The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-01-22
TRAGIC DEATH OF I.
!. +. CONDUCTOR BLAIR
DIED FROM WOUNDS IMPLICIT.
ED BY HIS WIFE.
Deceased Was a CONDUCTOR on the
Columbia, Newberry and Laurens
"Details of Homicied.
ESSlN$
The State. 18th.

The State, 18th.
Cullen w. Blair, well known
conductor on the Columbia, Newberry
and Laurcns railroad, was shot by his
wife yesterday afternoon about 8
O'Clock at their home, No. 1912 Mar
ion street. He died in less than an
hour ut the Knowlton infirmary,
where he had been taken soon after
the shooting.
The accounts as TO the cause of the
tragedy are conflicting and SAVIOR Of
the sensational. Mrs. Blair, who is
remarkably handsome Young woman,
declares that il was an accident, while
the husband said. in statement made
few minutes before his death, that
it was the result Of Il quarrel caused
by the attentions received by Mrs.
Blair from man whose narc was
given as Arms. This man. he said, is
Il conductor in the employ Of the
Southern on the Danvillc division. 1t
is understood that Arms was in Co.
lu:N"'a t'!:CH weeks So.
Mrs. Blair was prostratcd by the
shock Of the tragedy and was unable
to leave the house when placed under
arrest by Sheriff Coleman. A deputy
was placed on guard ut the residence,
and she is constantly under survcil-
lance. Previous to her marriage to
Mr. Blair. she was Miss Ethel Wayne
Barcntinc, the daughter of a Mctho-
dist minister of aSliSbury, \. G.. She
has been. residing with her husband
in Columbia for several years, having
m"ved here from North Carolina,
where Mr. Blair was employed as a
conductor on the Southern.
Mr.. Blair arrived from LanrcnS as
usual yesterday morning at 1915
O'Clock. After attending to several
matters Of business on main street he
went home about , o'clock. II was
only Il short time after he entered the
house that those in the vicinity heard
tw" shots in rapid succession and af-
ter Il short interval two more. and
mingled with shots were the screams
of women and children from inside.
There was no other man in the house
at the time, although there are sever
al who board there.
Residents in the neiyhborhood soon
gathered in front of the house. The
first person to enter was Mr. H. W.
Woodward, who lives at the corner Of
Taylor and Marion streets, only few
doors away. When he entered the
front door Mr.. Blair was standing in
the hall with his back against the wall
and holding his wife by both wrists as
If to prevent her from using her
hand. The butt of pistol was pro-
trudng from his upper vest pocket.
Seeing that there was very serious
trouble. Mr.. Woodward, went to the
front steps to ask some one to call a
policeman and when he again went in
side Mr.. Blair had gone into a bed
room in the back of the house and
was lying on the bed. He told Mr..
Woodward that he had been shot and
that gentleman ut once tc!cphoncd
for a physician and in short time
the wounded man was taken in an
ambulance to the Knowlton mfr
mary.
After the terrible affair. Mrs.
Blair retired to her room in a hystcri-
cal condition and a physician was
called to attend her. She is seriously
Ill and was unable to make any state
ment Of what led up to the Shooting.
Everybody else in the house was so
unncrel by the experience that no
coherent accoun, could be learned
from them; they would only repeat
their Assurances that it was an acci-
dent. Later the version given ont as
having come from Mrs. Blair was that
Mr.. Blair came home in state of
lntoXication and up raidcd her for her
failure to pay some indebtedness and
threatened to strike her. At this, she