Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-03-01
A STRUGGLE UNTO DEATH.
TERRIBLE COMBAT oFTHREE WEST
VIRGINIANS ON A LONELY
MOUNTAIN ROAD.

VIRGINIANS ON A LONELY
MOUNTAIN ROAD.
A dispatch from Romney, w.
Va, to the Baltimore American of
last Friday says:
A double tragedy occurred in
the woods five miles from here this
morning. Oscar Evans, a farm
hanc, shot John Hoke and Jacob
Kirby. The last named died a few
moments after the shooting. Hoke
lies in a critical condition. Evans,
who heretofore has been regarded
as an easy going business man, has
been arrested. The men had
quarrel some time ago over the
amount OF their respective shares
for making stretch of road
About a week ago IIOke and Evans
met while hauling bark, aud Hoke,
jumping from his wagon, horse.
whipped Evans.
The fight between the three
men, Hoke and Kirby against
Evans, was a terribly bloody one.
1t took place In wild, lonely spot
on the Big Mountain, south OF
here. No one was near to inter
fere, and the three men fought to
the bitter end.
Evans, after the whipping he re-
ceived at the hands OF Hoke, pro-
vded himself with a large, old
fashioned army revolver, which he
loaded and carried in his oYercOat
pocket.
The morning Evans was driving
up the mountain road with heavy
load of bark, when his horses
stalled. While he was trying to
urge the animals on Hoke and
Kirby came along, and ordered
him to move ont of the way
Evans declared his inability to
move, and an angry dispute fol-
lowed. According to EN ans story,
HOke and Kirby advanced to
attack him. Evans shot Kirby
twice through the body, and he
then fired at Hoke, but missed
him. They grappled, and terri
BILE struggle began. Evans was
finally thrown to the ground, al
most beneath the feet of his horse.
Holding him down by the throat,
IIoke shouted to Kirby, who was
lying on the ground some yards
away, to come and help him.
Evens was nearly choking
beneath the clutches OF Hoke's
fingers at his throat, when Kirby,
with the blood streaming from his
wounds, unclasped his knife and
staggered towards the struggling
men. Evans could see the blade
Of the long knife glitter as Kirby,
raising it high above his head,
dragged himself forward, having
fallen on his knees from faintness
when within few feet of them
Though in the throes of death him
sell, Kirby made one desperate
effort to strike the man who had
shot him, but az he reached the
PROSTATE man he gave groan aud
tell over dead.
HOke taking one Of his hands
from Evans throat, reached out
to get the knife from the dead
mans clutch, when Evans sud
denly turned over, and, by quick
movement, released himself, aud
picking up his revolver fired just
as Hoke rushed upon him with the
knife. The ball entered Hoke's
body Just below the heart. The
men clinched again in another life.
and.death struggle. HOGe dropped
the knife, but Evans chung to his
revolver with one hand, while with
the other he tried to disengage
himself from the hold of HOke.-
Finally, he succeeded IN breaking
away and firing again, this time
the ball entering the right leg of
IIoke. The first shot, however,
had so weakened HOke that he
rolled over as though dead, and
Evans then beat him over the head
and face with the butt of his re-
vOlver. He believed he had killed
him, when leaving the PROSTATE
form on the road, Evans came to
town, told the story Of the terrible
encounter, and gave himself up to
the authorities.
IOke, however, was not dead,
but, after Evans left him, recover
ed sufficiently to get on his horse
and attempt to ride to town. He
did not get far before he dropped
from his horse and was removed to
a farmhouse close by, where he
now lies in a serious condition.
The above story of the tragedy
is in substance that told by Evans.
Hoke tells different story. He
says that Kirby and himself were
IN their respective wagons all the
time, and were first attacked by
Evans.