Fulton-Dekalb-Taylor County GaArchives News.....Bathed In Blood March 18, 1879 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Linda Blum-Barton http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00003.html#0000645 February 8, 2008, 7:38 pm The Atlanta Weekly Constitution March 18, 1879 Part 3 - The Death of Colonel Alston occured at 6:40 p.m., in the room above mentioned. He was surrounded by his wife, daughter and son, and by numerous friends. He remained unconconcious, and did not recognize his wife or children. Mrs. Alston bore the situation with great fortitude until the moment of the final struggle and then the scene of grief and woe was one of unutterable awe. Tears and sobs of sorrow filled the air and followed after the spirit in its flight into the great unknown. The body was cared for in the best manner and remains until this morning laid out in the chamber where he died. It will be taken home to-day and the funeral will be had to-morrow in Decatur, at 2 p.m. The notice of the time and circumstances of the funeral is given elsewhere in our columns. Colone Alston leaves a wife and four children -- two girls and two boys. Mr. Cox also had a family of a wife and four children. THE TRAGEDY IN THE CITY. The sad and bloody event was one of the most regretted affairs ever known in our history. All Atlanta knew "Bob Alston," and they were few who did not admire and esteem the man, above whatever faults he had, because of his manly virtues and his chivalric and yet kindly traits of character. The streets were filled all evening with men discussing the affair, and an universal expression of sorrow was heard. It did not seem real to know that Alston was dead, and the news spread like a telegraphic message from ear to ear and house to house. The friends of both parties are plunged into endless regrets that they should have thus marred and closed their useful careers. NO INQUEST OR TRIAL. Last night after the death of Colonel Alston, the coroner was notified of the fact, but in consideration of the circumstances attending the ??????? and the fact that ample witnesses to all the facts are accessible, he decided that it was unnecessary to hold an inquest over the remains. We also learn that it is the probable purpose of the friends of Mr. Cox to have him waive a committing trial and go on to await the action of the grand jury and higher courts. In this event there will be no legal inquiry into the facts until the regular term. MR. COX'S CONDITION at midnight was reported to be very favorable. His wounds are not dangerous, but up to a late hour he was restless and could not be gotten to sleep. He has spoken to several of his visiting friends, and it is said that he claims to have acted in self-defense in the affray; that Alston advanced upon him and fired at him, striking him in the face before he fired back at Alston. When first shot he was very close to Alston, and his face is full of powder-grains from the pistol charge. COLONEL ALSTON'S CAREER was one rich in episodes of a remarkable and often romantic nature. He was a man of peculiar character. He was descended from a famous family, the Altons of South Carolina, who were men of power and reputation, and whose dash and courage made them remarkable. They were duellists born and men who rated life as a bauble in a combat for a principle, or a sentiment of honor and pride, or in vengeance for a wrong inflicted. Colonel Robert A. Alston was to the manner born, and he succumbed to that fatality which he so often declared was an inheritance of his name -- a death by violence. The history of his family in this regard is a part of the traditional history of the south in the days when men fought and died at each other's hands to wipe out insults, imputations and wrongs. We cannot now recapitulate the record. The man who fell yesterday and has passed from among his fellow-men was one who deserved a longer life and a better fate. He was brave to recklessness, generous to a fault, kind as a woman and unswerving as a friend. He was endowed with intellect and his strokes of success were inspirations of genius. He was irrepressible in energy and exhaustless in resources. He went where others dared not go, undertook what others dared not attempt and succeeded where others had failed and failed again. He was a restless worker and one who never tired in the pursuit of a purpose. Those who knew him best appreciated his character at high standards and those who might not esteem him were those who had been so unfortunate as to know his faults and see none of his virtues. All in all his death was untimely, unhappy and calamitous. Colonel Alston was born in Macon, Ga., on the last day of December, 1832. After emerging from his school-days he engaged in mercantile pursuits in Charleston, S. C., and at the age of 24 years married Miss Mary Charlotte MaGill, daughter of a large planter. He began the study of law and was admitted to practice in 1858. He pursued the law until the war came on, when he entered the service and rose to distinction as one of the leading spirit in Morgan's raiders. He was one of the bravest of that brave band, and through a hundred fights recklessly invited death but never received a wound. At the battle of Cynthianan, Ky., it is related that he lost his breakfast by having his biscuit shot from between his teeth. After the war he come back to his charming home in Dekalb county and engaged successively in law, farming and journalism, up to the past two or three years. He was one of the owners and managers of the ill-fated Atlanta Herald, a journal whose brilliancy and enterprise made it famous in its day. Of late he has returned to his profession of law, and in claim cases has made much money, the bulk of which he gave promptly away to the creditors of his newspaper venture. He was well- known all over the union and in Washington City was a general favorite with public men in Congress and in the government. He was a shrewd observer of men, and could mould them often to his purposes as with the hand of a masterspirit. He was a good citizen, and in his office of a representative in our general assembly his career promised to be of great usefulness to the state. PREVENTING A PROPHECY. Colonel Alston has often remarked to the writer and to others, in the realistic language of the west, that he felt as though he could not be spared to a peacfeful death, but that he should some day "die with his boots on!" He said this to Captain Ed Mercer, one of his most devoted admirers, and when yesterday Captain Mercer looked upon the dying form of his friend and he recalled the almost prophetic words. And when the body was carried to a bed chamber the faithful friend followed it and tenderly drew from the feet of Colonel Alston the boots in which he stood when he was shot down. He did not want to see that prophecy fulfilled to its letter. ------------------------------------------------------------------ THE CORONER'S INQUEST. All the talk on the streets yesterday was the unfortunate tragedy in which Colonel R. A. Alston lost his life Tuesday afternoon. The remains of Colonel Alston lay in the room of Mr. Neil Robson yesterday until after 2 o'clock in the afternoon. About 11 o'clock, coroner Drake summoned a jury and held an inquest over the body of the deceased. The jury was very intelligent and looked thoroughly into the facts before it. Mr. H. M. Scott was foreman. The coroner's jury found the following verdict: We, the jury of inquest held on the body of R. A. Alston, find that he came to his death from a pistol ball fired from a pistol in the hands of Edward Cox, said ball entering the brain in the region of the right temple, and in our opinion the killing was willful and premeditated murder: H. M. Scott, foreman; T. C. Clark, E. M. Berry, J. G. Scrutchin, S. H. Landrum, J. A. Bean, W. E. Powers, Isaac Robinson, J. S. Lester, J. P. Bellenger, J. R. Hill, Frank Bliley, W. G. Drake. W. G. Drake, Coroner. Additional Comments: Part 3 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/fulton/newspapers/bathedin2692nw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 8.4 Kb