Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1900-01-19
Ex-Congressman COlson Goes
Cunning in a Hotel
THE BULLETS FLEW FAST
ALI Those Engaged in the Fray
Were Men of Prominence.
AN ARMY FEUD is SETTLED.
The Leading Hotel I'm Frankfort, KY,
Is the Scene of n Desperate ARRAY
A Panic Among the Hundreds Of
Spectators.

A Panic Among the Hundreds Of
Spectators.
Frankfort, KY, Jan. IA shock
ing Tragedy in which the lives of three
prominent men were sacrificed and
that of "a fourth hangs by a slender
thread, while two others escaped with
painful injuries, occurred here at
O'Clock Tuesday. The principals in
the tragedy were ex-Congressman Da-
vid G. Colson, of Middlesboro, and
Lieut.. Ethelbert Scott, of Somerset.
Scott was shot six times by Colson
and almost instantly killed.
LUTHER w. Demarree, assistant post
master at Shelbyville, an innoceqt by
stander, was shot three times and died
Instantly. Charles Julian, another by
stander, was shot and died half hour
later and Capt. B. b. Golden, of Bar
louisville, states attorney of the
| Twentv-seyenth judicial district, was
shot in the back and is not expected
to survive. Col. Colson was shot twice
in the arm. Harry McEwing, of Lou
isville, was shot in The foot and w. o.
Ridpath, of Chicago, sustained
broken leg by the lifeless form of
Scott falling against him as he rolled
down the stairway. The tragedy is
one of the most sensational in the his
tory of "the dark and bloody ground"
The killing occurred in the lobby OF
the Capitol hotel, the room being well
filed at the time with politicians and
others who are here attending the
contests for state offices before the
legislature. Col. Colson is in Jail,
charged with murder, but he claims
self-defense.
The witnesses of the affair were
taken so much by surprise when the
shooting began that most OF them
were almost panic-stricken and there
are many conflicting stories as to how
the fight began Col. Colson and a
parity of friends, among whom was
Demarree, were sitting in the lobby
engaged in conversation as Scott and
Capt. Golden came up the stairs from
,he bar room. When they had ad-
vanced about half way across the
room, walking in the direction of Col
SON, the latter, it is said, half rising
from his chair, fired at Scott, who in
stantly returned THE fire. The shoot
ing then became general and bystand-
ers are at variance as to the number
enOaged in it. Demarree was stand
ing slightly in front of Colson and
Young Scott is said to have crouched
behind to escape bullets from ColSon s
revolver. In an INSTANT Demarree fell
dead, pierced by three bullets. Capt.
Golden, who accompanied Scott, reed-
ed to one side, falling into the arms
of eX-Gov. McCreary, eSclaiming, Il
am shot"
The smoke in the locality of the am-
tagonists became dense, but Colson
continued to press Scott, who retreat
ed backward, shooting as he moved.
Colson emptied the chambers of u 3S-
caliber revolver and quickly brought
Al into action. Scout by this time
had been shot several times, and, as
| he staggered back and fell down the
: STAIRWAY, Colson, who was within a
few feet of dim, continued to fire till
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
e for several minutes afterwards that
D Jutta1 who died later, had been shot
and at first his wound was thought to
I be only trifiinp.
n After the killing Col. Colson hurried
e to the residence of Chief of Police
e Williams, where he surrendered. He
9 was almost exhausted and as he EN-
: tered the house gasped: II am sorry
q he would not let me alone. There
e were three of them shooting at me-"
: Col. Colson, who killed Scott ant
: who is charged with the killing o
both Demarree and Julian and witt
shooting Golden, has long been ;
prominent figure in Kentucky poll
tics. He served two terms in congress
and declined a denomination at th'
hands of the republican party of tn,
Eleyenth district in 1898 in order Il
accept the colonelcy of the Fourtl
Kentucky regiment in the Spanisl
war. Scott was lieutenant and Gold
en- was captain of a cavalry troop IL
u Colson's regiment and the troubl
e which led to the tragedy began then
e A feud sprarg up between Colsol
# and Scott while the troops were il
e camp at Admission, Ala, and in thi
o it is said by Colson's friends tha
= Capt Golden was a warm partisan O
e Scott. The trouble between them a
II that time culminated in meeting be
: tween them in n restaurant which re
suited in Colson being shot by Scott
s The regiment was shortly afterward
l. mustered out of the service as a resul
a of the feud between the officers an
- the serious charges which they ma
made at Washington against eac
other, as officers. Since then the Pai
t. ties had not met.
g Oolson was the most widely know
a of those who figured in the tragedy
N but none of the Others was obscure
n. Scott was young lawyer OF Somel
r. set and nephew of ex-Gov. Bradley
- - his mother being sister OF the e>
- governor. He was about 80 years olt
u DemarNe was about 81 years oil
rs and in addition to being assistar
postmaster ut Shelbyville was lars
real estate owner.
!. Capt. Golden ts one of the be-