Norfolk Virginian, March 14, 1890

THE KILLING OF TWYFORD.

Moral -- AlcoholMoral -- Murder

FULL PARTICULARS OF THE EASTERN SHORE TRAGEDY.

The Parties to the Affair -- Where the Difficulty Originated -- The Provocation and the Shooting, Etc.

[Special to the Virginian.]

Onancock, March 13 -- Very little interest has, so far, been manifested in the Leemont shooting case. A full history of the case, as far as can be learned at present, is that George Twyford, Orris and Samuel Lewis, and others were gunning on the day of the shooting, Friday, March 7th, and became very drunk, and in that condition went to Leemont, there they repaired to a saloon, and presumably, becoming fired by the liquor consumed, began to brag on their "manhood." Finally, the discussion began to wax warm and young Lewis exclaimed that he was the best man in the house, when Twyford ran up to him and struck him a powerful blow upon the shoulder with a heavy club, the effect of which, however, was partially counteracted by coming in contact with a gun which Lewis had used during the day and still had with him. Notwithstanding this, Lewis took to his heels and, as has been stated in THE VIRGINIAN, was hotly pursued by Twyford. Perceiving that his pursuer was gaining upon him, he turned and fired, whereupon Twyford retreated. Bystanders say that Twyford was not hit by the shot as they were heard to rattle against housetops near by, showing that Lewis had merely discharged the weapon in the air, and that not until some minutes afterwards, when pistol shots were heard, did he show any signs of having been wounded, when he exclaimed, "I am shot." Later he said that old man Samuel Lewis was the perpetrator of the deed. The ball entered his side, and glancing down lodged in the stomach. The following day Samuel Lewis was arrested and brought to Leemont, where he asked if he would be allowed to get bail, and the men who had him in charge, not being officers, told him they supposed so. He accordingly went to the store of Mr. D. H. Johnson and asked him to enter on his bail. Upon being refused, he said he thought he had better 'skip," which he did. The following day his nephew, Orris Lewis, was arrested and lodged in jail, but subsequently, as was stated in yesterday's VIRGINIAN, released owing to a lack of evidence against him.

Samuel Lewis, who was charged by the dead man with the shooting, is a widower and about fifty years old. His victim was about thirty and had a family. The finale came Wednesday morning, when Twyford expired.

A POST MORTEM EXAMINATION HELD.

A post mortem examination of George Twyford, who was shot last Friday at Leemont, by Samuel Lewis, during a drunken row, was held yesterday. It was found that the pistol ball, the wound from which caused Twyford's death, had penetrated the lower part of the liver. The Coroner's Jury, after having heard the evidence in the case, returned the verdict that Twyford came to his death by a pistol shot from the hands of Samuel Lewis, who, it will be remembered, escaped from custody last Saturday and has not since been heard from.

Norfolk Virginian
Norfolk
March 14, 1890