The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-04-30
SENSATIONAL MURDER.
TRAGIC END coF.A FAMILY Feup AT
ELJzAeeIHToWN, Ky.

A Brother wreahs Vengeance on His sis-
ter's slayer-wiuiam showers Head
Torn TO Pieces by Dozen Buckshot,
His Hand.
EL1zABETHTowN, KY, April 29.-A
long and bitter feud which has existed
between two prominent families of this
city ever since the sensational murder
of Mrs. William Showers, two years
ago, eliminated yesterday in the violent
death of Showers at the hands of his
wife's brother, Charles Moore. The
two men met in the court house corri-
dor, and Showers had his head torn to
pieces by the buckshot Of the gun which
Moore carried. Three years ago Will
lam Showers eloped with and married
Lena Moore, the only daughter of o
prominent family of this city. On ac-
count of the dissipated habits of Show
ers, the marriage was violently opposed
by the girls mother and brother, her
| father being dead, Miss Moore was
| about 1S years of age beautiful highly
| educated and refined. After the mar
| riage Showers and his wife returned to
| Elizabethtown. and soon after took
/ charge of the Showers house, the princi-
| pal hotel of the place, and which be-
| longed to his family. The young wife,
| however, had been accustomed to ad-
| miration. and soon excited her husbands
| jealousy by attentions which her beauty
| attracted from guests of the establish
ment, and the newly married couple had
bitter quarrels.
Mrs. showers Death.
One morning after breakfast Showers
ran up to awaken his wife, and a mo-
ment later pistol-shot, followed by
scream, came from their room. The
Moore family rushed to the chamber to
find the girl-wife lfeless upon the floor
with the blood pouring from wound in
the temple. Showers declared that he
| arrived at the room Just as his wife shot
| herself, and that her death was either
| from accident or suicide. The Moore
family, however, declared it murder,
and had Showers indicted. A bitterly
fought trial resulted, which divided the
community into two factions. Showers
was acquitted, and the Moore family
were bankrupt by the expenses of the
prosecution. Charles Moore was dep
uty circuit clerk, and it was charged
had defrauded the state of $1,000 in wit
ness claims. Moore fed to Texas, and
Showers offered $500 for his apprehen-
sion. About three months ago Texas
officer arrested Moore at Eagle Pass, and
returned him to Elizabethtown. Sym
pathy for Moore, however, was SO
strong that the case was dropped, and
he has lived there undisturbed except by
| hn thof hn ChnT1l Id
either go to the penitentiary or the
grave. Showers tried to get the officers
to issue warrants for Moores arrest, but
in vain.
The Fatal Encounter.
Yesterday morning the two men met on
the street and showers denounced his
enemy in the bitterest language. Moore
did not reply, but walked quietly down
the street, walked into a store where he
had left a shotgun, dropped nine buck
shot upon the charge of powder in each
barrel, and went up the street to the
court house. AS ne entered the front
door Of the long hall Showers came out
of one of the offices, walking toward
him. Each reached for his weapon.
Quick as fash Showers pistol came to
the level, but at that instant the report
of the shotgun reverberated through the
building and the echo mingled with the
sound of the discharge from the other
barrel. Showers fell forward on his
face dead, his head perforated by a
dozen buckshot. His hand still clutched
in a death grip the uneXploded pistol.
Moore looked at his prostrate enemy,
and then shouldering his gun walked
across to the Jail and surrendered. The
coroner held an inquest and gave the
following verdict:
We, the jury, find that the deceased
| William Showers, came TO his death by a
gunshot wound fired by the hand OF
Charles Moore, in the court house, on the
morning of April q.
There was very little surprise, as the
people had expected bloody finale OF
the feud.