Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-09-05
A DEPLoRABLE TRAGEDY.
Hon. Sol. Hughlett Shot and Instantly
Killed While Handling a Gun
Shrouded in Mystery.
From the wellsyilIe optic News.

A1NAt tn fEHc az 49,
Those of citizens within and
around Peyton's drug store and Post
Office Monday about 1890 were sud
denly startled by the report of a gun
in the drug store. DIR. Cox, who was
just in front of the drug store, was the
the first one to enter, who found the
body of Hon. Sol. Hughlett with blood
gushing from a large wound in the
left braast-life was extinct. In a few
minutes the news of the terrible trag-
edy had spread all over the city and a
great crowd had gathered in and
around the building. The undertaken
was notified who took charge of the
body and removed it to his late resi-
dence and the coroner, DIR. Munns,
notified, who arrived in the evening
and at once empaneled the following
jury:
T. H. Shaw, Thos. Ellis, o. S. Bass
ford, John Kelley, j. L. Rodgers and
James Haislip, Jr., who after hearing
all the evidence returned the follow
ing verdict:
We, the jury, find that the deceased
came to his death from a gun shot
wound from ashot gun, said gun being
held in the hand of the deceased.
now IT HAPPENED.
Just how the fatal shot was fired, or
what caused it is shrouded in mystery
and may never be revealed. The facts
and circumstances as far as we have
been able to gather them, including
the evidence at the coroner's inquest,
are as follows:
Mr.. Hughlett came home from st.
Louis Sunday night. Monday morn
ing he was around town as usual. He
had made arrangements to go to the
country with Messrs. Fred and VIII
Blattner to G q Mr.. Half. After din
ner he left his home bidding his family
an aff%ectionate good-by, and came
up by the way of Foster Peyton's and
asked him for the loan of his gun, say
ing he was going to the country and
AtiShN oOO q oAhtA1Sls G. tOtA S1SL hA8AA
he could have the gun. Hughlett told
him to send it up to Joe Peyton's
drug store. Mr.. Hughlett went to the
Post Office, where he met his daughter,
Eunice. The two parted in front of
the Post Office after kissing each other
afectionately, as was their custom.
Mr.. Hughlett stepped into Mr.. Joe
Peyton's drug store and asked Mr..
Peyton if his brother, Foster Peyton,
had brought the gun up. Mr.. Peyton
informed him that he had not. Mr..
Hughlett handed Walter Fike, who was
in the drug store writing a letter, a
dime and told him to go to Foster
Peyton's and tell him TO send him the
gun. Walter went and got the gun
and gave it to Mr.. Hughlett near the
middle of the room; also handed him
the two shells which he had extracted
before leaving the house with the gun.
Mr.. Hughlett reloaded the gun and
started to leave the store and walked
to the door, turned around, walked
back to the north counter and asked
Mr.. Peyton for some chewing gum.
Mr.. Peyton handed it to him and
walked behind the south counter. Mr..
Hughlett turned and started as though
he was going out the door and had
taken about two steps when Peyton
heard the shot, and turning around,
Mr.. Hughlett was holding his gun in
his left hand and exclaimed, "My God,
/ have shot myself" staggered and
fell to the floor and never breathed
after he fell. Walter Fike, who
brought Mr. Hughlett the gun, testi-
fed that after handing Mr.. Hughlett
the gun, he went back to his writing
and saw no more of Mr.. Hughlett till
he heard the shot.
DIR. Arnold testified that he exam
ined the wound and found an opening
in the left breast just to the left of the
left nipple and passing nearly hori-
zontally through the body, tearing
away the apex of the heart andranging
slightly upward.
These, in brief, are the facts surround
ing one of the most mysterious TRACE
dies that ever happend in our midst,
and blotted out of existence the life of
an active, useful and honorable citi-
zen.
Travellers find a safe companion ID