Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-09-12
a TRAGIC AFFAIR.

A special dispatch from Atlanta, Ga, tells
the following story of the desperate aflray
there on Tuesday night:
"a terrible encounter, in which three men
were mortally wounded, occurred here after
dark last night. The parties were John and
Matthew Maxwell, father and son, and John
+. Shelton, who had eloped with and mar
ried Miss Ida Maxwell. Mr.. John Maxwell
is highly respectable citizen. His son,
Matthew, is q well-known carriage manu-
facturer. Mr.. Maxwell has three comely
daughters, aged fifteen, sixteen, and nine
teen. The second, aged sixteen, Miss Ida,
has been quite belle, having host of ad-
mirers. Among them was John r. Shelton,
young man of good family but careless
habits, whose visits were forbidden by the
girls father. Nevertheless, they contrived
to meet secretly, and pledged their love. At
two o'clock in the afternoon a gentleman told
Mr.. Matthew Maxwell that his sister and
Shelton had planned an elopement, and the
appointed time was 23O o'clock. Hurrylng
home, young Maxwell rushed up to the Sec
ond story room, which his sister occupied,
and demanded admittance, which was re.
fused. With kick he burst it open and
found there Miss Ida, already dressed for
her escapade. My God sister, he exclaim-
ed. 'you will not disgrace the family by such
a proceeding as this?' I will marry John,'
she replied, IF have to die in the attempt.
It is useless for you to try to prevent it,
In vain the brother expostulated. The girl
remained obdurate. Ho then went out,
locked the door and left her prisoner and
went to his room. Returning in ten minutes
he opened the door and found the room
empty. It soon developed that the girl,
finding herself imprisoned, opened the win
dow, Jumped to the roof fifteen feet below
and thence to the ground, another fifteen
feet. Then 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 Max
we'll was upon the scene. The two men
were fearfully agitated. 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 ceremony. The two furious
men went up to Shelton's door. Shelton
was standing on the threshold with
hatchet. 'D-n youp exclaimed the elder
Maxwell, L will shoot you to death unless
you give up my daughter Do not come
near me, shouted Snelton, raising the
hatches and advancing. just then the
younger Maxwell, seeing his fathers danger,
stepped in between and received the c!eve
from the tomahawk. Dropping the bloody
instrument, Shelton drew his pistol and
fred at the elder Maxwell. Simultaneous
ly Maxwell also fred and all three men
fell across each other wounded and bleed
ing. The girl, who had been the cause of
ali this bloody work, rushed out upon the
scene, and, embracing her dying husband,
called him by endearing names, while her
father and brother were neglected. 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 probable.
Just month ago Matthew Maxwell was
himself the hero of an elopement scrape. A
young lady engaged to another eloped with
him the night before she was to marry"