Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-12-07
THE wEsTMoRELAND TRAGEDY.


Herbert Marx, the central figure 10 the
recent shooting sffrsy 10 Westmorelsnd
county, was stilI unknowp to bis family
and friends yesterday afternoon. Will
liam Marx, a brother of Herbert who
is 10 New York, stated that the family
had received DO late word, either from
bis brother or from A. E. Blackmsr, the
lawyer who had gone South on account
of the affair. The family thought pro
bai ly that Herbert Marx would return
to the North by water. The last heard
from young Marx vas Thursday when
a Telegram was received from him, say
ing that he was on his way to Freder-
icksburg.
The tragedy is still the leading topic
throughout the Northern Neck OF Vir-
ginis, where all the parties concerned
are we'll and fsvorsbly known. Ii ID
now stated, on the very best authority,
that Herbert Marx did not make I'm
proper advances to Miss Rose Taylor.
The Taylor family physician says she
denied 10 bis presence in the most EN-.
phatic terms that Mr.. Marx bad treated
her 10 an insulting manner, and that
the report to he contrary was without
the slightest foundation.
A prominent man from the neighbor-
hood OF Oak Grove, who was a men,
Der of the coroner's Jury which inves-
tigated the shooting, has made the fol-
lowing statement: "Marx denied that
he made any improper advances to the
young lady. He admitted that be did
put his arms around her ADD kissed
her. He said that he ives very fond oil
her, and looked upon her as q mere
school girl"
Since the night OF the tragedy bag
of straw, 10 which was bottle oil coal
oil, was found in Marks yard, and Q
short distance away, where one Of the
buggies was tied on the night of the
shooting. rags saturated 10 coal oil
we're found.
Public sentiment at one time was
very strong against Marx, but 1t is now
rapidly growi' 9 in his favor and nearly
every one condemns the hssty action
OF the ss,aulting party. Helm stated
twice before being taken to the hospi-
tai that be believed be had been shot
by one of his own party.
The remains OF w. p. Taylor, jr..
one OF the victims OF the shooting, was
buried In the cemetery OF st. Peters
Episcopal Church, at Oak Grove, yes
terday afternoon. The remains OF
William Heaio we're buried at his
home near King George Courthouse
this afternoon. Z. A Douglas, one OF
the party who went to Marks home
the night OF the tragedy, was hailed for
WIFE beating few years ago. he was
10 Jail for some days, when two pro-
minent citizeus went on bis bond, with
the understanding he would leave the
cou pty for twelve months, or until the
expiration of the peace bond. His
wife and children reside 10 Richmond
county.
There was some talk in Westmore-
land yesterday about lynching Bird,
the negro who stated that he saw Marx
attempt to kiss Miss Taylor, but no
effort was made to carry 1t out, and
excitement over the case has somewhat
subsidized.
The surgeons at the Emergency Hos
pital 10 Washington held oonsults.
zion yesterday morning, and decided
that 1t would be useless to attempt to
perform sn operation upon James Q.
Stiff, and they have notified relatives
OF the injured man that there ID no
hope OF saving his life.
When Stiff was brought to the bospi-
tai Wednesday evening the surgeons
made preliminary examination, and
decided that there was some hope for
the young man. He had been shot
through the neck from the front, the
bullet entering at the left OF the
trsches, missing the principal veins and
arteries and passing into the heavy
mu scles ct the back OF the neck, after
glancing off the spinal column. The
spinal cord was not touched, but the
force OF the blow on the sixth ano
seventh cervical vertebrae caused q
depression affecting the cord and
causing a psralytlc condition. The
vertebrate were not fractured, nor we're
they splintsred so far as can be deter.
mined. His body was paralyzed and
he Ia perfectly helpless, except for the
power 10 move his head. The bullet
will not be removed. Its presence 10
the muscles OF the neck gives the pa
tieut no pain whatever. The surgeons
stated last night that Stiff may live In
his present. condition for a month or
more, and it is possible that he may
die suddenly within the next few days.
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.-Three hun.
dred and sixty feet sheer down into the
fosmiug torrent that forces its way
through the sharp.cut canyon of the
Fraser, near the town OF Lyttou, b. O.,
was the plunge taken yesterday morn
ing by a Canadian Pacific westbound
freight. The track had been buried by
sudden slide, and in the dark hour
tina, precedes the dawn the train had
headed straight into the cham at a
point where q safe track had been not
been many minutes before. Happily,
though remarkably, the train was brok-
co in its plunge, the latter portion re-
msinR on the rails pinned by still fall.
Jog debris. pinching the mid-section in
a narrow cut, and thus conductor and
brakeman saved their lives.
The engineer aud fireman met In