Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-02
PETERSBURG AND VICINITY.
THYsussEx. COUNTY KILLING

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PETERSBURG, March l, lss6.
Your correspondent to-day inter-
viewed several parties cognizsnt OF the
fsets connected with the murder OF
william p. Balm by Quincy Balm, near
waveriy, in Sussex county. on Satur'
asy. and is able to give the following
particulars:
A BITTER fEuD.
Some time last fall Quincy BAN
sought to bring suit 10 obtain divorce
fem bis wife, on the ground oil deser-
ton. The parties were poor. and the
woman had left her husband some two
months before the movement for divorce
proceedings began. The husband was
informed by the lawyer whom he
consulted that the ground alleged
Was not sufficient 70 secure a d.
votce. the period Of deser,ion being
too short in the eyes Of the law. The
par,iss still remained apart, and shortly
Afterwards the wife Of Quincy Balm APP
pl;ed TO William p. Balm to assist her
IN the purchase Of a small tract OF land.
This Mr.. Balm consented 20 do, nut
only on condition that she should allow
her husband TO return to her and that
.be should consent to live amicably
with him. Mr.. Balm did subsequently,
return TO live with his wife. Some
time later the woman complained to her
husband that William 7. BAN had at
tempted to assault her, and on her con-
plant the case was brought before
magistrate for examination, and though
the evidence was Of the lightest
character the accused was sent
on TO the County Court to await the
action OF the grand jury. Though there
have been two or three sessions OF the
grand jury, the woman, though sum-
moned. has never yet made her appear
spce TO testify. Her statement before
the examining court was that though
she saw q relative within half an hour
after the alleged attempted assault she
made no complaint, and made none for
some time afterward. Meanwhile, con-
sideIing himself aggrieyed by the charge
made against him, W. p. Balm employ
cd counsel to prosecute Mrs. Quincy
Balm for perjury. This action is still
pending in the County Court Of Sussex,
and these unfortunate family troubles
are believed to furnish the true inward.
ness Of the tragedy Of saturday.
TIE FATAL MEETING.
William p. Balm and Quincy Balm
were distantly related. They were
modest farmers in Sussex county, some
four or five miles from Waverly station,
Oh the Norfolk and Western railroad.
and living only about half mile apart.
Since their family troubles began they
had. Of course, not been friendly neigh
bors. About the middle Of February
w. p. Balm started store, which a
few nights afterwards was burned, with
the entire stock Of goods, entailing a
loss Of some $500 or 5000. lie mar
rcwly escaped with his life, being badly
burned about the head and arms before
be got out Of the building. lie was
not slow 10 cast suspicion as TO the
cause Of his loss.
On Saturday morning W. 7. BAN
had his cart hitched. and accompanied
by his driver, Mr.. Morris, left home on
some business. When returning. and
within a few hundred yards Of his resi-
denee, and, singular to say, while the
two were conversing about the troubles
with Quincy Balm, the latter appeared
in the road ahead Of them armed with
a double.bayrel gun. W. p. Balm re
marked to Morris; There's the ID
scoundrel now" Before the parties
met Quincy Balm crossed the road and
10 did W. p. Balm and then both
crossed again, drawing nearer each
other. A far as can be learned neither
party spoke TO the other. The only wit
ness to the affair-Mr. Morris, the
driver-states that he heard the click
Of the cooking of the gun and immedl-
ately afterwards he heard the dis
charge. Quincy Balm, after passing
W. =. Balm, turned and shot the
latter, the charge tearing the cloth
ing from the shoulder but not
infieting any wound. W. P. BAN
turned around TO face his assailant, and
received the charge Of the second load
in his left forehead and temple, and fell
dead in his tracks, face downwards'
Then Quincy, stepping up TO the body
drew a pistol, and placing the muzzl'
TO the back Of the victims head fired
the ball passing through and making its
exit through the mouth. The impress
sion in the neighborhood is that had
the first shot killed w. p. Balm, tn
second would have been aimed at Nor
Iis, the only witness Of the affair. AZ
ter the deed Quincy went to his home
told his wife what he had done, an
then left. 1t is thought he may have con
cealed himself in the flatwoods Of tina
section. Warrants for his arrest wer
issued both at Waverly and Wakefield
and placed in the hands Of officers, bu
up 10 this morning he had not bee
taken. While the people Of the neigt
boIhood are naturally shocked over. tn
tragedy, there isno undue excitement
no threats Of lynchiDg and no effort
made outside of the officers to captur
the accused. II he is taken the la
win be allowed to take its course. II
deceased was Republican supervise
Of the county, was noted for his courag
and was thrifty farmer. Quincy WI
rather thriftless and poor, and his gen
raj reputation was not good.
A FORMER TRAGEDY.
The murdered man, some eight
ten years ago, killed citizen Of SdrI
county named Timothy Atkinson ;
stsbbing him with knife. The diff
Guilty between the two men, like Il
one in which he met his death, occurr'
on the public road. Ii originated in
quarrel about dogs. Balm was tried
Surry county, and was acquitted {
the ground of self-defence. He W
defended in the trial by r. T. Wilso
now Of this city, who was also his cou
\ sci in his more recent troubles.