Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-05-13

and when they returned to the house
a minute later, without having play
ed as was their intention appeared to
be in the best of spirits toward each
other. Arch sat here while and
then went out and sat by the side OF
the road He appeared to be study
the road and after talking to him fol-
about minute Arch came back to
the house and said that the man had
told him that some dogs were after
the sheep and asked to borrow my
husbands gun I gave it to him and
he went up the road in the direction
of the field where the sheep were
grazing. We didn't think anything
of what had happened-Abe and Arch
seemed to have made up their diff
Guilty and we were all just sitting
here talking like we had been when
Arch came back with Mr.. Irvine s
gum Mrs. Ross pointed out where
{, the different members of the party
were seated at the time. Perry Hoy
it seems, occupied a chair just within
the room and near the door. Arch
came to the fence and called for Abe
to come out. He used very bad lam
guage and repeated the name he had
called the other time, Abe did not
respond and cautioned Perry not to
90 outside. Arch continued to curse
and to call for Abe and finally drew
! the gun to his shoulder and said he
was going to shoot into the house.
When he did that l ran to the door
and begged him not to shoot. AL
most at the same time Perry ran out
of the house and into the yard and
jumped the fence just where Arch was
standing. Here Brown fired the first
shot, the load passing through Perry
Hoy's hat. it was while running
away from Brown that Hoy received
his death wound. A large pool OF
blood shows the spot where he died.
Arch then, came back to the house
and said something about getting Abe.
Ed Higgs and Cletis were trying to
get through that door into the kitchen
when he shot them. He then came on
in the house, Abe in the meantime
having gone out of the back door,
Whether he shot Abe in the house or
out don't know That is about all
[ do know of it, said Mrs Ross, we were
all so excited at the time that can't
recall everything that did happen.
Nc, she said, can't say just how
ln.,.y times Arch Brown fired-all l
know is that we found five shells after
it was all over.'' Just before Brown
entered the house after having killed
Perry Hoy, Mrs. Ross, it seems, put
the catch ON the door. Brown burst
open this this door and Mrt. Ross was
caught behind it. She was ordered
to come out in sight by Brown, who,
it is alleged threatened to kill her.
Mrs Ross in answer to questions
stated that she knew OF no bad blood
between the men and that before and
after the conversation about the dice
game they appeared to be the best OF
friends. The two men, she said,
often visited the house. She also
stated that Brown was under the in
fuence of liquor.
The home of Edward Higgs is a
small white washed cottage OF two
rooms and kitchen. When the DIS
PATCH representative entered the
cottage Oh Sunday afternoon shortly
after-the murder. Mr.. Higgs who had
been painfully but not seriously
wounded was sitting in the center of
the room. Mrs. Higgs holding her
youngest child which is baby, was
sitting beside cot Oh which the
little dead boy lay. She moved the
curtain with which the body was COW
cred and the damp cloth that covered
the face, and there the little fellow
lay peacefully sleeping his eternal
sleep. On his face and neck were the
dark scars which the cruel shot had
torn through his young and tender
flesh and which ended his brief life.
The body had not been prepared for
burial. He lay in the same clothes he
wore when killed. His little arms
from the elbows protruded from his
coarse clothes and his legs from a
short distance below his knees and
] his bare feet showed as if he had come
| in of his own accord and lain down
20 pleasant dreams. The home of Mr..
Higgs is humble but they do not seem
to lack tor the necessities of life.
There was an evidence OF CLEANLINESS
Everywhere. There were four child
rem with the little dead boy, he being
the oldest. Mrs. Higgs was in great
nervous excitement. She had been te
STAUNTON to church and was not
at home when the tragedy occurred.
She rose to lay the baby on the bed
and in moment swooned and fell
heavily to the floor. She was resus.
citated afterward, but this was learn
ed to be the fourth or fifth time she
had tainted. AS the newspaper maj
J was about to leave Mrs Higgs, mother