The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-05-24
WHO KILLED WADDLE
CcrOner's Inquest Into the
Murder at Givin.

The coroner's inquest over the re-
mains Of WadoleE Edgar, shot at Givin
Sunday night, was held Tuesday in
the Farmers Club rsc=1he jurors
we're viii Neagle, r. n. Boyer and
j. H. Pickett. The examination was
conducted by County Attorney Geo.
Laiferty.
Justice Dan Reese was the irst wit.
ness examined, and he testified as
follows:
Reese said that he was a farmer
living near Givin. Came to Giyin
Sunday evening and there was a fuss
At the depot. He saw two men he
knew Lewis and Foster and they were
asked TO- 90 to the fellows and stop
the fuss. They did so and the crowd
was quiet for a time. When Edgar
was shot he saw him fall and saw
Pryor fall on top Of him.
Constable VIM. Pryor told the fol-
lowing story Of the shooting:
About ten white boys from Giyin
we're at one side and apart from the
colored crowd. "A big colored fellow
was making lots Of noise, and said
they lmeaning the white boys) have
a knife. IL they want to fight let
them throw it away and fight fair. /
turned to the white boys and asked
them about the knife. They said they
mad NO knife. The colored fellows
were still %quarreling and | went up
to them, and said we are not going
to have any lighting here and if you
follows don't keep quiet I shall have
to arrest You. They kept backing off
south step at a time and / followed.
They continued quarreling and loud
talking. Edgar was trying to get at
the crowd of white boys and some
a In the crowd was trying to keep
him back. The fuss kept up and |
started to make an arrest. AS | said,
Sin the name of the law" some one
hit me in the mouth. The blow
staggered me but did not knock me
down. As / recovered / got another
blow or the side of the head.
This was south of the depot.
Just at this time some one shot,
about Is or 20 feet east of me. /
saw the streak Of fire and knew the
shot was fired in my direction. /
pulled my gun and fred in the direc-
Of the flash. Two flashes then came
from the south and / fired in that
direction and then another shot came
from the east and / fred a third shit
! had then fired all the shells I had
in my gun. / went over to the john
son house drug store and tried to
get more cartridges for my IS gun
and could not and also tried to get
another gun but could not went
back again into the crowd and some
one said kin him the minute you Q
him. I grabbed the deceased by the
coat collar. 1t may have been Edgar
who said that or it may have been
the man back Of him. A fellow at
the side Of Edgar stepped back two
steps and leveled his gun. / pulled
my gun on him and said throw up
yours hands and l saw that whatever
was done must be done quick,
40 / tried to get the fellow into the
waiting room. Just then there was
q shot fred a short distance away.
/ saw the fire and heard a thud and
Edgar fell with his entire weight on
my arm and / knew that Edgar had
been shot. He fell on my arm and /
leaned over him. There was a sec
ond shot fred in my direction. 1t
went over me. / then sprang up and
through the door and just escaped a
third shot. Left the man lying on
the platform with his head over the
door way and the agent took me in
TO the ticket office andI stayed there
until after the train had gone. The
passenger pulled in shortly after the
shooting and the crowd got on the.
train. Photographed to Abba to have
the gang arrested and telegraphed
to OskaIoosa for coroner
A. ri. Snodgrass is agent for the
Iowa Central and Rock Island at
Giyin. He was the one who sent for