The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1889-07-24
A SUNDAY MURDER !
A Young Pirsburgher Shot
in a Fishing Camp
near Confluence.
THE MURDERER PROMPTLY Ar
RESTED AND LODGED IN
THE COUNTY JAIL
AvlcTim or JOHN sAaLEscoRN

( st4ate ui ADnu0enct bOro1En. h41 1rrsFed
on the eariy morning train, having in cus,o-
dy a young man charged with nouraer.
From tie Constable il Was learned that n
parry Of young men from Pitisbnrrh bad
bern camping near the town Of Confluence,
ard that halfdozen friends Of theirs from
the city had come up Saturday night TO
spend Sunday in camp bringing keg Of
lager beer Vith them that eight had oc-
cured during the day in which young
nan named Seots had been killed. The
Z osHcsrs were unable % furnish any Farticu-
/ Isrs and cur reporter took the losl6 train FOR
the scene Of the tragedy. Arriving in Con-
f-enoe he soon learned that the campers
were AZ the hotel having broken camp the
night bef5re, and that the Sunday visitors
lad accompanied The body OF their murder
ed friend down to the city on the early
morning train
The young men we're al dumb as oys-
iers when oEr reporter iirst sought an IN
isryiex with them. merely saying that they
we're under boud for their aPpearance at
court and wouId tel their story when
I brought before that tnbanal. Two OF the
! parry. however. followed the writer to the
ol1.oe or Esquire GroE, and in the presence
Of that ofsoer and Districi-Attcrney Bicseck-
G. opened tiieis tbink-tsnks
STORY o. rHE caMPEEs-
oar camp was knO~n ss the Eureka
+ Fishing Club and ibis Is the fourth sum
( 1uer thai xe have osmpcd near ConfEenne
1 There are only SIX niesubers Of the club.
Rooeri Roseburs, Jas. i4occk. Nm Czld-
/ web, II, Geo Harper. ciazs. B. Myier. Jr-.
OF Ailegheny; Harry 1. Knor, Jr. Of
Z Pittsburgh We brought James Lehr and
Z Charles Barclay along as cooks. and had
1 been in camp for week along the banks OF
I the Casselusn river on the farm OF Hiram
4 Frznsz. We had invited six Of our Pitts
burgh friends to spend Sunday with Us N
camp. They were " D. Marshall. Thos.
W. Asbiu. Marcus Eicheniaub, Chas- c.
Kursz. Chas. H. ssou, Of Pittsburgh Gus.
/ stranb, Of Allegheny City.
They came up Saturday evening and
{ brought two kegs Of beer with them.
( The beer was taken to camp and put in
( the water ranning from the spring, to cool.
Both kegs were tapped ES they were Of diff
+ ferent brands Several strangers came TO
camp Sunday and drank oi the beer. No
Z person was drunk. bat in the afternoon
Iehr, the cook, got 70 acting very ugly and
/ cls.imed sll the beer a. his properly. Offering
I 20 pay for IL Iehr bowed around = good
E bii and some Of Tie campers fuAlly told our
visitors that they had better 90 to town. As
there would De tnoubss with the fellow if
they stayed. Meanwhile one Of the boys
had gone 10 where the beer was cooling and
kioked the sPiggOts oui Of the kegs and al
loEed lie beer to run away. Lehr didnt
appear 10 be al all drunk and started 70 pre-
lare supper, where. it is believed that Bar
cay. the assistant cook. told him that the
beer bad been allowed 10 nln away. Lshr
rzn 20 the spring. only few rods away, and
finding thai it vas rae, came running back
70 camp With his revolver in hand. eIclaim-
ing thar he would kill the So Of b.
that done IL A iex minutes before this
he had thrust his reyOlye, IN young kurtz's
face. who had gone 10 the spring for Ezier,
saying: You S. OF b. get ouI Of
this or IN shoot you He claimed ali the
beer as his own and had ordered all The
boys rot 10 touch il.
When Iehr came running Up from the
spring be cried after Scott. who Sas the last
TO leave camp and was making his way for
The farmhouse Of M France
Where are you going
Up 10 Frances ior water, Scott replied.
What have you 10 put Hinys
"The boys ahead have the bucket"
We'll. you can't gO-
TnE FATAL SHOT,
Lehr tllen went towards tie cook she'd
and minute Afterwards fred two shots
from lis revolver afer S,oti- Scoit reiarnei
both shots as he hurried up the hill, darling
from one fence corner 10 another while
L.ehr concealed himself behind the trunk Of
a grezs maple. When near the top Of The
hiii and not less than $50 yards frosn where
Lehr was stationed ScoIi starred 10 cross tie
lane leading TO the camp. when the sharp
crack Of a revolver again sounded on the
quiet Sabbath air and Scotl was seen to
throw up his hands and fAll forward on the
ground
His companions vino saw him fan were
terrified and hurried On their way towards
Conhaance with renewed yigor. Oae OF
the young campers met several iaiies driv-
ing towards toxn and begged them for Gods
sake 10 let him have their team that he
might 20 for physician and an offiosr saying
THAT one Of his companions lad been muir
dened- Tie ladies rrf1sed his request. buE
pGiting whip 10 Their horse were sOon in
Tie village. where they gave the alarm
Dr. Hchintr. Mr IIisginboih2m and
Chas. Mitchell were soon on tbsir way 70
camp, which is in the borough limits and
stiil mile distant from town. Arriving al
the lane leslaing 70 The sesnoe Of the tragedy
they we're MT py IbuS. Little, tie borough
ooilstable. and together they proceeded to-
wards the camp. Just al Ihe edge Of the
grove il which The tents were pitched they
discovered The body of young soo,t lying
acrUss lhe rad where he had fzllen. he
wzs lying IN his stomach, his arms out
stretched, n bile in bis right hand be heid
small. ehesp revolver. Dr. fiCiEEnsr sagges-
TED thai they hAl better l0Ok sor the man
who did the sssootins before he made hss
escape. and notwithstanding tie protests Of
several Of The campers. who had re;urued TO
the scene by this time. and who we're fearful
that Lehr would ,hooi any one who might
enter the camp, the Dr. and the constable
made their say 10 the tents Iehr was
found czrelessly Poking up the fire in 'front.'
Of The oook shed and xhen tie constable
and his party came up remarked, you are
loo<ing ziier me
EEYE EEES HAVING A PRETTY LIVELY TTxE
Up HERE
Do you know that you have killed
man - asked one Of the party. No. !
wo1Idn', Kill man for athoasaad dollars,
was the careless reply.
Wei. yoa have and we've got warrAn.
for your arrest said The constable. and
you mast 60 wiih rs
Lehr offered no resistance whatever and
zas taken into custOdy by the constable and
va brought 70 Somerset on the hrst train
and lodged in jail.
When Lehr ~as arrested DO weapon was
fos.nd On bis person. Il Is reported ihsi
after be had fred the E4tal shot he reioa5ed
the revolver and put II in young Lacock's
pocket Lacock 81 first refused 10 keep H.
but Isshr urged him 70 saying that he didn't
want a revolver found on his person. When