The evening times., 1899-02-20
TRAGEDY FOLLOWS
4 DRUNKEN Spree
Miner John Muir Shot by a
FeIlOW-WOrkman.
Matthew H. Jones Charged With
the Homicide.
Testimony Shows That the Shooting
Resulted From n Quarrel
Over Money.

| Homecoming, Md, Feb. 20.-At $3.50
O'Clock Saturday morning Matthew II.
Jones, aged thirty three years. shot John
Muir aged twenty-five years, with Win
chester rifle in Lonaconing. and the victim
| died in the afternoon at AS O'Clock, after
| being unconscious for nine hours.
John Muir formerly lived with his pa
rents in Homecoming, but several years ago
moved with his father, William C. Muir,
to Midland, Allegany county, where they
were employed in the Ocean mine of the
Consolidated Coal Company.
The parties to the tragedy and some 9TH
er young men went during the night or
early morning, to the tailor shop of Will
| liam E. Bowden, where they had half
gallon of whisky, which they drank. Jones
fell asleep, and on waking said he had lost
a $5-bill. The other members of the party
resented his accusations and Jones says,
threatened to kill him. About 4 O'Clock
in the morning, while the others were
| asleep. Jones left the place and went TO
| the bar of the Maryland Hotel, where he
had left his rifle with the barkeeper during
the night. He put on his cartridge belt,
which was also there, with thirteen cart
ridges in it, and proceeded across tL2 town
| to the Bowden shop.
Witnesses say he raped on the door and
asked those within to come OFT: some say
he called for Muir, who finally did go out
when Jones fired, and a 32-calibre ball took
effect in Muir's head. two inches above
the left ear. 1t was also stated that i'm
medlately after firing the first shot Jones
Immediately reloaded the rifle.
The firing attracted a number of persons.
among them Subtreasurer James NJ. Sloan
who had come to his home in Homecoming
IN hrNt,t. h.aFy
store IS in the neighborhood where the
shooting took place He persuaded Jones
to hand over the rifle, which he did. II
was found To contain cartridge II is
not a repeating" rifle.
Drs c. Brotewackle and w Q. Shilling
were summoned and gave the wounded
man proper attention, but il was evident
from the beginning that the shot was NOR
tai.
Muir was taken to the residence of his
uncle, Ex-Councilman Isaac Bradburn
The brain was then cozing from the wound
Ihe bullet, entering above and back of the
ear, took circuitous route through the
brain and lodged near the top of the head
Jones was arrested and committed to jail
al Cumberland. where he is now
DR.. W. Q. Shilling performed the post
was empaneled: John Abbott, foreman;
Robert Robertson, jr., William Jones,
James Schuyler. James Stevenson. John
Kirk, Robert y. Somerville, Edward c.
Walsh w. j. Fresh and David Holmes
After taking the testimony of a number
OF witnesses the jury rendered the verdict
that John Muir came to his death from
a wound inflicted by a bullet fired from
rifle in the hands of Matthew Jones'
The shern has the prisoners cartridge
belt; it has eleven cartridges in it. He had
taken two out, one which killed Muir and
one to reload. The posU-m moFtem examina-
tion disclosed that the leaden 32-calibre
bullet upon entering Muir's head broke into
four pieces and lodged in different parts of
the brain. Ran Berry, a State wit SIS in
the case, who could not give bond in $500
for his appearance al court is detained in
jail. He is comparatively stranger at
Lonaconing. William Bowden. Evan Hum
phrey and Differ who were in Bowden 5
tailor shop, gave bond 10 appear at wit
nesses.
Jones threw his arms around the neck of
a sympathetic officer and cried when he
was put in prison. The officers say he was
not yet over his debauch when he reached
Cumberland. He is small in stature and
of slender build. When snot drinking he
is quiet and unobtrusive. He has been al
ways well liked. He is native of Nova
Scotia. having accompanied his parents TO
the Cumberland coal region when he was a
child. His father. William E. Jones. was
killed by fall of coal in the Detmold
mine two years ago. His mother is also
dead and he is unmarried. with no kindred
He is reputed to be a crack shot with the
rife, having established general reputa
tion for unerrng aim. He was always
conspicuous at shooting matches. 1t is said
he is in the habit of crying when drinking,
saying all the world was against him and
that he had no one to live for.
Oyster Packers Handicapped.
ST. Michaers, Md. Feb 20.-Oyster
packers are making strenuous efforts to
supply the oyster market. The first train
out Saturday morning carried 200 gallons,
the first that have been shipped for more
than a week. These oysters comprised the
entire cargo of Captain Burrows vessel,
which is still icebound in ST. Michael's
harbor.
The vessel was unloaded by a sleigh,
which was run back and forth on the ice.
a telegram was received here during the
week that oysters were selling at $1.25
per bushel in the city, and several at
tempts were made by the oystermen to
tong for oysters through the ice. The at
tempts were unsuccessful, as well as dan
gerous. The entire supply of the oyster
houses here is exhausted
The oystermen have been without en-
ployment SO long that money is very
scarce. All the packing houses have or
ders for thousands of gallons, but the
business will be at a standstiIl so long as
the harbor remains closed.