The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-09

a shooting ARRAY at the Union Depot
yesterday noon created considerable
excitement. II. Il. oliver, agent for
the Eureka Detective Agency and the
Union News Company. got into an alter
cation with Il. X. Blanton, a clerk in
the Louisville Coal and Coke Company's
store at clipping, Mercer county, West
Virginia, and shot him, infiicting a
serious wound.
Noticing large crowd on the west
side of jefferson street, near Salem
avenue yesterday about noon. q TIMES
reporter hurried there, and ascertained
that the cause of the excitement was
the shooting of n man at the Union De-
pot lew minutes previous. Learning
that the wounded man was in DR.. W.
w. Buffers Office, on the second floor of
the Kirk building, the TIMES represents
alive hurried up stairs, and. stretched
on lounge, saw what he supposed was
man dangerously wounded.
There was an ugly looking wound on
the left side just above the hip. and as
the doctor probcd for the bullet it was
at first difficult for the uninitiated to
determine whether the ball had pcnc-
trated or been DETECTED towards the
spinal column In short time the sur
| geon aScertaincd that the ball instead
Oh penetrating the abdominal cavity,
had passed underneath the muscles to-
wards the spine, Il short distance from
which 1T was soon afterwards very skill
fully and successfully extracted.
The patient bore the pain of the search
for the ball and the operation of extract
n l,.k,, 1.l--
the ball was removed got up and was
able, with but little assistance, to walk
about the room.
1T was ascertained that the wounded
man, in company with a number of com
panlons, was on his way. on train No. t.
to Lynchburg to attend the fair now in
progress there. 1t appears he was occu-
| plying the whole of one scat and was an
preached by oliver with the request
that he make room for some of the other
| passengers.
Blanton resented this suggestion and,
it is claimed, struck Mr.. oliver a ter
rifle blow over the right eye with brass
knuckles, knocking him backwards en-
tirely over one seat. AS he arose, Mr..
oliver drew his revolver. a 3S-calibre
Smith IL Wesson, and fired one shot.
| BlantOn walked out of the train into
| the reception room and remained there
until he was conveyed to the office of
DR.. Butler, nearly two blocks distant.
In the meantime Officer Ware, who had
heard the report of the pistol and seen
the smoke. rushed into the car and ar
rested oliver, who was taken to the
calaboosc, from which he was later,,re-
| leased by Justice IIowerton on giving
| bail.
a TIMES reporter talked with oliver
| whit. he WAS a pri conpr and In rro vc tl,o
following version of the affair. lie said
Blanton was lolling on the scat and he
remarked in fun to him that it would
be better to divide it with some of his
fellow passengers than to he lying down
like drunken man. On this Hlanton
rose up and asked him with an oath if
he meant to say that he was drunk. He
replied he would not by any means
make such an assertion, but that man
could sometimes act like drunken
man when he was not in the least in
toXicated.
! He had no sooner said this than Blan-
ton, who wore sack coat, put his hand
in his pocket and struck him terrific
blow over the eye with a pair of brass
knucklcs. lie was knocked backward
over two seats, and Blanton was prcpar-
| ing to follow up the attack, but. recoy-
cring himself, he drew his revolver and
| fired one shot at his opponent, who, as
soon as he drew the pistol, was attempt
ing to get out of the reach of danger.
| lie said he aimed at Blanton's legs, as
! he had no desire to kill him. Blanton,
after the Shot was fired, escaped from
the car at rapid pace, while oliver was
arrested by Officer Ware and taken to
the police station.
AS the wound on his forehead was
covered by a bandagc the reporter asked
him if the cut was deep one. II
should think it was said he, '.as Dr.
Luck had to sew it up" The reporter
admitted that the wound then must be
worse than he had supposed.
At last accounts I}lanton was resting
quietly at the Earl House. on Salem
avenue, where he is carefully guarded.
Previous to his removal to that place
he was searched, and on his person were
found an ugly looking pair of brass
knuckles and very sharp and bright
stillctto. From this it would appear
that oliver made very narrow escape
The case is set for hearing before JUS
tice liowerton this morning.
| The parties to the ARRAY had a pre-
liminary hearing before Justice Hover
ton yesterday evening and we're adj
mitted to bail in the sum of 5000 each
for their appearance before him on
Saturday morning next at II o'clock
Mcssrs. X. III. Day and Josiah Friend be-
ing Ollivers sureties and Mr.. +. H.
Thomas being security for Blanton
The latter appeared very pale ard weak
and seemed To be suffering considerably
from his wound. which no doubt will be
very sore and painful by this morning
In conversation with the rpnortpr