St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-24
EDITORS GO CUNNING
Principals and Bystanders
Fall Before a Fusilade Of
Bullets.
Columbus, O., the Scene Of a
Bloody and Disgraceful
Tragedy.
The Affair Grew Out Of a Sem
sational Newspaper War;
fare.
Desperate Duel With Knives
Between TWO Chi
eagoanS.

COLUMBUS, o., Feb. ga horrible
triple tragedy occurred here shortly
after a'clocll this afternoon. Two men
fusilade of pistol shots. The terrible
affair was the outgrowth of newspaper
feud, which has been raging for several
weeks between the publishers of the
Sunday World and Sunday Capitol of
this city. Col. w. S. Elliott, editor of
the Capitol, shot and instantly killed
Albert Osborne, city editor of the
World. W. l.. Hughes, an old gentle
man, who was standing near by, was
shot and killed with stray bullet from
Elliott's pistol. The tragedy, as before
stated, was the result of newspaper
war; Two weeks ago the World made
charges against Elliott's family, insin-
uating that female relative of Elliott
was unchaSte. Elliott retaliated in the
following Sunday with four-column
article, charging e. w. LeYering, ed
itor of the World, with being the joint
proprietor of an assignation house,
being associated with woman named
Lou Burtin IN the
DisrePutable Enterprise.
Levering is an assistant Of the state
Dilinspector and prominent in politics.
The charges therefore created a pro-
found sensation. The charges against
Levering elSo implicated Claude
Meeker. Levering and his city editor,
Osborne, retaliated yesterday with
sensational article, charging Elliott
with nearly all the crimes in the caIen-
der. Elliott with his brother, Patrick,
aud Osborne, met this afternoon on
High street, near the American hotel.
Patrick Elliott opened fire upon OS-
borne, and Osborne returned fire. A
running battle enSued in which w. j.
Elliott joined. All three men emptying
their reYolvers as rapidly as pos
sible. One of the shots from W.
j. Elliott's gun grazed Os-
fired at the former. The shot missed
its mark, and Osborne fed into Malcom
McDonald'S hat store. As he did so. he
turned and fired at w. j. Elliott. The
latter fired his weapon almost stimuli
taneOusly and the shot took effect in
Osborne's chin. 1t went clear through
his mouth, upward and backward
through the brain, and came out of the
base of the skull. Elliott had followed
Osborne into the store and as he fired
the last shot grappled with him. In
the scuffle which followed both their
guns were discharged and Osborne fell
to the floor dead, although the last shot,
it is said, did not take effect in either
man, the ball which
Caused OsbOre's Death
having entered his face as he came in
through the doorway. Osborne fell
upon a large pile of boxes containing
hats, and the weight of his body caus-
ing the boxes to collapse, they engulfed
him, completely covering him. Elliott
retreated out the front door and dlSap-
peared i'll the crowd with the revolver
in his hand. w. l.. Hughes, a highly
respected citizen, and formerly steward
of the imbecile asylum, was standing on
the pavement watching the formation
of the parade. He was struck during
the running battle. The ball entered
Hughessshead Immediately over the left
eye, and he dropped upon the iron graf
ing in front of Ambr0s' restaurant, eX-
piring instantly. Patrick Elliott was
Shot in the back and arm and has
frighttul wound on top of tine head.
The physicians are as yet unable
to determine how serious his
wounds are. Two other men are
known TO have received bullet wounds.
G.. w. Sullivan, clerk of C. G.. Girls
Wold's, while passing the scene was
shot in the left arm, though not danger
Gus. The other was young student
named Gardner, who received a bullet
in the left leg. Several other persons
are reported as slightly injured, but
were hastily carried away. w. j. Ell
lIott was at one tune supervisor of
printing, and has taken an active part
III politics. He is personal friend of
Charles Stewart Parnell, the depoSed
Irish leader. Both of the ElliOtts are
locked up at the station house.
Eye-Witnesses Talk.
The story of the shooting, as related
BY Gus and Shedan Johns, eye-wit-
nesses, is that A. c. Osborn was stand
Ing in front of Schrader's, talking to
Frank Clark, an attorney, when the Ell
liott'S appeared, walking south on
High street. The two men walked up
close to where Osborn was standing,
and one of the Elhotts remarked, "Give
it to the - of -" whereupon one
back towards the north. He pulled
pistol and began firing at the two Eli
otis, vino were following him with re-
volvers in hand, shooting at him. They
were firing to the north, while Osborn
fired south. AS the latter neared Nc
Donald's hat store. he opened the door
and ran in, Pat Elliott in close pursuit,
shooting at him. Pauolman Dan Nc
Manamy caught Col. w. ID. Elliott and
Took the Revolver
away from him. When the police en-
tered the hat store they found Osborn
living dead on the floor and PAT Ellintr
standing over him with revolver still
smoking in his hand. Three revolvers
have been found, but Osborn's is not
among them. Two of them belong to the
EiliOtt's and are nearly empty of loads.
The pOlice'are anxious to find the owner
of the third. Every chamber 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 Osborn, while eye witnesses claim
w. j. Elliott shot Hughes. w. j. Eli
oft said that he did not regret the death
of Osborn in the least, but would have
rather served twenty years of his life
in the penitentiary than to be indirectly
the cause of Mr.. Hughes death. Thou
sands of people have been crowded
around the front Of McDonaid's hat
store and the Ambrose restaurant.
here the tragedy occurred, and these
places were forced to lock their doors.
Legislative Action.
In the senate this afternoon Mr.. Cole
introduced a bill which was suggested
by the newspaper feud resulting SO hor-
ribly to-day. 1t provides that any editor,
proprietor, owner OF correspondent who
nuhIichaS or Oarmitc tO he nuhtichpd