Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-09-27


most endearing terms and We're full
of professions of love. In one Of them
he diScloSeS a plan of obtaining a di-
vorce from his wife, marrying Miss
SHELTON. and going out west where
obey could live upon money he hoped
to get from the sale of land in Wis
conSin. He said his father was at one
time one of the wealthiest lumbermen
in Wisconsin and owned a great deal
Of land near the Chippewa river. But
his father failed and lost the land
Lately, Ross said, he had discovered a
defect in the title of the land, and he
was looking up the matter in the hope
of recovering the property, in which
event he would become a rich man
He would then go to South Dakota, OBJ
tain a divorce from his wife. literally
provide for her future maintenance
and marry Miss SHELTON. settling down
in the west.
Miss Skeletons sister at Little Rock
discovered these letters, and sent
them to her brothers. They sWore they
would kill Ross. Meanwhile the young
girl was ordered to return home, but
instead of doing so, wrote to Ross to
meet her in Memphis. She left her
sisters house ostensibly for her home
The brothers waited, but she never
came.
Ross, realizing his danger. made ar
engagements to leave ScottbOro, Sc
cretly, but the Shelton brothers were
oil
about to run away with their sister,
and they had watched his house for
days, and when one Sunday morning
early, Ross, accompanied by his
brother-in-laW, BIoOdwOOd, and two
attendants left in a drag for Steven
son where he intended to take the
train, they followed him on horseback.
On this day Judge Tally got into
trouble Everybody was impressed
with the probability of terrible
tragedy, and began to gather at the
sta ton to see if word came of meet
ing. Young Ross, a brother-in-law of
tn" fleeing man, at a late hour came
up. 1t had occurred to him that he
ought to warn his brother-in-law. Ac-
cOrdingly he sat down and wrote the
following message addressed to R. C.
Ross at Stevenson:
-Four men on horseback, with guns,
following. Look out"
Judge Tally either saw this message
or accurately OWNED its contents. He
Immediately sat down and wrote this
message addressed to the operator at
SteyenSOn:
Don't let warned party get away"
When Ross arrived at the sta ton.
his enemies had, but cutting across
fields, preceded him and concealed
themselves. All unconscious of the
danger the party commenced to alighT
from the drag. when, suddenly, the
Skeletons opened fire upon them from
all sides. Ross only was hit. He drew
his revolver but as the men were con
cealed, could not return the fire.
Bewildered by the rapidity of the
shots and by the variety of directions
from which they were coming he knew
not what to do, but turned this way
and that. Men stood and watched
him unable to do a thing, hot tears
starting to their eyes at the sight Of
the agony on his face. The fusilade
kept up for five minutes. At last John
Shelton walked UP behind. Ross was
looking in the othcr direction. John
raised his gin and fired The bail
crashed through the back Of Ross
head and he fell IN the throeS of death.
Then as he lay there quivering Robert
oh i'm n
Both the men then turned and walked
up to the platform. One Of them said,
in a nOnchalant manner, He is around
there dead The other smiled with
satisfaction. I'VE have done what we
came to do" he said. The Skeletons
gave themselves up. Two secured bal
and the two could not. Sometime
afterWard the latter made a daring
escape, but one was recaptured and
the other is still at liberty.
Prosecution against Judge Tally was
commenced for the purpose Of i'm
peaching him and he was found guilty
Of aiding and abetting in the crime,
thus disbarring him from the bench
and making him liable to Indictment
for murder.
Now Annie Shelton had never been
heard from after she left Little Rock
ostensibly to go home up to the day af-
ter the tragedy All that time, how
ever, she had been at the Gibson house
in Cincinnati living in luxury on the
money Ross sent her. When she heard
of the tragedy she gave way complete
" and for wpakS I1V between life and
death IN a hospital. After her recovery
she was taken home and later sent
! back to her sisters in Little Rock,
where it is asserted she was married
to her old lover, John D. Freeman. 1t
is said they are now living happily
somewhere in Texas.
But one thing remains to be said of
interest. That is this When Ross was
travelling in Georgia, just before his
return home, he wrote to Annie that
owing to his wife's confinement he
could remain away, but he felt that it
was death to return unless he had a
letter from her to her brothers eXOner-
ating him from any blame as to her
conduct and absence. Deeply moved
/ by the situation the girl sat down and
wrote one of the most remarkable let
! tiers that ever came up in evidence in
! any court 1t was the cry of a wounded
J soul, and in it she completely eXOner-
( ateS Ross, but accuses j. G.. MuSgrOve
/ of being the one who had wronged her,
and telling her brothers If they must
j kill somebody to kill him.