Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-11-15
A Story Of Horror.

tional tragedies ever enacted in Vir
ginia occurred at Brownsburg, in
Rockingham county, last Friday. II
was a sudden and bloody episode
that took place in the midst of q
judicial proceeding instituted for the
preservation of peace and good order
in an eminently law-abiding commu,
nity,: but in the very presence of the
justice who heard the peace case, two
persons were butchered, another was
so badly wounded that he died in ten
hours after the affray, a third was
MORALLY wounded and two others
were hurt. The distressing feature
of the whole is that modest and in
nocent woman was cruelty shot to
death beside her husband, who had
been rendered helpless in the fight.
Bad as the other features Of the
slaughter were, her murder, in cold
blood, is the one episode Of the trag-
edy which naturally excites the
greatest indignation and resentment
in the community.
The trouble began with a gross
insult offered this unfortunate lady in
her own house while her husband
was sick. Henry Miller it is stated,
went on Wednesday to Dr. Zachariah
5. Walkers house, in Brownsburg,
for medicine, which Mrs. Walker com
pounded in the surgery, and while do
ing so Miller ATTEMPTED TO kiss her,
offering other indignities, which were
repulsed. She refrained from telling
her husband until Friday morning
last, when he was well.
The information naturally made
DIR. Walker very angry, and he
started out with a colored man-ser-
want and shotgun to kill, letting it
be generally known that he intended
to shoot on sight Towards noon
Henry Miller heard of the matter and
procured warrant from Justice Z.
b. Bosworth, and it was in the hear
ing of this peace case before the mag
istrate that the tragedy took place.
The magistrate heard both sides Of
the peace case, and Mrs. Walker had
to corroborate the statement that her
husband had threatened the life of
the complainant. The justice said he
would require DR.. Walker to give
bail in $500 to- keep the peace for
twelve months.
On refusal to do this, the justice
said there was no alternative but to
send him to Jail, much as he disliked
personally to do SO. DIR. Walker re-
piled: That's what | want you to
do, but would like to get my dinner
before going" This was agreed to,
and Dr. Walker said: There is one
other request | wish to make, and
that is to be allowed to slap Henry in
the face" OF course the justice told
him that could not be done there,
but DR.. Walker persisted that he
would do SO, and, rising, he put his
hand TO his hip pocket and drew re-
volver.
This weapon he seemed to be try
ing to cock when David Miller, son
of the complainant, wrenched the
pistol from him. Instantly there was
a shuttle of feet on the floor and a
rush of parties together and great eX-
element, and then q pistol shot was
fired in the room. Mr.. A. Gould,
who was an eyewitness and the first
to advance to the aid of DR.. Walker,
says David Miller fired this shot and
that the bullet struck DIR. Walker in
the back. There is good reason to
suppose that DIR. Walker was
wounded with his own pistol.
Justice Bosworth says the scene in
the room was indescribable Every
one seemed to be more or less invol-
we'd in it, either as peacemaker or an
tagonist. Pistol shots were rapidly
fired, men were striking or menacing
each other with uplifted chairs, and
when the firing got hot a few ran out
of the room Mr.. Gould says when
E,nI ha
ran forward with chair to strike
down David Miller, but was quickly
surrounded and defeated in the pur-
pose. Justice Bosworth says the
first thing he saw was Dr. Walker
stabbing Henry Miller with a large
dirk-knife, dealing deadly blows with
unstinted vigor.
DR.. Walker held his enemy in his
arms part of the time while he stab
bed and stabbed. They were both
powerful men and remarkably strong,
the Doctor being about So years of
age and Miller about go or 20. The
blows which the Doctor gave caused
Miller to turn pale, to reel and fall
backwards. DR.. Walker then crossed
the room to bench resting against
the side of the wall, on which he laid
down.
Mrs. Walker, who had been in the
extreme corner opposite, went to her
husbands side, and taking a bottle
of salvolatile from handbag she
carried, bent over her husband and
administered the restorative. While
she was doing this wifely and woman
ly act she received n fatal pistol-shot,
and slipping down beside the bench
where her husband lay, died in a
sitting position. DR.. Walker, in his
solicitude for his wife, managed TO
get down from the bench to the floor,
and was lying there beside her when
he received the pistol shot which
caused his death. Justice Boswell
age, son of Henry Miller, go to DR..
Walker, as he lay beside his dead
wife, and shoot him. Some witnesses
say VIM. Miller stood over the pros
trate pair and poured three or four
shots right into DIR. Walker as he lay
on the floor helpless beside his wife.
Mr. Gould corroborates the state
ment and says he interposed and
tried to shame VIM. Miller, begging
him not to shoot a dying man, and
that he walked away after discharg-
ing the weapon three times. Henry
Mccormick and John b. Lavelle both
say that James Miller, one of the
brothers present with their father,
killed Mrs. Walker These witnesses
state that James Miller said: You
caused the death of my father and
you shall all die together"
1t is thought that ID. o. Miller will
also die, as he has a dangerous
wound in the back Two other men
were slightly injured. AS may well
be imagined the community in which