Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1888-11-16
Terrible Tragedy.


west part OF town, was enacted one
Of those terrible tragedies that
startle the community and freeze
the blood with horror.
About 7 O'Clock two pistols shots
rang out on the air, and when the
crowd entered the house whence
the shots proceeded u gahstly
spectacle met their eyes. On the
floor lay Richard Lawless stark
in death. From two ugly bullet
wounds in the head and mouth, a
sickening pool of blood had flowed
and died the floor crimson. Dave
Little, n blacksmith while under
the influence of alcohol had fired
the fatal shots and stood boastlng
of what he had done. Nothing is
known of the cause that led mp to
the fearful crime of taking a fel-
low beings life except as learned
from the statements of Little and
his wife.
The following are their state
ments in substance:
LITTLE's STATEMENT.
"Lawless, the man who was
killed came to me Saturday night
and said that he was busted, and
asked to stay all night. | gave
him permission, and we got extra
supper for him as we had eaten.
He stayed all night and had break.
fast, and dinner. About 2 o'clock
Lawless and | went down town
AS | wished to get rid Of him l
left him and went home. l then
went across the street to Hinton's
and did not return till after dark.
When | returned | went round to
the kitchen door to enter and as |
passed the window / looked in and
saw Lawless hold of my wife. l
went into tho room and took a
revolver off Of the clothes press
and told him to let her go and get
out or | would shoot him. He let
her go and turned to fight me
when | shot him. Lawless had no
weapon but knife and did not
have that out. [ did not shoot
HIM because of his insult to my
wife, and if he had not turned to
FIGHT me | do not think | would
have shot him.
MRS. LITTLE's STATEMENT
"Lawless came to our house Sat
urdav night. He was drinking.
We gave him supper, and he staid
all night. Next morning he went
down town twice. He had
alcohol but | do not know where
he got it. When he came back
from town he insulted me twice. l
told my husband but he paid NO
attention to it till dinner, when he
told Lawless he was going away
and that if he insulted me while
he was gone, he would kill him.
My husband then went across the
street to Hinton's, end did not re-
turn till after dark. When he re-
turned Lawless had hold of me,
and l was trying to get away.
Little came in and taking his re-
~iotre1 eof tho ututitcs press or
dered him to let me go and get
out or he would shoot. He spoke
this quickly three times, and Law
less made no effort to get out but
stood putting on his hat. Little
then shot him. He did not offer
to fight as he had no time. L think
it was right to shoot him as [ be-
lieve | would have suffered vio-
lence at his hands. L think Little
had been watching for him."
| Lawless the man who was killed
was blacksmith and is supposed
to have come from Omaha, and
had made the acquaintance of
Little at Macon City several years
ago. He came to Kirksville Thurs
day and was continually under the
influence of liquor. He came into
the GRAPHIC office about half past
/ o'clock Saturday afternoon, and
waited to leave his epitaph, which
he desired to have placed on his
headstone. The following is the
epitaph:
Remember man as you pass by
AS you are now, so one was l,
As l am now, so shall you be
Think on death and pray for me"
He promised to return Monday
with something more readable but
never came.