Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-09-10
DEATH FOR A DEATH.

| REVENGING THE MURDER OF
ND-PARTICULARs OF THE
KILLING OF A WEALTHY MONT
GOMERY COUNTY FARMER.
CENTRAL, VA, August H.
Reaching Central depot, on the Nor
folk and Western road, few hours
after Thomas b. Hall, wealthy
farmer of Montgomery county, was
shot and killed by Pierce Crockett,
of Wythe, found the village in a
great state of excitement and the
people we're discussing the tragic
affair. The shooting, as has been
telegraphed, occurred between and
2 o'clock Saturday afternoon, and
in half an hour afterwards Hall was
a dead man. He was sixty seven
years Of age and Crockett was much
younger. The sectionmaster at
Central depot witnessed the shoot.
ing as did also several other per
sons. Their story is that Crockett
came down the mountain road to
Central somewhat intoxicated. lie
was not very drunk, but was "feel-
ing his whiskey." He stopped at
the depot, and while engaged in
conversation with some of the men
who were lounging upon the plat
form one man in the crowd re-
marked, "Yonder is old Tom Hail.
Crockett at once asked, as that
Tom Hall?7 An affirmative answer
was given him, and thereupon he
left the platform and walked down
the railroad track about hundred
yards where Hall was, and, ad-
dressing him, said: 81 want to see
you.n The two men walked towards
a fence, apparently talking as they
went along. They stopped at the
fence and continued the converse
ton. Hall had both elbows rest
ing upon the top of the fence and
one foot was carelessly placed be-
tween the two bottom rails. Crock
EFT stood off few feet from him.
Presently Crockett asked, "Is your
name Tom Hall 7" The answer
came, "That's my name" Crockett
next asked, "Are you the father of
David Halls" Hall again answered
in the affirmative. "Then," said
Crockett, 81 am going to kill you"
Suiting the action to the word,
Crockett drew a pistol from his hip
pocket aud, levelling it at Hall,
pulled the trigger. The weapon
missed fire, and Hall then exclaim.
ed, "Don't shoot me-" and began to
shake the walking.cane he held in
his hand as if attempting to ward
off the plstol-shots. After the pis
tol snapped Hall retreated few
steps, twirling the cane IN the air
as he moved backwards. Crockett
cooked the pistol again and a half
dozen persons saw him send a bull
let into Halls breast. The wounded
man staggered, and then turned
Just IN time to catch the second shot
in the right side, the ball passing
through the arm into the body
The third shot grazed the left side,
and the fourth and last one struck
the ground close to Halls feet. The
wounded man walked a few steps
and then sat down. After saying
Crockett had shot him he drew q
long breath and died.
THE MURDERER MOVES OFF.
The murderer, without appearing
in the least alarmed, jumped into
his buggy and drove slowly away,
brandishing his pistol as he moved
along. He had gotten out of sight
before a pursuing party started
after him. He was Overtaken at n
branch about two miles from Cen
trail by the sectiOn.master and an
other gentleman who saw the shoot
ing. One OF the men levelled gun
at him, thereupon Crockett lifted
his hands and said, 81 surrender"
He made no further attempt to get
away, and said when arrested, 81
killed him, and | have nothing to
regret"
The prisoner was not brought
back to Central, but was carried
through the mountains over to
Christiansburg, the county seat,
and there lodged in Jail.
There was some Apprehension at
first that the prisoner would. be
lynched, and this was why he was
taken over the mountains instead
of on the cars. Crockett, it seems,
killed Hall to avenge the death of
Charles Bowyer, who was killed
by David Hall. The story, as
near as | can get at it, is this
Bower was once well.to.do farm
er. One day he saw, or at least
testified in court that he saw,
David Hall strike his (l1alps) sister
with a fence-rail. The girl died
soon afterwards, but she, 1t is saidl
was induced by her father upon her
, death bed to say that she was
wounded accidentally while getting
over a rail fence. Bowyer stuck
to his statement, and the result
was his property, amounting to
$40, 600, was won from him by Hall
in a suit for damages. Bowyer
was afterwards seized with con-
sumption, and was but a few weeks
from deaths door when he was mnr-