The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-06
SERIOUS SHOOTING
One Killed and Two Wound
ed in Virginia.
The Affair is the Outcome Of an Alleged Insult
Offered to Young Lady. All Pro-
minent Socially.
CBy the Associated Prass.)

Richmond, Va, Dec A special from
FREDERICKSBURG says that a terrible
tragedy was enacted in Westmoreland
county last night. One man was killed
and two others We're seriously, if not
mortaily, wounded. The dead man is
William +. Taylor, Jr., and the wounded
are j. Q. Stiff and Willie Hefin.
From information now at hand it ap-
pears that Taylor being informed of an
alleged gross insult offered by Herbert
Marks to his cousin, Miss Rose Taylor,
endeavored have the matter amicably
settled Failing to do so he, in COM
pany with Stiff, Hefiin, George V
Thompson and Mr.. Douglass, visited
the Marks house. On arriving there they
found the house barricaded and when
they tried to open door, Marks sud-
denly began shooting from window.
Taylor was shot through the heart and
the neck, and Heflin in the stomach
Marks surrendered to the authorities.
All the parties to the unfortunate affair
are prominent socially.
The party sought Marks to tar and
feather him. He is from New York and
left for his home tonight, after being
exonerated by the coroner's jury. The
wounded men were taken ito Washington
d. c. Taylor was from Westmoreland
Washington, d. c., December 4.-The
two wounded men, William Hefiin, Il
years of age, who was shot through the
abdomen, and James @. Stiff, 3S years of
age, We're brought to this city tonight
and placed in the Emergency Hospital
Heflin died in about an hour after reach
ing the hospital. Stiff is paralyZed from
the neck down and unable TO walk. There
is remote possibility of his recovery.
According to the story told by the
friends of the men brought here, the
original idea was to give Marks horse
whipping. Those in the party were Tay-
lor, who was killed outright, an oyster
packer at Colonial Beach; Hefiin, clerk
in the village store kept by F. w. Stiff,
Sr, James @. Stiff, a travelling sales
man, son of the village storekeeper;
George Thompson, the village wheel
wright and an oyster man named Doug
lass, who merely went anlong to see the
fun.
TAYLOR was armed with a Winchester
rifle while the others, with the exception
of Douglass, were armed with revolvers
The party started out from Oak Grove
shortly after o'clock. The Marks farm
is about three miles from the village.
He heard the providers and arming him
self with a revolver demanded to know
what was wanted. just as the window
was broken. There was no reply, so with
the second crash of breaking glass he
fired at the intruder. With shrek of
pain Hefin fell back shot through the
abdomen Hearing the firing Stiff forced
open the side door to the same room.
AS the door swung open he was con-
fronted by Marks, revolver in hand.
He tried to shoot, but before he could
raise his hand Marks fired, the bullet
piercing Stiff's neck. He fell in heap
on the threshold without uttering
sound. Marks then started for the
house of D. H. Griffith and as he was
running along, the dark body of man
rose from the weeds, gun in hand. The
an fired but the bullet missed it's mark
and when the man again attempted to
shoot Marks fired. The gun fell from
the mans hand. This man was William
Taylor who had been shot dead Marks
hurriedly summoned assistance. and at
his suggestion the wounded men were
sent to Washington.