Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-22
SHOOTING ARRAY.
WINFIELD SLATER AND VEL
LINGT0N STARNES DISAGREE
ABOUT CHICKENS.
And Engage in Little Pistol Practice
that Promises to Result Fatally to
the Former. Starnes Under
Arrest


Yesterday afternoon, about 2:30 O'Clock,
| Winfield Scoot Slater, colored man,
| was shot and MORALLY wounded by Well
ington Starnes, another colored man.
The trouble that led to the tragedy seems
to be of long standing. The two men were
neighbors, Starnes living with his wife
and three children at $40 North Water;
Slater with his landlady, Mrs. Smith,
the next door south. A few days ago they
had some trouble over that old time neigh
borly chickens in the garden racket Yester-
| day afternoon they met almost in front of
the old Benevolent Home and the racket
was renewed. Starnes, it appears, accused
Slater of poisoning his chickens. which
had died some time before The latter
denied it and Starnes said that he knew
no one else mean enough to do it. He
commenced the firing. The first shot was
| fired when the two men were standing
having his side toward Starnes and the
ball made BUTTE slight flesh wound just
over the heart. =
Slater then dropped the re-
Yolver which he had in his
hand and turning ran towards Main street
closely pursued by Starnes who continued
to fire at him.
ST. tier reaching the Richie boarding
house about midway between Central and
Third of Main went within and told Mrs.
Retchie that he had been shot. She in
sisted upon his lying down, but he refused
to do so, saying that he had not as yet
commenced bleeding
Drs Fordice and Van Nuvs were sent
for and they arriving commenced an eX-
animation of the wounds. Slater rally
| ing, hweyer, desired before anything
further was done that he be taken to his
home. His request was granted and being
placed upon cot he was carried by his
friends to his home when the physicians.
| together with DR.. Fabrique, rene wed their
examination.
The flesh wound upon the breast was
| found to be Of little Importance. The two
wounds received as he ran away are the
ones most feared. In neither of them
could the ball be found although the
holes made were in each case sufficiently
! large to admit with ease the finger
of the examining physician. The exact
course of the ball is not known and but a
matter of conjecture. The wounded man
showed considerable grit under the painful
| examination.
Starnes, as soon as he saw what he had
done, ran into his home and handing his
revolver to his wife hurried to Justice
| keenan's Office and gave himself into Gus
| tody.
"Well, am here to give myself up" he
said as he came into the constable's rooms.
"What have you done?" inquired Cone
KILLED a man L guess" was the reply.
The constable then put his prisoner into
| buggy, and taking him up to the county
| jail, locked him up.
| He directed the officer to 90 to his home
and get the revolver with which he did the
shooting. 1t is 44-calibre English bull
| dog, and a rather dangerous looking
weapon. There was but one loaded cart
ridge in the cylinder, all the others having
been discharged.
| Officer Glover had the revolver
dropped by Slater. 1t was found
near the place where the shooting oc-
Cured and was rather a mild ap-
pearing weapon. about a 32-calibre, and
did not look like it could have killed man
even if fired at him.
Slattery, the wounded man, is about
| forty years of age and plasterer by trade.
| He was a married man but he and his
wife are at present living apart.
! The house in which he lives
| is his own and is occupied
by Mrs. Smith as boarding house. His
married daughter also lives with him.
| Starnes' wife is a step-daughter of Thos.
Banks and was yesterday in very precar-
| ious condition. She is so fair as to be fire.
uuently taken for white woman. They
| have three children, the oldest apparently
not over ten.
Starnes claims that the act was done in
self defense. He said that Slater attempt
| ed to draw his revolver and that he be-
| lieved that he would have been killed If he
! had not shot him rs he did.
At the hour of going to press Slattery
was still alive, but fears are entertained
| that he would not live until morning.
| ABOUT THE LITTLE RIVER COFFIN.