The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-11-16
SHOT FROM GUN
CAUSES TROUBLE

Il
Steelman, business men OF Pleasant
vile, were shot and killed in the
Jackson Road woods at daybreak
wednesday morning by a hunter who
/ mistook them for deer. The same
| charge OF buckshot which caused the
/ tragedy seriously injured Moses Jar
Wis, a farmer, and clipped the right
ear OF Elias Campbell after tearing
OF the stock OF his gun. Three hours
later, following an exciting chase
through the forests. Charles Norcross
a prosperous young farmer of Iona,
was arrested by Sheriff Enoch l..
Johnson, of this village. and held here
without bail pending the action of
Coroner l.. G, Southeimer, OF Atlantic
City.
The shooting, the first tragedy of the
open season for deer, which began
Tuesday night. has thoroughly arous-
ed the countryside and has practically
put a stop to hunting. The fact that
Norcross. who is alleged to have fred
the fatal shot, ran from the scene In
stead OF going TO the aid Of the men
his gun had brought down, has ere
atea intense feeling and when he was
nnAlly taken into custody Sheriff
Johnson lost no time in placing him
safely behind the bars. The authori-
ties state that Norcross has admitted
that he mistook the men for deer and
that he was so panic-stricken when he
heard the cries of his victims he be-
came temporarily insane ana He'd.
Woods Alive With Deer.
The woods of Atlantic county are
fairly alive with deer, which. accord
ing TO a recently enacted law, may be
taken with shotguns each Wednesday
in November. The first of these days
began with midnight and in prepara-
ton for the slaughter 800 sportsmen
from Atlantic City. Pleasantville
Weymouth and other places in the
vicinity arrived on the ground Tues
day night and before day break took
their stands in the heaV.' forests OF
, pine and scrub oak. II is estimated
that all along the deer runways the
hunters took stands less than 100
yards apart and that scores who could
find no vantage point skirted the Dor
dering fields TO wait for the deer to
be driven into them. At half a dozen
points the hunters parked their au-
tomobiles and pitched tents two days
ago that they might familiarize them
selves with the runways
Among those to reach the woods
shortly after midnight was party of
nine men from Pleasantville. a small
village. fifteen miles from here and
i've miles from Atlantic City. The
party included Youse, manager of the
Pnliadelphia Supply Company, fur
nlture concern; Steelman. an oil deal
er, son of Isaac Steelman, of Ba-
kersville; Jarvis and Campbell.
Tells OF the Shooting.
had stationed all the men but
IouSe, Steelman and Jarvis and was
selecting stands for them when the
shooting occurred" said Mr. Camp
bell in telling a reporter of the ira
gedy We had pasesd several stands
only TO find them filled, and we were
approaching the last in that section of
the WOODS when man suddenly step
PED into the narrow road we were fol-
lowing. 1t was then $40 o'clock and
was light enough for me to see deer
tracks in the sand. I started to tell
my companions that the final stand
was occupied and we had better turn
back when the man raised his gun
and fired.
With a cry of pain Steelman fell
DEAD at my feet, Youse dropped to the
road mortally wounded and Jarvis
pitched, screaming, into the ditch. At
the same time my gun dropped with
its stock shattered and L felt a sting
ing pain in my right ear. For a mo-
ment ] was daZed and then / started
after the hunter. He turned and fled
as ! shouted to him to stop"
Mr.. Campbell said the hunter shout
ed that he would return, and believing
ne would go to the assistance of the
WOUNDED, the woodsman ran for the
Marsh place. two miles away. for med
zeal aid On the way he met Elwood
weeks and Edwin Wolbert members
OF the party, and they went to the aid
OF their companions
i found Youse and Steelman dead
ana jarvis in great pain" said VOL
bert "Wednesday night "EIwood
weeks had set out after the hunter.
and as I was pretty sure he WouId
get him, did what could for Jar
wis.,"
NorcrOss Is Captured.
In a statement made to Sheriff
johnson, Weeks declared that he had
come up with Charles Norcross.
accused Norcross of the shoot |
ing, Mr.. Weeks told the sheriff. land
ne admitted it. He said that he had
snlstaken the men in the half light |
Mr.. Weeks made a short afidavit
charging Norcross with the killing
and Sher1n Johnson set out after him |
IN an automobile and arrested him at /
ms nome: Norcross, when arrested. |
was IN highly excited state
The report of the killing soread |
the woods, and by noon not |
a dozen of the hunters remained. They
left hurriedly in their automobiles and |
teams, fearing that they might suffer |
like fate. Several told Of narrow
escapes.
No one had notified the widows of
the hunters. When the bodies OF their
husbands were brought in the widows
tainted and became hysterical. Both
are in serious condition.
Steelman, who was twenty-five
two years ago. Besides his
widow he leaves g year-old child.
Youse. about the same age. has no
Coroner soushsImer impane,ed
Jury. !,