Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-04-21
New Light on the Amos Tragedy
at Bueua Vista

New Light on the Amos Tragedy
at Bueua Vista
The following letter written by
Commemorative Attorney ID. 5.
Rucker of Buena Vista, to Mrs.
Hattie A. Amos OF Richmond.
puts the death Of her brotber-in
law, Walter A. Amos Of Busna
Vista, In different light than
the reports sent cut from Buena
Vista at the rims.. Mr.. Amos it
will be remembered, was reported
as not only being the sggressor
but as being irresponsible from
drink. The Commonwealth At
torney says:
OEy1oE OF III. s. RUoKER,
Commemorative Attorney
Buena Vista, Va. April 10, 90
Mrs. H. A. Amos, 8O7 West Cary
Street, Richmond, Va.
Dear Madam 81 would DO very
glad indeed to be able to give you
the facts and circumsts sur
rounding the unfortunate death OF
w. A. Amos, but fear the real
facts will never be known, as the
only person who would tell has
been silencsd by death.
+ My Individual opinion, based
upon such facts that have been
able to obtain, as we'll 80. taking
into consideration the physical
conditions is as follows: On the
morning Of the tragedy Mr.. Amos
was endeavoring to persuade his
wife to come back to live with him
and had actually gotten her to 60
with him to his home; that her
sisters. Mrs. Campbell. the wo-
man who shot him, Mrs. Dooley
and Mrs. Tomlin. seeing Mrs.
Amos was becoming reconciled
with her husband, ard they not
being In favor Of that, set about
to prevent-it. .G@
The first move made in that di-
rection was on the Iart OF Mrs.
Docley. by requesting Mr.. Amos
to 20 to nearby store and tele.
phone up town for doctor to come
to see her child. During Mr..
Amos's absence his wife was in
juced to leave bis house and 60
home with her sister, Mrs. Camp
bell, which was only some $50
yards away. When Mr.. Amos re.
turned, It is my opinion, he was
aggravated at not finding his wife
at home, and at once attributed
her absence to the interference Of
her sisters.
He then went to the home Of
Mrs. Campbell and l doubt not re.
quested, and possibly demanded
that his wife leave there and come
home with him. Whereupon Mrs.
Campbell de6ed him, and urged
her sister not to 60 with him. l
believe Mr.. AEos went ss far as
the front door Of the house, / do
not believe he ever entered the
house; on the contrary / believe be
was met at the door by Mrs. Camp
bell with the shot gun and his
wife with q pistol, whereupon be
turned and retreated at once.
/ further believe that bis wife
shot at him with the pistol, the
ball passing through the yard
fence, and Immediately thereafter
Mrs. Campbell ran down in the
yard and shot him as he was pass
ing the corner of the yard fence,
be then being out in the street.
The claim on the part of Mrs.
Campbell that Mr.. Amos shot at
her, is disproved by the fact that
she claimed to be standing in her
front door when he shot, but there
cannot be found any evidences that
the ball struck anywhere in or on
the Outside Of the house; moreover
had he shot ct her when they were
both standing, as she claims, it
would have been e matter Of prac.
tically physical impossibility
to have missed striking her. The
claim on the part Of Mrs. Camp.
bell that she shot Mr.. Amos when
he was holding her at bay with a
pistol, Is disproved BY the fact
that Mr.. Amos was shot in the
left portion of the back directly
the heart,ths shot passing
into and through the heart. literal
ly tearing it all to pieces. l have
found witness who saw Mr.. Amos
away from the house at
the time he was shot.
The foregoing is In brief my
theory of the shooting, and the
same is based upon the evidence
expect to adduce at the trial, to-
gether.with such conclusion as IN
svitably flow from an examination
Of the physicial conditions sur
rounding the premises, coupled
with the locality of the wound on
the body of Mr.. Amos. do not
wish to be understood. as giving
the foregoing statement as the I'm
evidence in the case;
On the contrary the defense con-
4 =. Il ssxA 4