The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-02-25
A Storm Of Bullets Greets
the Throng.
One Editor and a Poor By
stander Instantly Killed.
The Duel the Result OF Fierce
Personalities.
Stories of the Shooters and Eye-wftx
nesses.

COLUMBUS, u, teb. "a horrible trapF
edy occurred here shortly after l o'clock
this afternoon. Two men were killed and
several wounded in a fusilade of pistol
shots
The terrible affair was the outgrowth Of
a newspaper feud which has been raging
for several weeks between the publishers
of the Sunday World and Sunday Capital Of
this city.
Col. w. J. Elliott editor of the Cdpitdk
shot and instantly killed Albert Osborne,
city editor of the World w. L. Hughes,
an old gentleman who was standing near
by, was shot and killed with q bullet from
Elliott's pistol.
The tragedy as before stated, was the
result OF a newspaper war. Two weeks
ago the HOrJd made charges against FL.
liott's family, insinuating that female
relative of Elliott was unchaste. Elliots
retaliated on the following Sunday with q
four column article, charging F. w. Lew
ering, editor of the Horld with being the
JOINT proprietor of an assignation house,
being associated with a woman named
Lou Burton in the disreputable enterprise.
Levering is an assistant state oil inspector
and prominent in politics. The charges,
therefore, created profound sensation.
The charges against lowering also i'm.
plicated Claude Meeker.
lowering and his city editor, Mr.. 0s.
borne, retaliated Yesterday with a sensa-
tional article charging Elliott with nearly
all the crimes in the calendar.
Elliott, with his brother Patrick, and
Osborne met this afternoon in High-st-
near the American hotel. Patrick Elliott
opened fire upon Osborne and Osborne re-
turned the fire. A running battle ensued
IN which W. J. Elliott Joined, ali three
men emptying their revolvers as rapidly
as possible. One OF the shots from WI
Eliiott's gun grazed Osborne's arm and he
turned aud tired at the former. The shot
miss its mark and Osborne fed into
Malcolm McDonald's hat store. As he
did so he turned and fired at w. J. Elliott.
The latter fired his weapon almost stimuli
taneousy and the shot took effect
in Osborne's chin. It went clear through
his mouth, upward and backward through
the brain and came out at the base of the
skull. Elliott had followed Osborne into
the store and as he fred the last shot
grappled with him. In the scuile which
ensued both their guns were discharged
and Osborne fell to the floor dead, al
though the last shot, it is said. did not
take effect in either man, the ball which
killed Osborne having entered his face as
he came through the doorway.
Osborne fell upon a large pile of boxeg
containing hats and the weight of his
body eau ing the boxes to collapse, they
engulfed him, completely covering him.
Elliott retreated out the front door and
disappeared in the crowd with the re-
volver in his hands.
W. ii. Hughes, q highly respected citi-
zen and formerly steward of the i'm beetle
asylum, was standing on the pavement
watching the formation of the parade. He
was struck during the running battle. The
ball entered Hughes head Immediately
over the left eye and he dropped upon
the iron grating in front of Ambrose'5
restaurant, expiring instantly.
Patrick Elliott was shot in the back and
arm ard has frightful wound on the top
of the head. The physicians are as yea
unable to determine how serious his
wounds are.
Two other men are known to have re-
ceived bullet wounds. G. w. Sullivan, a
clerk of c. G. Griswold's, who, while pass
sing the scene, was shot in the left arm,
though not dangerously hurt The other
Was a young student named Gardner, who
received DUlI6l IN the l6Ib leR. CoN6ral
other persons are reported as slightly in
jured, but were hastily carried away.
w. J. Elliott was at one time state
supervisor of printing, and has taken an
active part in politics. He is personal
friend of Charles Stewart Parnell. the de-
posed Irish leader. Both of the Eli
otis are locked up at the police station.
The story OF the shooting as related by
Gus and Snedan Johns, eye-witnesses, is
that A. &. Osborne was standing IN front
OF Schrader's talking TO Frank Clark, an
attorney, when the E.liotts appeared
walking south on High-st. The two men
walked up close to where Osborne was
standing, and one of the Eliotts re-
narked:' Give il to the s. of b"
whereupon one of them fired at Osborne,
who started TO back toward the north.
He pulled pistol and began firing at the
two Eliotts. who were following him
with revolyers in hand, shooting at him.
They were firing to the north, while 0s-
borpe fired south. As the la ter neared
McDonald's hat store he opened the door
and ran in, Pat Elliott in close pursuit
shooting at him. Patrolman Dan Nc
Manamy caught Col. w. j. Elliott and
took the revolver away from him.
When the police entered the hat store,
they found Osborne lying dead on the
floor and Pat Elliott stading over him,
with a revolver still smoking In his hand.
Three revolvers have been found, but Os-
borne's is not among them. Two of them
belonged to the Elliotts and are nearly
empty of loads. The police are anxious to
find the owner of the third. Every cham
Der is loaded and the police believe it was
held by some fourth party yet unknown.
There were altogether fourteen shots
fired.
Pat Elliott says Mr.. Hughes was killed
by Osborne, while eye witnesses claim w.
J. Elliott shot Hughes. w. ]. Elliott said
that he did not regret the death CT Os-
bornee in the least. but wou d have rather
served twenty years of his life in the peni-
tentiary than 10 be indirectly the cause OF
Mr.. Hughes death. Thousands of people
have been crowded around the front OF
McDonald's hat store and the Ambrose
restaurant, where the tragedy occurred,
and thasa nlacas ware fnrced To lock THAR