Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-17
Resulted In an Awful Trag-
edy Yesterday.
THREE MEN ARE KILLED
And Another One is Probably Fatally
neutrality-suspicious. COlS0n
Was the Man Who Fired the Shots
Cause OF the Trouble.

E = IdlihAOIVs N.Y. a. Va ~
tragedy, in which the lives of three
prominent men were sacrificed and that
of a fourth hangs by a slender thread.
while two others m%iraculously escaped
with painful injuries, occurred here at I
O'Clock today.
The principals in the tragedy were ex-
Congressman David G. Colson of Mid
dlesboro and Lieutenant Ethelbert Scott
of Somerset. Scott was shot six times
by ColsOn and almost instantly killed.
Luther w. Demarree, assistant post
master at Shelbyville, an innocent by
tander, was shot three times and died
instantly.
Charles Julian, another %bystander. was
shot and died half an hour later.
Captain 3. B. Golden of Barboursville.
commemorative attorney of the Twen-
ty-seventh judicial district, was shot in
the back n is not expected to survive
the night.
Colonel Colson himself was shot twice
in the arm. Harry Ewing of Louisville
was shot in the foot and w. O.. Ridpath
Of Chicag sustained a broken leg by the
lifeless form of Scott falling against him
as it rolled down the stairway.
The tragedy Is one Of the most sensa-
tiOnal in the history of the dark and
bloody ground" The killing occurred in
the lobby of the Capitol hotel, the prin-
cipal hosiery Of the state capital, the
politicians and others who are here at
tending the contests for state officers
before the legislature.
Colonel Colson is in Jail tonight charged
with murder, but he claims self-de-
Tense.
The witnesses to the affair were taken
SO much by surprise when. the shooting
began that most of them were almost
panic stricken, and there are many con-
flicting stories as to how the fight began.
Colonel COlson and a party of friends,
among whom was Demarree, were sitting
in the lobby engaged in conversation as
Scott and Captain Golden came up the
stairs from the bar-room, walking in the
direction of COlsOn. The latter, it is
said, half rising from his chair, fired at
Scott who instantly returned the fire.
The shooting then became general, and
bystanders are at variance as to he
number engaged in it. Demarree was
standing slightly in front Of Colson and
young Scott is said to have crouche be-
hind him to ward off bullets from Col
sons revolver. In an instant Demarree
fell dead, pierced by three bullets.
Captain Golden, who accompanied
Scott. reeled to n side, falling into the
arms of Ex-Governor James +. McCreary,
exclaiming. II am shot,"
The smoke in the vicinity of the an
tagonists became dense, but Colson con-
tinued to press Scott. who retreated
backward, shooting as he moved. Col
son ernptied the chambers of a s2-calibre
revolver and quickly brought a 44-calibre
into action. Scott. by this time had been
shot several times, n as he staggered
back and fell down the stairway Colson,
rr,l ~xo, 1xys%hsn - ct.,, R~1A = -
tinued the fire until the form of Scott
rolled over and showed life extinct.
The battle was terrific and bullets
fairly rained through the lobby of the
hotel, several of which Wen wild. pierre
ing window glass or embedding them
selves in the walls and furniture of the
hotel.
utes that Julian. who die several min
utes later. had been shot, and at first
his wound was thought to be only
trifing. <
After the killing Colonel Colson ran out
Of the hotel and hurried to the residence
OF Chief of Police Williams, where he
rendere He was almost exhausted.
and as he entered the house gasped:
II am sorry; he would not let me alone.
There were three of them shootineSslsaat
me.' =.
Meanwhile the widest excitement pre-
vailed in the hotel lobby where the kill
0ns occurred. and in the dining room
1earby, where almost zoo. guests had
been seated. They fell over each other
In frantic efforts to get to places of
safety. Women tainted, and it was sew
eral minutes befrre the awful scope OF
the tragedy was known. The dead were
left lying in pools of blood, and messen-
gers We're dispatched in every direction
Tor physicians and nurses to care for the