged were seriously and
one fatally wounded. On Saturday
the Mascot assaulted Judge William
T. Houston, district judge OF this
parish and Democratic candidate for
congress in the Second district at the
late election, making various scandal
lous charges against him. Judge
H"uston's position on the bench pre-
Guided him from taking any notice of
the assault, but this morning his
brother, james Houston, state tax
collector, in company with supervisor
of Registration Robert Brewster,
called on the editor of the Mascot
for satisfaction and to punish him for
his attacks on the judge. The office
of the Mascot is in the third story If a
building on Camp street in Newspa-
per row. Ascending to this story,
Houston and Brewster entered the
editorial office. There were present
only George Osmund, the editor, and
Adolph Zuncke, the engraver of the
paper.
THE FRAY.
Stepping up to Osmund, Houston
asked: is this Mr.. Osmund," and
before he could answer, IS he knew
him we'll. struck him once over the
head and arm with n heavy stick he
carried. The next minute both men
had their pistols out. Who fired first
it is impossible to say, as Houston
accuses Osmund and Osmund Hous-
ton. The two men were within eight
feet of each other when they COM
menced firing. Houston's first shot
missed. Osmund's second ball struck
Houston in the palm of his right
hand, severing a finger and running
up the arm and p~aralyzing it. He
dropped his pistol to the floor, leaving
himself unprotected and open to the
fire of his antagonist. AS he leaned
over to pick it up with his left hand
his friend, Brewster, who was stand
ing a few feet away overawing
Zeuncke advanced with a drawn re-
volver to protect him, and shot at
Osmund. 'fhe latter then faced to-
wards Brewster, and the two men at
a distance of ten feet emptied their
revolvers.
AT CLOSE RANGE.
Osmund shot with great GOODNESS
and deliberation, everyone of his
balls taking effect. Brewster shot
well, but the editor escaped almost
mir%aculously. The six balls grazed,
but none struck him. Two went
, through his desk, one lodged in the
: picture just above his head, and one in
the floor at his feet, and two in the
wall on either side of him, but he
escaped injury.
. In the meanwhile, as Brewster and
> Osmund were carrying on this battle,
, Houston had recovered his pistol and
tried to use it with his left hand. bu,
could not fire it, it swapping 5 times.
Seeing that his friend Brewster was
badly wounded, for blood was pour
: ing down his side, he called on him
to retreat, and Brewster, who had
emptied his revolver, did So, Hous.
ton standing between him and Os'
mund protecting the retreat and try
ing in vain to fire his pistol. Osmund
by this time had exhausted his revolv.
: err, which was only afive-shooter, but
D kept it pointed at Houston. just as
: the latter reached the door his pistoI
: finally went off, striking Osmund in
. the identical spot that he had wound.
. ed HMM the center of his right, OF
pistol hand-the ball ranging up the
arm to the elbow.
AFTER THE BATTLE.
A large crowd had collected in
front of the building when Brewste,
: and Houston emerged from it. They
were both losing a great deal of blood
+ and Brewster left a broad track be.
hind as he walked up the street. He
found refuge in the Metropolitan
bank at the corner, where a carriage
was procured and he was conveyed to
the Charity hospital. Houston wen,
across the street to a carpet store
whence he also was conveyed to the
+ hospital. Osmund came down the
t steps Immediately after his assailants
in his shirt sleeves and quite bloody
and was taken to the drug store a
t the corner for treatment and after.
wards to the hospital, where he was
put under arrest, as Brewster was
expected to die. All three of the
: men are seriously wounded. Brewster
has three serious and one mortaI
wound. One ball struck him imme.
: dlateiy over the heart. but his watch
saved his life. Another passed twice
through his left arm, breaking it in
f two places. A third ball struck him
r in the right hip and the fourth, or
. fatal shot, passed entirely through his
body on the left side a few inches
: below his heart.
E Both Houston and Osmund have
the same wounds in the right hand,
. the ball ranging up the arm. The
: bullet In Osmund's arm was extracted
with great difficulty. 1t may be nee.
f essary to amputate Il portion OF
| HoustOn's hand.
: THE PARTICIPANTS.
Osmund is a young Englshman
who has been editing the Mascot.
= Houston has been styled the Demo.
, cratic boss of Louisi ma, and is cred.
tied with having elected McEnery
governor, Eustis senator and the en-.
tire municipal government. He had
entire management of the Democratic
: state election in the spring and of the
NrnSIdanf,o otnnso, -. l.