The Washington herald., 1922-04-19

Continued From Page One)
challenged the Furr brothers to
come outside"
AS Hatcher placed one foot on
the steps leading to the sidewalk
those in the store heard shotgun
discharged. Next they saw Hatcher
stagger and fall headlong to the
pavement. dead. The force of the
shot caused all lights in the store
to go out.
witnesses Keep Quiet.
Coroner W. c. Orr. of this place.
and Sheriff Edwards. on hearing
of the shooting went by automobile
from here to Middleburg. and
reached the scene of the tragedy
about a half-hour after the fatal
shot had. been fired.
There was no one. according to
the officials. who would volunteer
any information. except DIR. A.
SpittsIer. who resided across the
street from the Mitchell store.
The physician told Sheriff Ed
wards and the coroner that a
moment after he heard the gun
fired. he looked through window
of his home and saw Lewis Furr
standing in the street. with shot
gun in his hand. Alex Furr. the
one who figured in the verbal bat
tie with Hatcher at the store, and
whois the father of Lewis. was
talking excitedly with his son, and
attempting TO get the gun away
from him, according to I'd. Splits
Ter.
Al tho inouest oyer Hatcher's
body that night. Lewis FUR admit
ted to Sheriff Edwards and Coroner
Orr that he had been near the scene
and that he was carrying a gun.
He said he had armed himself be-
cause he had been told that Hatcher
was after him.
Orders Lewis Furr Arrested.
Sheriff Edwards sent to Furr's
room at the Belmont home for the
gun. and upon examination found
that it had recently been discharged.
On the cOroner's order Furr was
arrested and held for investigation.
No verdict. however, was reached
at the coroner's inquest.
The testimony of the witnesses
was sue hthat a warrant was sworn
out for the arrest of the four Furrs,
charging them .jointly with the
kaying of Hatcher.
~ Arrest Three Relatives.
The arrest q fthree OF them. Alex.
Charles and Lewis. followed Milton
remained at liberty under bond. The
me ndenied any guilt in connection
with the shooting.
They have engaged as counsel,
Attorneys f. c. Garrett, and Wilbur
C. Hall.
Residents Of MiddleburG had long
expected something like that which
occurred Saturday night. For they
say bad blood" had eistedx be-
tween aHtcher and the Furrs for a
long time.
The Hatcher and Furr homes are
separated by approximately a half
mile. Lewis Furr was employed as
hostler for the Belmonts their
Middleburg home. Alex FuTr was
employed at the far mof Raymond
Hatcher. brother Of the dead man.
Hatcher. who was buried Monday,
is survived by a wife and several
children. Within the next several
days the accused men will be ar
raigned in the county courthouse
for a preliminary hearing, accord
ing to Magistrate w f. Tyler.
The next day. Milton Furr. son
of Lewis, visited the home of JUS
tice of Peace Tyler, of Aldie. be-
tween here and Middleburg. and
confessed to killing Hatcher. He
said that he had acted in self
defense, declaring that Hatcher was
coming after him with a knife.
Sheriff Edwards went to Aldie
placed Milton Furr under arrest
and brought him 10 Jail here. That
day the coroner's jury again met
and handed down a verdict to the
effect that Hatcher came to his
death by gunshot wound in
ficted by Milton Furr. Lewis wa:
released from Jail at noon Monday
That same afternoon Milton was
released on bond and ordered to
appear before the grand jury or
October ..
Criticize OmciaIs.
The news of young Furr's re.
lease was received in Middleburl
with something akin to astonish
ment. Monday night the 400 citi.
zens of the little community called
mass meeting to which Sheriff
Edwards and Commonwealth At
torney Cecil Conner. of Loudoun
County. were invited.
The meeting was held in Con-
'federate Memorial Hall and opened
with several of those present de-
manding to know why Milton Furr
had been released. To this CON-
monwealth attorney stated that
very little evidence had been Sc
cured against Milton Furr," and for
that reason he had been released