Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-07-08
| MYSTERIOUS MURDER /,
SHOT TO DEATH FROM A
THICKET.

Reported for the Staunton VINDIcAToR.l
| GOSHEN, July AT the foot Of the hill
which lies in full view of this village on the
South, the river turns to the East and runs
by two farm houses. They are occupied
by Henry G. Leech, better known as 'sCol-
onel'' Leech, and his brother, J. T. Leech.
The houses are about four hundred yards
apart. From one of these farm houses,
that occupied by Col. Leech, there runs an
open road, through fields, to the river about
four hundred yards distant. Just before
reaching the river the road meets fence
and passes through heavy barred gate in
it. Near this gate there IS a pine thicket.
and in this thicket last Sunday afternoon
at 7:30, while it was yet daylight, J. Gran
vile Leech. a brother Of the two farmers,
and one of the best known men in Rock
bridge county, was assassinated. MI.
Leech was forty-seyen years old. a middle
sized, stout man, wearing moustache, his
gray hair setting off a rather handsome
face. He was born and reared in this coun-
ty and when the war came on enlisted in
Mosby's command, making a good record
as soldier. After the war he commenced
business life by cattle trading and was a
well known cattle buyer in Augusta and
other Valley counties and in Southwestern
Virginia. He would at one time winter a
hundred and fifty 3-year olds of his own,
from which you can infer that he was a
cattle dealer on large scale. In that way
and in speculation, he amassed about
$4,000 which he carefully invested for the
most part in land bonds. When the boom
period came to Virginia he went into that
venture and lost some $4,000 at Glasgow
and other projected towns. After the boom
subsidized he did not engage again in the
cattle buying but seemed content to keep
what he had left, only making a trade now
and then. His financial standing in the
banks of Staunton and Lexington was ex-
cellent and he still held the place of-for the
country-a rich man. Like most ldle men,
he talked a good deal by which he lost
friends, and like most idle and well to do
men he INDUCED in questionable pleasures
which were fraught with danger 1t has
not been many years since his life was
threatened by man then residing in this
neighborhood, but since moved away, for
persistent attentions to his wife, He had
been married twice, first to Miss Hodge of
Bath, and second to a daughter of the late
Marshall Bell Of this neighborhood, by
whose side he was laid last Tuesday in the
old Bell family burylng ground. He had
been u widoWer for several years and had
little son eight years old whom he boarded
with his brother, Col. Leech. He had been
there to visit the boy on Sunday evening
when he lost his life. 10 say that he was
a popular man would not be true, his loose
tongue and his not being a desirable visi-
tor at home, would negative that, but he
stood well in business matters, kept his
financial obligations, and in clothing pre-
sented a neat and always well dressed look.
A gentleman said to me last night that he
was not only one of the best known men in
Rockbridge, but that he knew more about
the financial affairs of the people Of Rock
bridge than any man in the county. He
boarded at the Commercial Hotel in Goshen.
The story of his murder is dramatic
one as 1 get it from his brother, MI. J. T.
Leech. Granville rode down to Col. Leech S
Oh Sunday afternoon about O'Clock. In
Goshen he said he was going to start from
his brothers for Lexington Monday morn
ing. He staid at his brothers till after
supper and then got on his horse saying he
must get back to G oshen. A sudden and
heavy storm was threatening, and though
the day light had not ended the heavy cloud
gave it the hue Of twilight. After Gran
vile road off Col. Leech was standing in
his yard, from which there is an
unobstructed view to the road gate
near the thicket. Granville had hardly had
more than time to reach the gate before
Col. Leech heard pistol shots and heard
his brother screaming. Col. Leech could
in the twilight. see the flashes Of the pis-
tol. He could distinguish no words, but
simply heard the screams, as Of man who
was unexpectedly and suddenly attacked.
He heard first three shots and then two
more. Col. Leech ran over to his brother J.
T. Leech's house and called to him to come
on that some one was killing their brother
near the river. 1t was raining by this time
and the latter ran to his house and got
gum coat and then, accompanied by Capt.
Ogg, ran towards the spot. When they
got there they could see nothing of Gran
vile Leech for it was by that time dark
They found the gate open wide enough for
a horse to pass through, and at it was lying
Granville S umbrella. They got light to
continue the search, then went back and
got-more lights and summoned the neigh
bors and continued the search. They found
the dead mans horse tied to small tree in
the thicket about thirty yards from the
road and beyond and outside of the gate,
and his hat lying just where the horse was
tied. The search continued all night in
the field and thicket and just as the dawn
was breaking, by its faint light, they found
the dead body lying little over sixty steps
from the gate and inside of it in the field.
The body was discovered at 4:3O O'Clock by
Col. Leech. The man had evidently fallen
while running, as he had fallen face for
ward and plowed up the ground slightly.
On examination it was discovered that he
had been shot in the right side, the ball
passing through his bowels upwards and
lodging near the skin just below the left
nipple; another ball had cut his wrist; a
third ball had entered his face: fourth
ball, evidently fired by the assassin after
Leech had fallen. and from pistol held so
close to the head that the hair and skin
were burned by powder, had entered his
temple. Of the five shots Col. Leech had
heard fired, only one had missed it's aim.