Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-05-15
LAMARTINE HUDSPETH COoLLY
SHOOTS DOWN J. w. KEsNER.
WOMEN DELAYED THE TRAGEDY
GOT BETWEEN THE MEN WHEN
THEY WE'RE ARMED WITH GUNS.
Hudspeth Tnunted Kesner as n Cow
ard for Hiding Behind PetticOats-
Shooting wns the Result of m
Old Feud and HudSpeth's
SuspiciOns.

Armed with shotguns and eager for each
others blood, Lamartine Hudspeth, Il
wealthy farmer, and ]. W. Kesner. Mis-
scur Pacific station agent at Lake City.
| little town seven miles east Of Independ-
ence were prevented yesterday forenoon
frcm fighting a duel TO the death by two
women who stood between them and re-
fused TO get out Of the way when ordered
to do so. The women were Mary Huds-
peth, a niece of Lamartine Hudspeth. ana
Mrs Kesner wife of the station agent.
Fudspeth taunted Kesner, calling him n
ans petticoat."
Come out and shoot like a man." cried
| HGGspeth.
The women cried and begged the men to
not fight and finally their tears prevailed.
kesner went home and slowed away his
| shotgun; Hudspeth stayed in town and at
the first opportunity fired a load of buck
| shot into Kesner's face. He will probably
dia.
The cause of the shooting was the re-
newal of an old feud of long standing and
| anonymous letters which Kesner had re-
| ceved warning him away from the store
| HrGspeth. Kesner met Hudspeth ard
charged him with writing the letters. An
| angry quarrel with terminated in a fist
| fight resulted, followed by the tragedy.
The shooting of Kesner caused intense
| excitement in the little town of Lake City
and the farmers in the country adjacent
| ficcked in to hear the latest particulars of
| the affair. Kesner has been station agent
| for the Missouri Pacific railway at that
point for the past thirteen years and has
| many friends and some enemies. The resi-
| deEts of the town seemed divided as TO
| who was TO blame for bringing on the
| quarrel between the two men. Kesner's
| friends claim that the shooting was un-
| called for upon the part of Hudspeth,
| while Hudpspeth's friends allege that kes-
| ner was shot in self-defense.
I.amartine Hudspeth lives in large
white house just south of the little town.
| 1t is but a short distance from his home
to the two stores that comprise the busi-
| ness portion of the town. Running
through the south part of the town is the
| Missouri Pacific track and short dis
| tance from the main street of the town Is
| the Missouri Pacific depot. Kesner, the
wounded man lives in tWo-story mouse
in the west end of the town and between
his residence and the depot is the store
of pretty Mary Hudspeth, over whom all
OF the trouble occurred.
Shortly after II O'Clock Thursday kesner
went to the village postoftice, which is To-
Gated in the store of j. b. Nancleave. He
called for his mail and received letter
written in a scrawling hand. When Kesner
tore open the envelope and read its contents
he turned pale with rage. The letter
warned him to Keep away from the store OF
Mary Hudspeth. Yesterday morning Huds-
peth rode down to the village and went to
the depot. Kesner accused Hudspeth OF
being the author of the anonymous letter
which he had received the day before.
Hudspeth denied the accusation. kesner
at once made a savage attack upon him,
calling him vile names and accusing him OF
everything dishonOrable in the calendar.
F. NJ. Bridges, a resident of the town,
heard the loud talking between the two
men. After long passage at words be-
tween the two men he saw them get up
from the platform, and Kesner jumped
the depot, where he slammed the door.
Bridges said that kesner called out that
he was going home to get his gun. A few
the depot as If he had jumped from the
rear window. kesner proceeded toward the
blacksmith shop, which lies to the north.
and circled toward the west in the direction
of his home. In very short time ne saw
Hudspeth go home and in few minutes
he arrived with a shotgun carelessly
thrown across the bow of his saddle.
Hudspeth espied Kesner coming from the
west, and at once started out to meet him.
Mrs. Kesner divining trouble and seeing
her husband with gun, started after him
and overlook hm just before Hudspeth met
the two men and finally persuaded her hus-
band TO go back home. Hudspeth all the
while was challenging kesner to get from
ardice. and calling out to him to come out
and shoot like a man.
One of the eye witnesses stated yesterday
that Mary Hudspeth. the storekeeper, and
niece of Lamartine Hudspeth. helped Mrs
Kesner TO keep the men apart. Finally,
after the pleading of the women. KeSner
went back to the house and put up his
gun. Hudspeth was mad clear through,
and he returned to the store.
W. ]. Carr, a farmer. went to Kesner's
home and said he wanted TO get a money
order. Kesner and he set out for the de-
pot to get the money order.
Hudspeth was just in the act of leaving
town, and was on his horse, just west of
Van Cleave's store. when he, spied Kesner
and Carr coming up the road. He stopped
until Kesner stepped on to the platform
which runs in front of the Van Cleave
Kesner replied with epithets and a string of
oaths, and started into the store, returning
later with two heavy scale weights in his
Carter, the young man who clerks for his
uncle. J. b. Van Cleave heard the loud
stuck his head out OF the door. He was
ordered sharply to get out OF the way by
Hudspeth. He saw at a glance that Huds,,
barely had time to dodge back for safety
when the weapon was discharged. kesner
~ believe / am dying" was all that he
said. as he was laid out on the floor.
ftuuspeln put spurs 10 MS morse. hOme-
ward bound. and shortly afterward went
to Buckner. four miles east. where he
stated that he had shot Kesner in self
defense. He was at once placed under ar
rest.
Kesner was carried from the store to the
home of Mary Hudsreth and her brother
Joseph. which lies Just to the west of
the store. Later in the day he was re-
moved to his own home. Doctors from
Buckner and Independence were immedi-
ately summoned to attend the wounded
man. II was found that his injuries were
serious and that five buckshot had entered
his left jaw, making ugly wounds. The
fatal shot was one which passed into the
cheek up and around the cheekbone. going
lead. where it lodged i'm the spinal column
at the base Of the brain. The shot pro-
duced paralysis. and the patient is not
able to move his body in consequence. The |
attending physicians claim that the wound
is fatal.
Miss Hudspeth. over whom the trouble
grew, is nice appearing and modest |
proprietor of the store at Lake City. and |
the neighbors say that her reputation is
above reproach. She lives with her brother
Joseph.
Hudspeth used 10 have the reputation
of being a hard drinker. but of late wears |
his habits were very changed and it was |
positively stated yesterday that at the |
time of the shooting he was perfectly |
sober. The Hudspe,h family are quite nu- |
merOuS in jackson county.
keSner. the wounded man, Is about Is /
years old. Since coming to Lake City he |
has been engaged as station agent and was |
cor sidered quiet. frugal and saving. He |
is married ard has several children.