Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-01-24
A Tragedy Ina Monroe County


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Tragedy Ina Monroe County.
Monroe county has been the scene of
another lamentable tragedy. Last
thursday morning, Jan. 10th, at New
Hope School-hOuse, in Springfield dis
trlct, Osborne Garten, aged Is years,
son of Mr.. Lewis B. Garten, stabbed
and killed Mr.. Jas. II. Hudson, a clti-
zen OF that community and man of
family.
New Hope school-house is not far dis
tant from the Summers county Iine.-
The school is taught by Miss Ada
Gwlnn, daughter of II. b. Gwinn, ESQ,
and The Hudson and Garten families
are both among itspatrons. There had
been some trouble between Garten and
hudson year or more ago, and the
feeling then existing WAS intensified
when last January Mr.. Garten sent his
son to Hudson to collect debt, which
the latter owed him, and an ugly quar-
rel arose between Hudson and the boy
In relation to the matter, which resulted
in Hudson S striking the lad with bri-
dle-reir. Last June Garter tried to
have the grand jury to indict Hudson
for this, but the jury did not deem the
matter of sufficient Importance and no
indictment was made.
Last Thursday morning Mr.. Hudson
had taken his daughter and little son
to school and had started to ride back
home, when he met Osborne Garten and
his brother Charlie Ia lad a year or two
younger) walking to school. Neither
wanted to yield the beaten track through
the snow in the middle of the road and
an alteration took place, in which it
appears hard words were used on both
sides, the boy charging the man with
trying to ride over him. Hudson be-
came highly incensed because of the
language addressed to him by young
Garten and, riding back to the school
house. asked Miss Gwinn to chastise
him for his conduct. To this Miss
Gwinn replied that as his misbehayior
had occurred neither in the school nor
on the playground she would have no
right to punish him. Hudson, then,
remarked that as neither she nor the
boy father would punish him he would
do it himself. Osborne Garten (whO
had also hurried on to the school-house)
then called out to Hudson. " Let us set
tie il here, then" Thereupon Hudson
turned and struck Garten with his
gloyed hand. Miss Gwinn, not wishing
to witness the encounter, which she
feared was impending, went into the
school-house and called the most of the
scholars in with her, leaving on the out
side only Mr.. Hudson's two children
and the two Galten boys. After being
struck by Hudson, Osborne Garten
drew a large knife. Hudson called to
him to put it up, but he refused, and
with it struck at Hudson, who was
still sitting OH his horse, not having
dismounted. AS Garten struck Hud-
son kicked at him, (probably trying to
ward off the blow but the blade of the
knife struck him on the thigh about 81
inches above the knee, making wound
q inches in depth and of an inch long,
and severlng the femOral artery. Hud-
son then got off his horse and twice
tried to pick up Il stick, which was
frozen into the SNOW, bleeding mean
time profusely, but at the second at
tempt he fell, and presently was car
rjed into the schOol-house. He never
spoke afterwards and died forty min
utes after receiving the wound. DIR. }
Dorsey Thrasher wa sent for, but Mr.
Hudson was dead before his arrival
The unfortunate boy who, with one
fierce stroke, had thus sent Il soul tC
eternity, had gone home to his father az
as Mr.. Hudson fell to the ground.
The body of the dead man remained
in the school -hOuse-and it is a mos,
remarkable circumstance that Mis-!
Gwinn instead of dismissing the school
4
taught the day out with the bloody
corpse lying in the room. Surely moth
ing short of nerves of steel could have
been equal to such an ordeal.
It was not until the next day Friday
that a Jury of inquest assembled, sum
moned by Justice J. r. Arnott. A
number of witnesses were examined
after which the jury brought in the FOL
lowing verdict: 1--WE find tina
the said J. II. Hudson came to hi
death from an incised wound III TIT
thigh of said J. II. Hudson made will
knife in the hands of Osborne Garten
and that said wound was inflicted D.
said Osborne Garten. And we are una
BILE to agree upon the classification o
the offense, four being for murder an'
two for manslaughter as being the crim
committed by said Osborne Garten'"
The jury undertook to classify TN
offense, (which is rather unusuaiJ a
the request of Cartons counsel, bu