The leader., 1905-07-01
TERRIBLE KENTUCKY KILLING
CULMINATIoN OF LoNo-sTAND-
ING TROUBLE.
Brothers-in-Law Quarrel and Shoot
Each Other to Death in the Pres
ence of Their Wives.

Fulton, KY, June 25.--The bloodiest
tragedy ever enacted In this commun-
ity occurred last night, as result oi
which two men, J. w. Sphinx and ). q,
Walters, are lying dead in the same
house.
A new born babe is also dead and the
mother is being sustained by artificial
means.
Family trouble Of long standing cul-
minated in pistol duel about $50
o'clock last night, Sphinx received five
wounds and Walters two. Sphinx was
Instantly killed and Walters died about
1890 o'clock. The men were brothers.
in-law, Mrs. Sphinx being Walters sis
ter.
The two families occupy the same
house, a pretty little cottage on the
outskirts of the city. While the men
had never come to blows, hot words
had often passed between them as the
result of money transaction of several
months ago,
The elimination of their trouble
came in the eating of some garden truck
by Walters horse which occurred yes
terday while Walters was in Paducah,
Sphinx used some very hot language
about the matter, which Mrs. Walters
heard and repeated to her husband up
on his return from Paducah. This en-
ragged Walters and going to his trunk he
procured 3S-caliber Smith & Wesson
pistol. Armed with this he crossed
the hallway and entered Spink's room
With the remark, Now is the best
time to settle this trouble" Walters
opened fire on Sphinx, who was playing
with his little daughter.
At the first shot Sphinx, though woun-
ded leaped to his feet and, snatching 6
revolver from the mantlepiece, returned
the fire. Standing less than ten feel
apart, the two men fred shot after shot
Sphinx was blinded by pain and mostt o
his bullets went wild, but Walters bull
lets found the mark every time.
The wives of. the two men, who were
the only eye witnesses, say both mel
finally fell, and Sphinx, though mortally
wounded, crawled to where his adverse
ry lay, placed his pistol against Walters
breast and fired the shot that killed
him. While Sphinx was leaning ovel
him to fire this shot Walters also fred
the bullet grazing Spink's head ant
lodging in the ceiling. Sphinx fell bacl
dead.
After things had partially quieteC
down in the house Mrs. Sphinx turned
her attention to her little two week
old babe which was lying on the bed
1t seemed that her cup of sorrow wa
not yet filed by the loss other husband
and brother, for when she picked vi
her little one, it too, was dead. Will
mourning for the husband and brothe
she little dreamed that the spirit of he
child was taking fight
At this juncture Dr. T. D. Bryan
neighbor, rushed into the house. Th
sight that met his gaze was fearful
Lying side by side with blood squirting
from numerous wounds were the tw
men, one dead the other dying. BeinI
in measure accustomed to such scenes
DIR. Bryan after taking the pistols fron
the mems tightly clutched hands. begal
| hasty investigation. Finding Spinl
dead the doctor gave his attention t,
Walters, whose first question was
"Will ! die. doctor?n
Receiving an affirmative reply, b
requested to be taken into another room
saying he diden't want to die in tn
same room with Sphinx. BY this tim
the house was full of people and tn
dying man was carried to another room
in which he breathed his last at 1913
| o'clock.