Omaha daily bee., 1888-03-25
CAPTURED WATERLOO
A Bad Man From the Bluffs Makes
the Attempt,
AND is PARTIALLY SUCCESSFUL.
How A. p. Aylesworth Ended a
Long Drunken Debauch.
ONE MAN FALLS A VICTIM.
Several Others Have Very Close
Calls For Their Lives.
BULLETS FLY THICK AND FAST.
The Town Marshal Proves His We'll
Iington, and Fills His Hide
Full of Duck Shot
The Details.
Several Others Have Very Close
Calls For Their Lives.
BULLETS FLY THICK AND FAST


Tragedy at Waterloo.
WATERLOO, Neb., March 24.-lSpecial
to the BEE.l-At $50 this morning the
town was thrown into n state of the greatest
excitement by the fatal shooting of George
w. Hill, the principal of the Waterloo
graded schosl, and the subsequent wounding
of the assassin, w. p. Aylesworth, of Council
Bluffs, by Town Marshal John Campbell.
The details of the affair are as follows:
Aylesworth is a house mover by occupation
and lives at 6l5 Eighth street, in Council
Bluffs. On Tuesday last he left his home
and since that time has been on a protracted
spree. BY SON means he wandered west
ward through Papillion, Willard and Portal
until on Friday night he found himself at the
house of John Bryant, about three miles east
of Waterloo. TIL occupants of the house
having retired he pounded loudly on the door
and demanded admittance, and when refused
fired three shots through the window, fright
ening the occupants nearly out OF
their wits. Failing to get in
the house he retired to q buggy
shed near by, and after taking out the cush-
ions of a wagon for O bed, made a fire of some
loose boards and slept until morning, when
he came to the door and compelled Mr.. Bry-
ant at the point of his pistol to furnish him
with breakfast. After eating he left in the
direction of Waterloo, and had not Travelled
far when he was overtaken by a tree peddler
which offer was accepted. After riding for a
mile or so, Aylesworth suddenly drew his
pistol, and turning to Stedman remarked:
'Stranger, L have a d-n good notion to
kill you"
Stedman persuaded him to put the weapon
up, Aylesworth remarking that he ''would let
him live this time.''
The remainder of the journey was made in
silence, and when they reached Waterloo
Stedman drove to the hotel of 7. ID. Todd,
where Aylesworth, after allghting from the
wagon, passed directly into the office and sat
down by the stove. Mr.. Hill and Mr.. w. A.
Bullock, of Omaha, were in the office at the
time, talking over the proposed purchase of
some maps for use in the public schools. Mr..
Hill was sitting on Il chair holding a map on
his lap when suddenly Aylesworth arose
from his seat and going over in front OF him
remarked:
"Young man, how much is your life
WORTH"
Hill, somewhat surprised, remarked that
she did not know whereupon Aylesworth
would cost to bury him?"
Hill said he did not, when Aylesworth,
after remarking, "Well, l am going to kill
you anyway drew his pistol and fired, the
ball striking Hill directly over the left eye,
passing downward in a diagonal course and
lodging IN the jaw directly under the right
ear.
Miss Nettie Gilmore, n very good-looking
domestic employed at the house. was also in
| when A~ylesworth fired was behind the coun-
ter getting some potatoes from a
sack just placed there. At the re-
port of the pistol she raised her
head to see what was the matter, when the
murderer fired at her, the bullet narrowly
missing her. Nettie fed.
Aylesworth then directed his attention to
Mr.. Todd and fired at him, the ball passing
through the sleeve of his coat just below the
shoulder. Fortunately no damage was done
except to the cloth. The assassin then
started out with the evident intention of cap
turing the town, for on his way down the
street he reloaded his weapon and prepared
for action. j. II. Watts, the village post
master and justice of the peace, was the first
man in sight, and !Aylesworth opened fire
upon him so successfully that that gentle
man did some very quick work in getting his
person behind q friendly building, closely
pursued by Aylesworth, who yearned for
gore and was determined not to rest until he
had obtained it.
Lou Denman and John Nelson, who had
seen the entire proceeding. now put in an
appearance, the former armed with a navy
revolver of the vintage of 40, which refused
to go off, and as Aylesworth still kept up his
artillery practice, Lou decided to retreat,
which he did very, very rapidly. By this
time the entire town was aroused and every
a vain endeavor to ''down' Aylesworth,
who seemed to bear a charmed life and who
stood on the steps of Watts store and kept
up the fusilade.
AT this moment Town Marshal John
Campbell, an old man seventy years of age,
arrived on the scene with his little shotgun,
and his action is best described in his
words:
~ got there Just as the shots were the most
frequent. Aylesworth was behind a barrel,
and as | came up | told him to lay down his
pistol and surrender; and, sir, he shot at me
twice. / blazed away at him with one barrel,
but did not hit him, and just then he stuck
his head up and, sir, l shattered him"
That the latter expression is correct is
proven, when an examination developed the
fact that tw~enty-eight shot struck Ayles-
worth in the head, all Of which entered on a
line just above the mouth. The wounded
man was carried into the drug store and
medical aid summoned. Contrary TO all ex-
pectatiOns he did not die and will undoubt-
eddy recover. Hill viii probably
being about one in seventy-fve.
Drs. Coulter q Bryant, the latter of
Omaha, attended both cases, and anticipating
a possible chance for Hills recovery, re-
moved the left eye in order that the sight of
the other might be preserved in case he got
well,
Hill is a young man about thirty-two years
Of age, and for some time has been the prin-
cipal in the Waterloo school. Together with
his mother he resides in the village. He is a
model young man and the unfortunate affair
is regarded as a great calamity.
AYLEswORTH TALKS.
About 4 O'clock in the afternoon the physi-
clans decided TO remove Aylesworth TO the
hotel and make an examination of his in
iuries. The result Of their labors developed
the fact that the sight of both eyes had been
destroyed, while the wounds received were
not necessarily fatal. The contents Of one
barrel of Marshal Campbells gun
lodged in the left. shoulder, and
while the other struck him in the
head the amount Of powder in the gun was
not sufficient to drive the shot through the
skull. While the was taking
place Aylesworth began talking and stated
that be lived at 6I5 South Eighth, Council
Bluffs, and had a wife and five children. He
afterward remarked that he had been on q
Dig drunk since Friday of one week ago, and
had been in Nebraska since Tuesday, and
that he had been drinking beer and whisky
and was crazy and imagined everybody was
going to kill him, and in order to protect him