The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-04-11
TWENTY MOUNIA|NEERS
FIGHT fUtD BATTLE
Pair on in Separate Ducls Over
Two YcarOld Baseball
Argument.
TWO ARE DEAD AND
TWO OTHERS FATALLY HURT
Officers Are Hunting Remainder of
Combatants With Bioosihounhs.
Right Took Place at Entertainment
Held in S<.itoolhouse.

Point Pleasant. W Va. April 10
Twenty brawny mountaineers with tho
inevitable feud hatred in their hearts,
paired off and fought with ancient
savagery ten separate duels near
Howell Schooihouse Gillrdge. ". Va,
last night over bail ga me argument
two years ago They fought with
knives. Earl Shirley. aged twenty
eight years. and Urson Bosworth,
twenty-eight, battled to the death.
John Shirley. brother of Earl. and
John Bosworth. brother Of Crson,
have no chance of recovery from their
stab wounds. physicians say tonight
At the funeral OF Earl Shirley here
today Deputy Sheriff ID. G. Hite ar
rested RAIDER and Jack Shirley, broth
ers of Earl. and Curtiss Rollins. Claude
Drinker and Peter Shields. on charges
of murder They were placed In the
Mason County jail. 1t is expected
more arrests will be made tomorrow.
when the funeral of rrson Bosworsh
takes place.
Meanwhile, through the wilderness
Of the surrounding mountains MI
merous officers are searching with
bloodhounds for the others who par
ticlpated in the death-to- death strug-
gle
Community stirred.
The community throughout Is
stirred almost beyond com pre- hension
by the slaughter. one of the worst
ever perpetrated In the entire his
tory Of feuds All OF the fugitive
participants are without doubt sur
fering rom severe stab wounds ac-
cording to eye~wltnesses the al
fair. ...
From the hatred and ferocity with
which they fought. 1t Is said it would
be impossible for them to have es-
capped serious hurts.
According to most versions OF the
fight here today, the members OF
the Shirley clan went in force TO
the entertainment given at the How
ell Schoolhouse at Gillridge. The
entire community and the surround
ing neighbors were on hand in their
best bib and tucker for the affair
1t is said that tho Shirleys were posi-
tive that the Bosworths would be
on hand also in full strength
Rocked school Building.
The county authorities say that the
shirley crowd left the schooihouse
half an hour before the conclusion OF
the entertainment Then II ~ alleged
they held a confah under A clump of
trees in the rear OF the building. and
a few minutes later began throwing
stones at the school building,
One of the men in charge of the
entertainment stepped outside and
pleaded with the shirleys TO stop their
bonn ba rdment because of the women
and children inside. Affairs in the
building had just about reached the
pandenonium stage when Crson Bos-
worth strolled out and said Il can
stop this hombardment, and stop il
mighty quick. too"
Behind him were his followers. and
behind them poured tho rest OF the
schooihouse audience. men. women and
children. Then, il lis said. both shirley
and Trson Bosworth drew long hunt
ing knives and began slashing at each
other Then the others OF the two
clans paired off and the terrible say
Hgery was on.
Many of the women tainted, while
others shrieked and moancd. Chill
drer were hysterical as the twenty
mountaineers fought with the ferocity
OF savages.