The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-03-29
Fatal Result of a Quarrel.
WILLIAM SPENCER KILLED.
ALBERT f.. CUGLUM UNDER ARREST
PARTICULARS OF THE TRAGEDY.
From the baltimore Sun.

From the Baltimore Sun.
William A r. Spencer aged 81 years, was
shot aud instantly killed about O'Clock Mon
day afternoon in front of Albert +. Cullum's
tavern, near the GunpOwder bridge, on tho
Philadelphia pike, about fifteen miles from
Baltimore. Albert Culum has been arrested and
lodged in the jail at IOwSontDwn, charged with
firing the fatal shot with a double barrel gun
The quarrel began earlier in the day ut q sale
held at the store and saloon of the late Phineas
b. Pyle, which is also on the Philadelphia road
aud about a mile from the scene of the shoot.
ing. The first participants were a farmer OF
the neigh borhOod named John Price, In whose
employ young Spencer was, and Albert +. Gut
luuI, VITO Is accused OF firing the fatal shot.
| The two men, eye witnesses state, were rival
bidders for a pair OF trousers at the sale at
Pyle'' store, and Cullun accused Price of run
nInT up the cost on him, a charge which Price
promptly denied. y light, it il stated, ensued.
auG Price was struck, but retaiated by knock.
lug tulium down. Young Spencer and other
frlrnds OF Price, as well as those of Cullum. in
teieted aud separated the belligereuts. Cullum
was advised to 30 home and he needed the
counsel, but returned later, it is stated, with a
dOuO e.barrel shotgun, pistol and bowie
knife Constable Knight, of the eleventh dis
trict, again advised him TO leave, and again
Cullum returned home.
shortly before o'clock Price and Spcncsr
left Pylr's store and started home, As they
passed CuIums tavern, II Is said, they were
hailed by him, and Price was asked If he hgr
bored any ill-ieelng for the ARRAY of the after
noon. Cullum followed up the negative renIv
he received with an Invitation to both nen To
take a drink. Spencer expressed a wish that
boz men should settle their difference by TAX
ing drink WIN MIN, and this invitation was
accepted. Witnesses disagree as to the NUN bar
otdrlnks taken in the saloon. One saws that
as soon as the men had taken their drink with
Spencer Price and Spencer started to leave the
place. aud that Cullum tried to stab Price in
the back. Spencer again interfcred and vrest
cd the knife from his grasp, at the same time
putting Cullum in room communicating win
the saloon, from which he escaped and shot
Spencer with double-barrel gun as the latter
was on the point of entering the bury into
which he had already induced Price to seat him
self Mi John GrasOn, Cullum's counsel. saws
that all three men drank literally in the saloon :.
that the quarrel of the afternoon was renewed
and that Price knocked Cullum down Then. il
is stated, knife was drawn, and some
one threatened to kill Cullum, who, in
the meantime had been induced by his son TO
enter the house. There it is stated, he was
again attacked, and he pushed the barrel of his
gun through the partly-open door and fired
Killing Spencer instantly. pistol was also
displayed in the melee.
Inc charge Of shot passed entirely through
spencer's body from right to left. Cuum was
arrested by Constable w. II. Knight aud com.
united to Jail by Justice Patrick Bradley
An Inquest was held, Mr.. John Grason his
counsel, advised him to make no statement of
the aiIrhy. CuIlum lately owned q farm near
Pcrryman, Hartford county, where he WAS en-
gagged in canning. He moved TO Baltimore
county about five months ago, The store and
saloon he conducted being purchased by his
father. lie is - years ofage.
Young Spencer's funeral took place on We'd
nesday, from the house Of his step-father, Mr..
w. Scott Stamford, al Clayton. He was buried
Al the Mountain Christian Church. Spencer had
two brothers, Edward Spencer, who lives in
the county, and George Il. Spencer, q can-mal1-
Ell of this city. lie wac a barrelmaker BY trade.
Phineas b. Pyle, at whose store the quarrel
originated, his wife aud his daughter, have al |
died within the past few mouths.
A Baltimore Sun reporter had q talk with
Cullum, in Towsontown Jail, on Wednesday
His face and head were cut and dlsigured
He claimed that the shooting was entirely in
selt'defense, and that there could be nothing
against him; that lie was q peaceable man and
had never been in custody before. lie seemed
to be quite weak and nervous, and said that he
had been sick for several months. He had not
been drinking much, he said, before the tragedy,
but went to drinking heayi y after the shooting
occurred. lie seemed to be badly in want OF
some stimulaut during the conversation and
appealed to Sheriff Tracey to give him Il drink
of whisky, aud asked that some Of the prison
ers lie allowed to watch and nurse him; that
he was sick man, and at times was not able
10 get up atone. lie sald IN LIS appeal Ter
liquor that lie had always been accustomed TO
drinking ever since IA small child but not to ex-
cess. Cuilum claimed that before he fired the
gun he had been beaten on the porch into an
nBcnslble condition by several men, and that
his wife and sOn pulled him into the house,
that the men followed HIM up and pushed open
the door while his son was trying 10 close it,
aud that when the door was pushed open he
flied the gun. He said that the disturbance be-
gan at the sale, IA stated in the Sun, that man
named Price, with whom lie had not been pre-
vously acquainted, bid on some article upon
which lie had been bidding, and that lie said to
Price not 10 run up anything on him aud lie
would net run up anything on Price AT this
| Price, who was in company with young Spencer,
beCaEIG very abusive and Cult then told him
| that he would not bid any more. Cullum SAL
! he did not ask the men to take drink. While
nanatng the occurrence Cullum spoke hest.
tatingly, and stopped at times to think and col
! eCt hs thoughts. lie seemed to be worried
| about having to remain in Jail, and hoped his
case would be disposed of ut the present term
Of the County Court. Culum admitted that
| he struck at Price before Price struck him, and
claimed that Price used steel knuckles, as he
| thought but that his son said that Price had a
pistol in his hand. He struck at Price because
lie called him such bad names.
Two or three witnesses 10 the ARRAY do not
corroborate Cullum in what he says us to self
defense.
In compliance with an order passed by Judge
Waters, post mortem examination was made
Wednesday morning upon the body of young
! Spencer, under the direction of Deputy Sheriff
Eistesu, of Baltimore county, by DR.. Massen.
| berg, OF Towsontuwn. The Doctor found that
the load from the gun entered under the right
arm, passing down through the right lung,
acros. to the left side, passing through the
heart and lower part of the left lung, and came
out near the first rib on the left side. The Doc.
tor thinks from the nature Of the wound, that
the gun must have been very close up TO the
body when it was fired, and that death resulted
50 quickly that the deceased scarcely heard the
gun go oil at all. Spencer is said to have been
very spare and delicate man. The homicide
was very generally discussed in the neighbor.
hood OF the tragedy yesterday, and there was
Il division of sentiment AS to the blame to be at.
tached to Cullum.
Our Bush River Neck Letter.