Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-03-16
Latest from the Walker Ham
iIt0n Tragedy.

W9S~xe
, Bristol, Va, March 13.-The sens
tional difficulty which occurred j
this city about s o'clock last Saturda
night, i'll which Attorney W. s. Han
ilton was shot by General james /
Walker, excOngressman from this di
! trict, and in which fracas Walker Wa
shot by anunknown party, continue
to be- the chief topic of conversation
, though the excitement is gradual
wearing away. 1t is not We
positively known who shot Wake
but statements OF eye witnesses ind
cate that it was done by A. K. HicE
man, friend of W alker, who Was at
tempting to shoot someone else. Ham
ilton and Walker are both restin;
easy and will recover. A Warrant
i, for Walker s arrest has been issued.
The cause of this trouble is the di
rect result of a warm political cOntes
| for a seat in Congress by Judge VIM
F. Rhea, of Bristol. and General Jas
A. Walker, of Wythe. Walker wa
defeated at the polls, and not satisfied
with the outcome he decided to con
test and was engaged in taking testi-
mony at Bristol, on Saturday night
when the fight took place. All th'
reports agree that Walker applied al
ugly epithet to Hamilton, of counse
for Rhea, who IN reply told Walker
that if he referred to him in the Ian
guage used he was a id liar. At
this General Walker fired at Hamil
ton, the ball taking effect in the
pit of the stomach. This caused al
uprOar and two other shots were fired
both of which took.effect in the body
of the ex-congressman. AS stated,
both men will recover. 1t will take a
court Investigation to straighten out
the evidence. Both sides claim they
are in the right, and it is almost i'm
possible to get at the facts.
Gen. Walker is native of this
county, and is a brother of Hon. 8. H.
Walker, member of the House of Dele
gates from this county. Besides the
pistol used by Walker be had another
pistol and dagger on his person.
There is great deal published that
has 10 bearing on the case and We
submit the above as the main facts.
The information concerning the con-
dition of Walker and Hamilton, in
which the assurance is given they will
recover, was received at a. m. today.
Bristol, Va, March 14.-The latest
reports of the Walker shoot
ing ARRAY say that W. s. Hamilton is
resting very well, and his friends are
hopeful that he will recover. The ball
has not yet been located. 1t entered
about five inches above the navel,
about one inch to the left OF the medi-
an line, and ranged downward. Ordl-
narily such course would have pene-
trated the stomach, but there are no
symptoms in his case to show that the
stomach itself has been impaired.
The ball may be located in the fat that
surrounds the intrails, or it may have
been detected by some means and be
lodged somewhere in the muscles, of
The abdomen or back. At any rate the |
symptoms have been such that DR.. st. |
J John, the attending physician, has not |
thought it necessary or that he was |
justified in making any explanatory |
nclslOnS or to even probe for the |
oall.
Mr.. Hamilton 3 worse symptom has,
perhaps, been his almost constant |
which lasted all day Sunday
Ind up to about noon Monday. Since |
hat time this trouble has been allayed,
Ind he is resting we'll and has no fever |
u any dangerous Indication. Unless
Omething new develops in his case his
physician and friends expect him to
'ecover.
Mr.. Hamilton is about 40 years of
Lge, and when in health, man of fine
physical appearance.
Large crowds have gathered at the
court house and many of MI. Ham1l-
On's friends and sympathisers be-
edged his home. His physician re-
luested policeman to ask the crowd
o disperse.
John Hamilton, of Abingdon, and
Robert Hamilton, of Mendoza, broth
RS of the wounded man, visited him
sunday. His brOther-in law. Mr.. Buch
man, spent the night with him last
hight.
General Walker is comfortably To-
lated in his room in the St. Law
ence Hotel, where his daughter, Mrs.
ianley Caldwell, Of Wytheville, has
visited him. She arrived Sunday On
he night train, her husband, Manley
N. Caldwell, the law partner of Walk
#, having arrived Sunday on the
loon train, and has been aG General
Walkers bedside since that time.
hrs. Poage, of Wytheville, arrived
esterday and she and Mrs, Caldwell
lave returned home.
General Walker has been attended
" Drs. William K. Vance and M. M.
PEARSON. His wounds have given him
ONE pain, there being considerable
yelling from one near the arm pit.
either of the bullets have been To-
ated and no probing has been done,
therefore, the exact range of the balls
annot be aScertained. There have
,een no unfaYorable symptoms. Some
Use in temperature as might be ex
ected and some paralysis of the fin
,ers of the right hand. There has
,een no hemOrrhage or symptoms
hat either of the bullets entered or
ouched the lungs, as was at first sup
osed.
On the whole the condition of Gen
raj Walker is about as we'll as could
10 expected, and although it will take
ime to certainly tell, there are no un
adorable symptoms and the patient is
expected to. get we'll in the ordinary
curse of time; yet the possibility of
Hood poisoning from the leaden bull
cts might occur.
General Walker is sixtY-six years old,
nd is a man of remarkable physical
igor and recuperative power.
The facts, so far as can be learned,
re just about as the SPECTATOR pub
lshed yesterday.
None of the eye-witnesses will make
my statements for publication, and all
inds of stories have been aflOat, some
# them worked out in detail by the
ifferent persons who always try to
olor their reports.
There can be no doubt about the
act that General Walker shot Hamil
on all of the witnesses present saw
his, and Hamilton himself says he is
to hear that even Walkers
wo friends seem to avoid this fact.
General Walkers friends seem to
AVE already taken two positions in
he case. Walker himself fled from
he court room, followed by Robert
VI. Calfee. He went Immediately to
he st. Lawrence Hotel, and there, be
ore witnesses, exhibited pistol
which he claimed was his, and said:
Gentlemen, want you to take no.