OBIT: Thomas SCOTT, 1899, Blair County, PA

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ENDED IN MURDER.
Fatal Shooting Affray Near Spruce Creek Last Saturday.
THOMAS SCOTT WAS THE VICTIM.
Shot Twice by George Woodson, He Was Brought to the Altoona Hospital, 
Where He Died Yesterday Morning.
HIS ASSAILANT MADE HIS ESCAPE.

  The usual bloody fight among the colored men employed on the railroad 
improvement at Spruce Creek, took place Saturday afternoon, this time 
ending in murder.  Thomas Scott, who is said to have started the row, 
was shot twice and died at the Altoona hospital at 11 o'clock yesterday 
morning as the result.  George Woodson, another colored man, who is 
reported to have done the shooting, is missing.  Scott and he are  said 
to have come to the work together from Baltimore.
  Scott was regarded as a bad man by other men on the work and had 
figured in several fights.  Last week he was working on the night shift 
and instead of going to bed went on a spree.  During the early part of 
the afternoon he raised some trouble in a shanty.  Several pistols were 
drawn and shots fired but no one was hurt.  Scott was scared out of the 
building.  Later he secured a pick ax and chased several men.  About 2 
o'clock he met one of the bosses and was ordered to go to his shanty to 
sleep so he would be fit to work that night.  Scott replied that he was 
not drunk and had only drank $2.50 worth of whiskey.
  About 5 o'clock he appeared in the vicinity of the commissary and 
picked a fight with several colored men.  In the scuffle Scott was 
knocked down and beaten over the head and body with stones.  He was 
rescued from the angry "blacks" by several of the bosses and went to 
Spruce Creek and had his wounds dressed.  On his return he stopped at a 
shanty to get his lantern to go to work.  As he entered the door, 
Woodson, who was one of the occupants, told him he was not wanted 
there, and then left the building.  He evidently went in search of a 
revolver, for he returned in a short time with a 32 calibre gun.  When 
he entered the shanty he said to Scott: "I don't think I will shoot 
you.  You get out of this."  Woodson evidently took a second thought 
and before Scott could reach the door Woodson opened fire.
  He fired twice, both shots taking effect.  One entered Scott's body 
in the side and passed through the abdomen.  The other entered the left 
armpit.  Scott dropped to the floor.  A physician was summoned and he 
advised his removal to the Altoona hospital.
  The injured man was brought to this city on fast line Saturday 
evening.  When received at the hospital he was in a dying condition.  
He life was only prolonged by the use of stimulants.  Dr. Howell, the 
resident physician, made an examination of the wounds.  Neither of the 
balls had been removed.  The ball in the abdomen was traced through the 
intestines to the left side of the body and removed.  The ball in the 
arm-pit was traced to the collar bone where it struck and turned its 
course downward.  Everything possible was done to prolong the life of 
the man, but of no avail, and he passed into the other world.
  Deputy Coroner McCartney was notified and will make an investigation.  
He had a talk with Joshua Cox, a colored man who was in the shanty when 
the shooting occurred.  He was in the city to see his brother who is at 
the hospital.  Cox was not over talkative, but said there were several 
men in the shanty when Woodson shot Scott.  He could not remember who 
they were.  Woodson, he said, was a very bad man and had to leave a 
contract in the eastern part of the state for something he had done.  
Deputy Coroner McCartney will go to Spruce Creek to make a further 
investigation and will likely hold an inquest.
  A telephone message from Spruce Creek last night stated Scott was a 
bad man and had caused no end of trouble to the contractors, and it was 
his fault that he was shot.  It was believed he had obtained a revolver 
while at Spruce Creek and was on the hunt for the men who had fought 
with him.  The men all believe the shooting was justifiable and that 
the community is well rid of him.  Scott had $10 coming to him and this 
will be used to bury him.

Morning Tribune, Monday, December 11, 1899

THOMAS SCOTT BURIED.

  The remains of Thomas Scott, the colored man who died at the hospital 
Sunday morning from injuries received in a shooting affray at Spruce 
Creek, were buried in Oak Ridge cemetery yesterday morning.  Deputy 
Coroner McCartney will go to Spruce Creek this morning to subpoena 
witnesses to appear before the coroner's jury empanneled to investigate 
the death.  The jury will likely sit this afternoon to hear testimony.

Morning Tribune, Thursday, December 14, 1899

RENDERED A VERDICT.
Coroner's Jury Concludes Investigation of Death of Thomas Scott.

  The members of the jury selected by Deputy Coroner McCartney to 
investigate into the causes leading to the death of Thomas Scott, the 
colored man who died at the Altoona hospital last Sunday, met yesterday 
afternoon at the office of Undertaker J. P. Lafferty to hear testimony.  
Scott, it will be remembered, was shot at Spruce Creek in one of the 
many affrays which have taken place on the "new work" there.
  Joshua Cox, a colored man who was in the shanty when the trouble 
occurred gave his evidence which was in no wise different from that 
published in the Tribune in the issue of December 11.  Dr. William 
Howell, resident physician at the hospital, testified as to the 
condition of Scott when admitted to that institution and also as to the 
result of the post mortem which was held.  The depositions of several 
men who were interviewed at the "new work" by the deputy coroner were 
also read.
  This concluded the evidence, and the jury after consultation returned 
this verdict: "Thomas Scott came to his death from acute peritonitis, 
caused by traumatism, the result of a gun shot wound piercing his 
intestines, said wound being inflicted by the hand of George Woodson at 
Spruce Creek, Huntingdon county, Pa., December 9, 1899, between 5 and 6 
o'clock p.m.; that he was admitted to the Altoona hospital, dying there 
at 11 a.m. Sunday, December 10, 1899, and said shot was evidently fired 
with murderous intention."

Morning Tribune, Friday, December 15, 1899