, 1891-02-24
BLOODY STREET FIGHT
A Terrible Tragedy on the
Streets of Columbus, 0.
Two Men Killed and Four
Others Wounded.
The Fight the Outcome of a
Newspaper War
Fatal Street Fight.

COLUMBUS, Feb. ga shooting
occurred on the most crowded portion OF
High street today, in which about fifteen
shots we're fred. Shots were exchanged
by WI. Elliot OF the Sunday Capital,
and A. G. Osborne ofthe Sunday World,
and grew out of an exchange of SANDER
Gus articles. A ~bYstander named Hughes
was shot through the head and died
instantly. Osborne was shot through the
head and died soon after. A brother of
W. j. Elliott was shot through the arm
and back, and a number of others slightly
wounded. The EiIotts are under arrest
and threats are made against w. j.
Elliott. Stories about the shooting are
conflicting. Elliott asserts that Osborne
fred the shot which killed Hughes. At
the time OF the fusilade a great crowd was
on the street watching 4 procession.
The excitement incident to the tragedy
continues tonight and the situation is
threatening. Large crowds continue to
hover about the scene of the tragedy.
W. j. Elliott and his brother Patrick,
are held at the city prison, aud owing to
threats openly made the police authorities
have taken extra precautions to prevent
an outbreak OF mob violence. w. j.
Elliott, who was seen by a reporter to-
night, said: My brother and myself went
up town TO see the paIale. When in
front of Schrader S saloon, | saw Osborne
with a revolver pointed at me. | reached
for my pistol, when lie fred two or three
times, ahd | fired back. Osborne then
fired at Pat, who was in the crowd"
Elliott thinks this was when the men in
the crowd we're shot and Osborne's gun
wounded them. Pat Elliott here stated
that while running away from Osborne he
felt two stinRs where the bullets struck
him.
Interviews with q large number OF eye
witnesses say w. j. Elliott opened fire
on Osborne first, and the best informa
zion of those who saw it is that the first
shot fred by Elliott hit Osborn in the
side OF the head. Osborne, after re-
turning the FIRE at Elliott, ran into a bat
store. where he was followed by Patrick
Elliott, and they had a hand to hand
struggle, during which several shots were
fred ana Osborne shot through the
head. He died instantly. The bodies
of Osborne aud W. l. Hughes, an limo
cent spectator, were removed to the
c%oroner's Office.
Among the wounded spectators were
John H. Reese. government sfatisticisn
agent, shot through the leg. not seriously
hurt; C. W. Sullivan, bookkeeper, shot
through the ankle; G. W. Reifdhmeider,
struck in the bosom by a spent ball.
The terrible affair is the ouigrowth of
a newspaper feud which has been raging
for several weeks between the publishers
of the ,S,D,11u World and the ,Suu1rU
Capitol Two weeks ago the World
made charges against Editor Elliott's fam
NY, ~insinuating that a female relative was
uncbaste. Elliott retalrated the following
Sunday with a four column article charg.
ing Editor Lowering of the World with
being Joint proprietor in an designation
house. lowering is assistant state oil in
spector aud a prominent politician. The
charges created a sensation aud also i'm
pIicated Claude Meeker, Governor Camp
bells private secretary. lowering and
Osborne retaliated yesterday by charging
Elliott with all the crimes In the calendar.