The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1896-03-27
A TRIPLE TRAGEDY.
ihree Men Shot a. Result of a Feud Re-
tween Farmers-sequel to Girls Dis
covSry of "A Man In Her he'd Room

tween Farmers-sequel to u Girls Dis
covtry of Man In Her he'd Room.
FINE BLUFF, Ark, March 24.-Josh
Seamon and his son. Isaac Seamon. are
at the point of death at Walnut Lake,
Ark, As miles south of here, due to
gunshot wounds, and Isaac Bangston,
! VINO began the shooting is also badly
injured, all the result of pitched
battle which was fought at that little
village last Saturday.
Early on that day Bangston, farm
er, armed with shotgun, rode into
the business part of the place, aud
when he saw Josh Seamon in front of
store he leveled his gun and fred.
The shot missed it's mark, and Seamon
returned the fire. Isaac joined in the
lighting, and there followed regular
fusillade. When the smoke cleared
away the bodies of Josh and Isaac Sea-
mon were found on the ground. The
old man was shot In his right side and
through the lung, and his son received
bullet through the right knee. Blood
poison has already complicated the
case of the latter, and neither is ex-
pected to live.
Bangston was shot in the leg and
thigh, and his hat was perforated by
bullets. He refused all medical aid
and rode away but was soon placed
under arrest, then released on bond
Of $500.
CAUSE OF THE TRAGEDY.
The cause of the tragedy dates back
eight months, and it's features are of a
sensational character. On the night
of July 4 Miss Sadie Seamon, the
daughter and sister Of the dying men,
who was loved by Isaac Bangston, re-
turned late from an entertainment
which had been given at the house of
neighbor. The young woman went
to her room to retire, and soon after
she entered Bangston came out of a
closet in which he had been concealed
Miss Seamon screamed and Bangston
rad downstairs
The parents of the girl, attracted by
the cutlery, saw Bangston hurriedly
leave the house with a pistol in his
hand. He made his escape, and was
not heard of until last September,
when he surrendered to the authori-
ties.
Then he telegraphed Prosecuting
Attorney s. c. Martin, of this city,
that he had been waylaid and
shot at by Josh and Isaac Seamon,
statement which was verified by Mag
istrate Nellins. Bangston was indicted
for attempted burglary with inten to
kill, attempted assault with intent to
kill, and for attempted criminal as
sault. He gave bond In the sum of
81 200 and was released.
The feud between the families and
friends of Seamon and Bangston has
been kept up ever since, and frequent
trouble was the result, but there was
no bloodshed until last Saturday
Bangston has contended that he was
in the girls room by appointment, a
statement which was believed by his
friends. while the friends of Miss Sea-
mon claim that her rejection of bangs
ton goaded him to the act, in an en-
deavor to compromise her Miss Sea-
mon said this was the case, and wrote
a statement to such an effect for Lit
tie Rock paper. She is now teaching
at the public school in McGehee, Ark.
She is % years old.
Isaac Bangston is the son of Isaac
Bangston, who was killed while sheriff
of Desha county in duel at Arkansas
City some years ago by Judge Coates,
the latter also falling dead. The duel
WAS the outcome of a quarrel between
the two men over young negro girl.
Walnut Lake is a sparely- settled viii
lage without any Geographic commu-
nication. While its w-abiding citi-
zens are attempting to keep the matter
quiet, and to quell the disturbance,
almost everybody goes armed, and
strangers are eyed with suspicion.
The friends of the Seamons are
awaiting the outcome of Bangston's
trial, when, If no verdict satisfactory
to them should be reached, the ven-
delta will again be taken up by them,
and more bloodshed will probably fol-
low. This was learned to-day by "a re-
porter who returned from the scene Of
battle The excitement in the vicinity
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