From Wilkes Barre Record, Saturday, 15 Oct 1890, Page 5 (might want to print
out due to length)
Great excitement reigned in Pittston last evening when it became known on
the streets that John W. Davis, once a prominent business man of that place,
and at present a speculator in coal lands, had been murdered. Various
alarming stories were afloat on every side, and the street in the vicinity
of the place where the shooting was committed was soon crowed with a large
number of excited people.
Davis had been drinking rather heavily during the day, and when evening
came he was considerably under the influence of liquor. He strolled about
town listlessly and finally went in the Windsor Hotel and created a
disturbance. Several of those present in the bar room endeavored to quiet
him, but when their efforts were unsuccessful a police whistle was blown and
policeman William Weathers [Williams in 21 Oct 1890 issue] responded. He
took Davis in charge and they left the hotel on their way to the station
house.
The latter became more boisterous, and when they were in front of Glicks
drug store on North Main St, three doors from the hotel, Davis dealt the
policeman a heavy blow on the head, which threw him to the ground. He arose
and was knocked down a second time by his intoxicated prisoner. A large
crowd had gathered by this time and some of those who were near by say they
saw Davis in the act of pulling a revolver from his pocket, but this is not
corroborated by others. At any rate, Policeman Weathers was hit on the head
a third time, when he made a sudden grab to his hip pocket, drew his
revolver and shot Davis four times in the chest and abdomen. The crowd was
startled and fell away with the exception of three or four, who rushed up to
Weathers and placed him under arrest.
When Davis was taken to his house he was bleeding profusely from his
wounds, and a hasty examination disclosed the fact that his end was near.
He died a short while after being shot.
Davis was a prominent Pittstonian. He was formerly an extensive grocer and
dry goods merchant and later was proprietor of the National Hotel in
Pittston. He relinquished this business to buy and sell coal lands on
speculation. While not wealthy he was a man of means. He lost a large
amount of money in his grocery business. He was strongly addicted to the
use of liquor at times, but at other times he would never touch a drop and
acted the gentleman. His occasional drinking habits were his primeal
faults. Davis was noted as a handsome man. He was between 40 and 45 years
of age, was large, tall, straight, and had a very dignified bearing. His
father-in-law is H.B. Hughes of Pittston, well known in this county. A wife
and two young children are left to mourn his untimely death.
He was a native of Carmarthenshire, Wales, and has been in Pittston for 23
years. His parents were in comfort circumstances. He is a brother of
Tichborne Davis, a well known commercial traveler of Manchester, England,
whose name is a household word in South Wales.
Follow-up from Wilkes Barre Record, Tuesday, 21 Oct 1890, Page 8
P.A. OBoyle, attorney for Williams J. Williams and Stephen Scott, the two
Pittston policemen held as accessories to the killing of John W. Davis, took
out a writ of habeas corpus yesterday morning. The hearing took place
before Judge Woodward in chambers at 3 p.m. District Attorney Darte
appeared for the Commonwealth. The following witnesses were examined:
William Bossard, James Mosier, Dr. Hutchins, James Sullivan, Thomas English,
Capt. Burns, Dr. Dively, Dr. Mahon, Dr. Mulholland, Dr. Barrett, John
Barrett, Charles Fitzgerald, C. Cleveland, John W. Nimmo, William D.
Halsted, John Donnelly, Edward Barrett, Henry Wiseman, Michael Judge, H.C.
Dewey, R. Gallagher, Druggist Glick, H. Bryden, C.F. Trow.
There was nothing in the testimony of any of the witnesses implicating
Scott in the tragedy, and after a brief argument by Mr. OBoyle he was
discharged.
In the case of Williams, the district attorney agreed to accept bail in the
sum of $2,000 for his appearance at court. Bail was promptly furnished,
J.E. Patterson becoming surety for the amount. The case against policeman
Williams is remarkably flimsy, and it is questionable whether the grand jury
will consider the testimony strong enough to warrant an indictment.
Nancy Cook
cookie1948(a)hotmail.com
Pasadena, MD
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