Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-01-17
DEADLY AIM.
Ex-Congressman Killed Three
Persons, at Frankfort, KY.
FATALLY WOUNDED ANOTHER MAN.
Occurred In Hotel, at Frankfort, Ky.
Another Man Wounded and Another
Hurt by Deal Hody Rolling Against
Him-Colson Wounded.

FRANKFoRT, KY. Jan. ia shock
ing tragedy, in which the lives of three
prominent men were sacrificed, and
that Of fourth hangs by a slender
thread, while two others miraculously
escaped with painful injuries, occurred
here. The principals in the trage. y
were x-Congressman David q. Colson,
Of Middlesboro, and Lieutenant Ethel
bert Scott, of Somerset. Scott was shot
six times by Colson and almost Instant
Iy killed.
Luther w. Demarree. assistant post
master at Shelbyyille, an innoce ut by
stander, was shot three times and dled
instantly. Charles Julian, another by
stander, was shot and died half hour
later, and Captain E. B. Golden, of Bar
louisville, commonwealth 5 attorney Of
the Twenty seventh judicial district.
was shot in the back, and is not expected
to survive the night. Colonel Colson
himself was shot twice IN the arnl.
Harry MeEwing, of Louisville, was stiot
in the foot, and w. q. Ridpath, of CHI
cago, sustained broken leg by the life,
less form of Scott falling against him q 5
it rolled down the stairway. Tae
tragedy is one of the most sensational III
the history of 1.-THE dark and bloody
ground. >
The killing occurred i'll the lobby of
the Capitol hotel, the principal hos
terry Of the State capital, the room be
ing well filled at the time with poll
ticians and others who are here attend
ing the contests for state offices before
the legislature.
Colonel Colson is in jail, charged with
murder, but he claims self-detense.
The witnesses to the affair were
taken SO much by surprise when the
shooting began that most of them were
almost panlc-strlcken, and there are
many conflicting stories as to how the
fight began. Colonel Colson and a
party of friends, among whom was De-
marree, were sitting in the lobby ell
gagged in conversation as Scott and
Captain Golden came up the stairs from
the barroom When they had advanced
about half way across the room, walk
ing in the direction of Colson, the lat
ter, it is said, half rising from his chair,
fired at Scott, who instantly returned
the fire. The shooting then became
general and the bystanders are at vari-
ance as TO the number engaged In 1t.
Demarree was standing slightly in
front of Colson and young Scott is said
to have crouched behind HIM TO escape
bullets from Colson's revolver. In an
instant Demarree fell dead, pierced by
three bullets. Captain Golden, who
accompanied Scott, reeled to one side,
falling into the arms of Ex-Governor
James B. McCreary, exclaiming Il am
shot,
The smoke i'll the locality of the an
tagonists became dense, but Colson con-
tinued to press Scott, who retreated
backward, shooting as he moved
Colson emptied the chambers of a 49,
caliber revolver and quickly brought q
Al into action. Scott by this time had
been shot several times, and, as he
staggered back and fell down the STAIR
way, Colson, who was within few feet
of him, continued to fire till the form
OF Scott rolled over and showed life ex-
tinct.
The battle was terrific and bullets
fairly rained through the lobby of the
hotel, several of which /. went wild.
pierced window glass or imbedded
themselves in the walls and furniture
of the hotel.
1t was not discovered for several min
later, had been shot, and at first his
wound was thought to be only trihing.
After the killing, Colonel Colson ran
out of the hotel and hurried to the resi-
dence of Chief of Police Williams, where
he surrendered. He was almost ex-
hausted, and as he entered the house,
gasped: Il am sorry he would not let
me alone. There We're three of them
shooting at me-" Meantime the widest
excitement prevailed III the hotel lobby,
where the killing occurred, and IN the
dining room nearby, where about 300
guests had been seated at dinner when
the fusillade began.
Men fell over each other in frantic
efforts to get to places OF safety, women
tainted and 1t was several minutes be-
fore the awful scope of the tragedy was
fully known. The dead were left dying
in pools OF blood and messengers Were
dispatched in every direction for physi-
clans and nurses to care for the wound
ed.
Charles II. Julian. who was shot in
the leg, died shortly after reaching d
room, death being due to loss OF blood
and the shock to his nervous system.
Captain Golden was removed to room
and made statement that Colonel Col
son was the aggressor.
Colonel Colson, who killed Scott, and
who is charged with the killing of both
Demarree and Julian, and with shooting
Golden, has long been prominent
figure in Kentucky politics. He served
two terms III congress, and declined q
denomination at the hands of the Re-
publican party of the Eleventh district,
in 1898, in order to accept the colonelcy
of the Fourth Kentucky regiment in
the Spanish war. Scott was lieuten-
mt and Golden was captain OF a cav
plry troop in Colson's regiment, and the
trouble which led to the tragedy began
then. A feud sprang up between Col
son and Scott while the troops We're II
camp at Ann1ston, Ala, and in this Il
is said by Colson's friends that Golden
was warm partisan of Scott
The trouble between them at that
time eliminated i'll a meeting between
them in restaurant, which resulted "
Colson being snot by Scott The re4l