The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-11-25
SHO JTNG ARRAY
All RELLA |. 6. !I!!I!.I!
JOIN VAN HOOK FIRES FouRi
SHOTS An FRED MARTIN nc
i'm EXPIRED IN A FEW MIN.
ujTE SHOOTING OCCURRED AT
sThiRESEs SCHOOL HOUSE.
IraII sagI6afa, lInd.l. EaterprIse.

hfQILlS S1lelDlIAL Nluu4JI EuteIVltoS'
Nov %.
Friday evening about 6 o'clock oc'
CURED 3 most depsors1le tragedy, one
tiiat cas gloom and sorrow among the
iltsnds Of both participants, when
Ohm van Hook, check wetghman, at
t1e Reliance mine, shot and killed
Fred Martina fellow einploye at the
STRIKE school house, half mile frsm
ne Reliance mine.
-Four sf,ots were fred, all Of Which
took etfect. One struck tle unfertu-
nate victim IN the pit Of the stomach.
one Just below the heart. one in the
Jeft shoulder and one in the groin.
Many conflicting reports were In cir
cnlatton regarding the tragedy, one
being that Van Hook emptied two re-
YolSers at his victim, firing 10 shots
"a all, and that each one hit the IN
fortunate man, but eye witnesses OF
the tragedy informed t:1e Enterprise
X that but four shots were fired.
The tragedy is to be the more de.
piored, If such thing Is possible,
from the fact that the causes which
he'd to 1t were trivial and all differ
ences between the parties could have
been settled amicably had the men
used reason instead '5f letting their
passions and prejudices prevail. Tie
difference that led up to the tragedy
was caused simply by misunderstood.
ing Of each other and dlsinclina'
stipn Of one or both to listen to rea-
son,or to make an explanation Of oc-
J. cIrrences that were easily explained
and simple in themselves. instead Of
which each impaired wrsng motives
to the other that led to bitter feeling
between the men.
The story of the tragedy and the
causes taat led mp to 1t, as related by
van Hook to Marshal George Fox.
are as follows:
Several miners mad been reporting
lost cars and 1t was suspected that
some one was stealing them. Van
Hook rep3rted to the mine commit
ties that he believed the murdered
man and his ''buddy," Earl Reeves,
were the guilty parties from the fact
that they we're mining more coal than
!. anybody else ION that run, Van Hook
prevailed on the committee to give
2 him an extra car for tae suspected
= men In order TO verify his suspicious,
which he gave them and then took
the car OIL them the next day, at
which Martin complained of lost car.
The committee then refused to let the
men go to work the next morning I'm.
til the matter was adjusted Van
Hook came to aim and inquired what
was the cause of the lay of and when
!, told the reason and that there woull
he meeting of the local that even.
ing to settle the matter Martin threat.
eped to kill Van Holsls II he testified
against him and seid he was going to
town to buy a revolver This. he
claimed, was his reason for shooting
flt Martin, us he walked towards him
at the meeting of the local Friday
evening, as ne supposed Martin hal
a revolver concealed on his person.
z AS 10 the truth Of Van Hooks claim
that Martin had threatened to kill
him, we are unable to say, not having
4 found anybody who had heard the
threat made.
The meeting had not yet been called
toorder when the shooting took place,
the men standing around in different
portions OF the school h1use and It
is very probable that had any Of the
shots fired missed their target they
would have found hodgment in the
person Of some of the innocent by.
ISLANDERS. The fact that all of the
bullets found their mark IS consider.
ed rather remarkable frsm the fact
that Van Hook fired them all from his
coat pocket.
An inquest was hell in Coroner
Brewers Office Monday, Constable
K McCloskey having summoned the fol-
lowing Witnesses: Eliza Stewart, VIM.
Pierson, mine committeeman; Chas.
Wilson, Thomas Graves, James Pier
son, Robert Watts, Earl Reeves, Chess
Robbins, Savannah Sisk ami Marshal
George Fox.
Earl Reeves, "buddy" of the mur-
dered man. when interviewed by the
Enterprise, gave the following YER
4 sion Of the affair: The charge. pf the
lost cars Is not true and l have wit
nesses to prove It. We went into our
room and break-through Thursday anil
;were hading car in each place. The
coal was tight in the break-through
j and therefore we could load about two
cars at the face while loading one in
49,.