The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-01-17
CRIMES AND CRIMINALS
The Execution of Henry Schmidt
in Iowa.
EECROS RASH ACT IN OPEN COURT

ker house al + U ClCCh HIS evening. Inc nrSJ
man who entered, clerk named Gamble, was
greeted by a bullet which passed through his
leg and the second man, a negro, fell as if
dead from bullet which struck him. On the
! floor was found Mr.. w. p Evans dead, with
bullet hole through his head, and his left
4 &humb shot off. Across from him in a recun-
1 bent position, but resting on an elbow, was Mr.
". r. Williams, with bullet hole two inches
under his left nipple, and his left hand Shot to
pieces.
Mr., Williams was in the agony of death and
unable to speak, while his antagonist was dead
and beyond speech Among the first to reach
the spot was Mrs Williams, who had been out
visiting. The scene, when she beheld her hus-
hand in the throes of death, was pitiable Sho
flung herself upon his PROSTATE body and gave
way to the most violent grief. The coroner
arrived and took charge of the bodies. but de-
cided as Mr.. Williams was dead before a jury
could be impaneled, that an Investigation
was unnecessary.
The best information obtainable makes
/ Evans the aggressor. Evans was the son-n-law
of ex-She1iGf Pink Stephens. of Cobb county,
Georgia; and for two years past has been lead
ing somewhat dissolute life. Some time ago
he got into a row in Oxford with a man named
Knighton, and killed him The crime bore
heavily on his mind With his wife and two
children he went to board in the Parker house.
where he staid until about q week ago. One
day Mr.. Williams, who was the proprietor of
the hotel, called him aside, and an al ny in
tervieW the subject Of which has never been
divulged, took place. That evening Evans
left the hotel, VoWing vengeance on Will
liams
Today, as has been his custom of late,
Evans became drunk again. although this is
seen entering the Parker house, where Mr..
Williams was alone. Almost instantly the
firing began, and when the people rushed in,
as already stated, both men were unable to
shed light upon tho tragedy The fact is con-
coded, however, that Evans must have fired
first a young man, named Thomas
Gamble, who was attempting TO prevent the
trouble was shot in the leg below the knee,
but was not seriously hurt. A colored man who
was passing at the time, also received slight
wound in the leg. The trouble grew out of q
statement made by Williams to Evans, in ref
erence 10 the iniidelity of his wife, which
Evans refused to believe.
The Hot Blast, of Admission, after pre-
senting the same story as HE Cons TITUTIoN
says:
save him; he was already dead Mr.. Williams
LeGrand Billiard Wynne and Ayres and Dr. over
ton, who is stopping at the Parker house. He be-
came unconscious almost Immediately after being
laid on the bed, and the examination made by the
physicians soon made 1t apparent that the unor-
tunate man had but short While to live He called
for his wife AMI seem d to know her. but was unable
agony. He fingered for about three quarters of an
hour, and Just before the last seemed to rally and
stricken woman had left the room, overcome by her
terrible VICE. but she again appeared at the bedside
of her dying husband, when he reused up and told
her that he was dying. Mrs. Williams was almost
completely overcome but choking back her tears,
she asked him if he was PREPARED to die The
heart ceased to beat He was dead.
The examination showed that Mr. Williams had
received wound in the left side, about three inches
below and to the left of the nipple sustaining in
ternal injury, from which he died. The middle fin
ger on his Lett handswas also broken by'a ball
The pistols show that nine cartridges were eX-
ploded. 1t seems to be pretty well settled that
Evans flied the frs shot but whether it this
shot that took effect in WIliamss Lody or not will
forever remain d mystery. The superstition is that
pocket. After several shots had been fired almost
In each others faces the two men cinched and fell
AS no wounds found on Evans other than
broken thumb and one in the back of the head just
at the base of his bTan lie could have had no NOR
tai wound at the time when the two men elinched
Williams had already received his death wound,
but in spite of the terrible agony he must have been
suffering he threw Evans and before the latter could
head and put an end to the awful duel.
SO close did Williams place his pistol to Evans
explosion, and was smoking when the crowd lush
edin The back of Evans head presented most
awful spectacle the wound having bled profusely,
and his head lay in pool of blood Some one had,
IN the meantime, sentlior Evanss wlieand the grief
OF the unfortunate wife was terrible 10 behold.
The difficulty which led to the tragedy is of so
delicate Il nature, and Is complicated by so many
assertions and denlaIs, that Il is almost Impossible
to give the exact facts. AS as il possible to
learn, howeN en- the following about covers the
case:
1t seems that Evans and his wife lave been board
ing at the Parker house, but LETT there on Wenes-
day. From information which lie obtained Mr..
Williams suspected that Mrs. Evans was receiv-
ing improper attention from another man. To
gether Williams and Evans confronted Mrs. Evans
and the young man in question and taxed him
with il. The charge was denied, Evans was appar-
emily satisfied and Williams withdrew the charge,
but offended Evans by saying that he wished him
TO cave the house anyway.
Tuat same evening" Tuesday Evans got drunk,
and abOut Il o'clock at night went to Williams
door aud raped, carrying pistol in his hand, and
announcing lis determination to kill Williams on
sight The latter did moi come out of his room, and
Evans went Gown stars and sat in a clair with his
pistol in lis hand lie was finally induced 10 go TO
bed The following daJ he went t. jacksonville
and came bacl, ye.teJIay very drunk.
The Hot Blast las no Gesire to publish matters Of
scandalous nature, and only gives the above as
news, which il is is duty to chronicle,
The friends o! the young man connected with the
affair claim that he is entirely innocent Of all
blame, and that the true was difficulty be-
tween Mrs Evans and female domestic at the
Parker house, who reported to Mrs Ailliams the
alleged improper conduct said to have occurred,
but afterwards denied it,