Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-01-22
TRAGEDY IN HAGERSTOWN.

Charles F. Walker, an insurance
agent of Hagerstown, shot and killed
Clarence F. Taylor, a asterer. whom
the former found coming out of the
back door of his home in that city last
Friday night.
The shooting was witnessed only
by Mrs. Walker, who was following
Taylor to the door when the two men
met. She told vivid story of the
encounter and of the firing of the
shots by her husband, revealing an
eternal triangle, which brought about
the murder of the man who was visit
ing her during her husbands absence.
Following the shooting, Walker,
who made no attempt to escape, was
taken into custody by Patrolman
headquarters. 1t was there he told
a story of the trials of a man whose
home had been a happy one until he
had learned of his wife's. relations
with Taylor. Even after he had
learned of these meetings between
Taylor and Mrs. Walker, he had gone
to his wife after consulting an at
torney, and had asked her to give UP
Taylor for the sake of their children
For some months they had lived to-
gether happy until Taylor again got
after Mrs. Walker, who is pretty
dark-eyed brunette, a member of a re-
spectacle Carlisle family.
In a statement made to States
Attorney Wolfnger, Walker declared
he did not draw his revolver on Tay-
lor until he had been attacked. The
suddenness of the attack surprised
him, he declared, and he did no,
recognize who he was shooting al
when he fired the first shot, notwith-
standing the fact that he knew the
man had caused trouble in his family
AS he was about to open the back door
of his home, Taylor threw the door
open, lunged toward him and shouted
"Now you'll die, you -" Walker
said he lodged and then drew the
revolver from his overcoat pocket and
shot Taylor. Before he could fire
again, Taylor was upon him and both
granpled. Walker was thrown against
the porch post of an adjoining resi-
dence, and when he regained his feet
he fired four times at Tav'or. One
of these bullets went through Taylor's
head, this wound resulting in his
death two hours later in the hospital
TO which he had been taken
Mrs. Walker, who witnessed the
Taylor, told of the encounter, in which
one, she said, she was sure would die
Taylor, she said, had told her often
that if her husband ever crossed his
path, he would kill him. She said he
told her that he carried a gun. and
she thought that he meant to use il
on her husband.
Walker told a pitiful story to the
officers of his family troubles since
Taylor first became acquainted with
his wife. At that time he was EN-.
plOyed on the railroad and was resid
ing on East avenue. Taylor occupied
a room adjoining their apartments ir
the boarding house, and was friend'y
most every Sunday morninp. a bo,
would bring Taylor bunch of flower:
which he either gave to Walker or his
wife. One evening, while standing
on the porch, Taylor remarked that he
could "break up any mans home,
pointing TO a woman who had jus
passed, whom he inferred he had ia
ken from her husband. Walker rep
rimanded him for making such re
mark. He did not then know of Tav
lor's relations with his wife. but late1
found ont the truth bv discovering
some letter which the man had writ
ten to her referring TO these relations
Taylor, who was 80 years old, hac
resided in Hagerstown for severa
years. He was formerly an arm,
man, and was in the Philippines for F.;
number OF years with the Fifth Artil
lery. The consensus Of opinion il
Hagerstown is that he rot no NOR,
than y" deserved, as he was a YER,
bad man
A coronor's irlry investigated ~
affair on Monday. and a'toh haarin,
the evidence. rendered "-T,Iict tha
the SN"0'nr Voc in s01r i-fe-sn one
iustifah'c. walker was thcroupon re
leased from custody. us vic. wh
before her MARRIAGE was Wi-e Kath
crime Mo"n'7. daughter Of Charlie
Noun nF Carlisle. was 7-'e"0t 2
the inCu"st, and when Informed he
hushar' hn7 Seen eXo1cr7tcd said
I'm 81 clad"