The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-03-29
WALTER DooLITTLE WAS IN
sTANTLY KILLED AND DR..
ALLEN WOUNDED.
TRAGEDY WAS OUTGROWTH
OF AN ALLEGED INSULT
DR.. Allen is Alleged to Have InsuIted
Married Daughter Of DooIittIe
over Year Ago and Had Removed
to Louisiana on Account of Affair.

Meridian, Miss, March 29.-At
about o'clock yesterday afternoon
a pistol duel occurred in the A. & v.
passenger depot at Newton, and as
a result Walter Doolittle, a prominent
farmer, was instantly killed and DIR.
G. w. Allen was mortally wounded.
Charged by relatives of Doolittle
with taking part in the shooting,
Deputy Sheriff G. p. Window was
brought to this city last night by Mar
shall J Fl. Hayes for safe keeping,
not that Mr.. Window wanted to get
out of the way, but owing to the feel
ing and great excitement that pre-
vailed in Newton Immediately after
the shooting. He will be kept here
for several days or until the excite
ment dies down.
From Marshal Hayes and others,
who were in Newton at the time of
the tragedy, the following informa-
! tion was obtained. Something over
year ago DR.. Allen was a prominent
practicing physician of Newton He
was the family physician of viii
Fore, who is son-in-law of the man
who was killed, Walter Doolittle.SssIt
is alleged that DR.. Allen insulted
Mrs Fore, and that he left Newton
in April of last year to avoid trouble.
going with his wife and children to
Delhi, La, where he located to prac-
tice his profession. He was sum-
moned to appear in a case that was
expected to be tried in the circuit
court at Decatur, and came from Lou
isiana with his two children, a boy
and a girl, but found later that he
was not needed in the court, and was
at the depot yesterday awaiting the
arrival of westbound passenger train
No. to go home.
During the afternoon Marshal
Hayes was informed of some suspi-
cious circumstances that led him to
believe that there was danger OF
trouble between Walter Doolittle and
Dr. Allen before the latter could get
off Accordingly the marshal ar
ranged to prevent trouble, if possible
and watched the actions of the two
men. He also informed Deputy Sher-
iff Window of his apprehensions and
asked his help in preventing trouble.
Marshal Hayes saw Doolittle about
the depot before the train arrived,
which was about an hour late, and no.
ticed that he appeared nervous, but
beyond this saw no outward sign of
impending trouble. He saw Doolittle
speak to number OF friends and fill
his pipe for a smoke. Meantime DR..
Allen had gone into the depot and
had taken a seat, his children being
with him When Allen got up and
approached the door to the waiting
room and just as he reached the door.
Doolittle drew his pistol and fired at
DR.. Allen who fell to the ground
When Doolittle shot the second time,
according to the statement of Mar
shall Hayes, his hand was knocked
upward by some one and the shot
went over the heads of the people
about the depot. DR., Allen then parti-
: ally raised himself and the dnel was
on. Both emptied their pistols. firing
: five shots each. Doolittle fell to the
ground with two mortal wounds, one
Just above the heart and the other
} in the stomach. He expired imme.
. diately.
Doolittle's body was carried to the
home of his son-inlaw, Mr.. Still. and
DR.. Allen was carried to the Newton
Sanitarium from which place tele
; phone message at II O'Clock last night
stated that his condition was consid
; cred SO serious by the attendirg phy
; sicians that it was felt certain
: he would die. The nurse at the sani
: tarium stated that Dr. Allen had ru
. ceived three wounds in the back, aus
: 1t was thought that one of the bullet
: had penetrated the lungs. It was con
= sidered only matter OF hours unit
4