Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-12-05
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.


bis recovery is improbable.
Herbert Marks. who did the shoot
ing, is nineteen years old. He is q
farmer, and has always horne sn excel
lent reputation. He claims 10 have
done the shooting in defense Of his
! person and bis home, and he has given
himself up to the authorities OF West
morelsnd county.
The parties to the tragedy were all
residents OF the vicinity OF the little
village Of Oak Grove. They were we'll
acquainted with one another, and up to
last Sunday night had been the b's: OF
friends. Miss Maggie Taylor, an estima-
BILE youOg woman, q daughter OF
Mr.. John Taylor, one Of the best
families Of the neighborhood, was
the innocent cause of the shooting.
Sac lives near the Marks home.
Last Sunday evening she &C.
oompsnied Marks to the village church
at his invitation, and it is also claimed
by the friends OF Miss Taylor that
Marks made improper proposals TO
her, which she resented. She told her
girl cousins about the matter, and they
10 turn told their bother, William
Taylor. This was where the trouble
started.
Taylor. who was an oyster packer at
Colonial Beach, determined to chastise
young Marks. DE gathered several Of
bis friends, and proposed to visit
Marks house in the night, drag him
from bed, tar and feather him, and
give him horsewbippiog. The friends
whom he let into his secret were Will
liam l.. Hefl o, a clerk in the village
store, Kept by F. w. Stiff, ST., and son
of the sheriff OF King George county;
James @ Stuff, travelling salemsn for
Charles King & Son, of this city, aud
son of the village storekeeper; George
Thompson, the village wheelwright,
the only married man 10 the party,
aud an oysterman named Douglas.
The latter took DO part in the affair.
The time set for the attack was O'Clock
Tuesday night. At the appoiBted time
all five OF the men approached the
place together. Taylor was armed with
a Winchester rife, while the others,
with the exception OF Douglass, were
armed with revolvers. The party
separated upon reachiog the lawn
fence, Taylor remaining IN the pear
orchard to watch the road, and Stiff
and Thompson going around to the
south side o the house.
When they were stationed Hehin
approached the west side, and waking
up to window, broke out both panes 10
the lower sash. As it sfterward de.
veloped, Marks was alone in the hous :,
bis widowed mother having gone to
New York on visit. He heard the
providers, and arming himself with
revolver, demanded to know what was
wanted just as the window was broken.
There was no reply, go with the second
crash of breaking glass. he fred at the
intruder. With q shrek II, fin fell
back, shot through the abdomen.
Hearing the firing, SIif forced open the
side door to the same room. As the
door swung open be was confront.
ed by Marks revolver 10 hand. Stiff
tried to shoot, but before he could raise
bis arm, Marks fred, the bullet piercing
Slfi's neck. The second intruder fell
10 heap on the Threshold without
uttering a sound.
Thinking be had killed both men,
and not knowing that there we're no
more on the outside, Marks started to
run for help. He ran through the lawn
to the road and up the road just past
the pear orchard. toward the home Of
d. II. Griffith. AS be sped breathlessly
along the path beside the orchard, the
dark form OF man, Taylor, arose from
the weeds, gun 10 hand. Marks bad
thrust his revolver into his pocket
when be left the house, and before he
drew it, Taylor fred at a distance OF
less than twenty feet. The bullet
missed it's mark. Marks stopped short
10 his tracks, his revolver IN his hand.
He now knew his assailants were after
his life.
There was bat second to think. and
when he heard the lever OF the Win
chester snap into place as 1t thrust a
new shell into the empty barrel he
fred at the figure holding IL. The gun
fell from the mans hands and be sank
back into the weeds without a sound.
Marks fed from the spot, horror
stricken. He succeeded 10 rousing Mr..
Griffith and took him back to his home,
telli0g him as they ran OF the events OF
the night. When they arrived at the
house they found another neighbor,
Mr.. w. l.. Guthridge, whose farm adj
joins the Marks place, caring for the
wounded men. He had been sum-
moned by negro farm hand. AS be
entered the room, which presented the
appearance OF q shambles, Marks rec
o aniz.d fn the features of his assailants
his former friends. Selling a lantern,
he called to Mr.. Guthridge to follow,
and ran to the pear orchard to ind the
body of the man whom he had shot
down. Together they hunted for the |
body, and foslIy they came upon the |
grewsome thing lying under q stunted
pear tree in the high weeds, just as it |
Dad fallen. II was William Taylor. |
He had fallen forward on his face, one |
arm doubled under him. the other out
stretched hand graspiDg the Winches-
ter. An empty shell lay on the ground
near by. They turned the body over,
and there just over the heart the shirl
and coat we're soaked with warm blood.
Taylor had been shot through the
heart by the unerring sim of the young
farmer. The body was left where il
sy and the men returned to the house
10 minister to the living.
Marks next move was to mount his |
q ,etest horse and ride for doctor. He
sped over the country road az top speed
and summoned DR.. w. w. Washington,
VINO lives near the village. The doctor
responded and did what be could for