The Powerhouse Killing in Hamilton

Hamilton, Oct. 17.—[Special.]—At 6:30 last evening a shooting affray occurred at the power house of the electric light works that resulted in the almost instant death of James L. Warner, at the hands of Dave Moody, night watchman at H. L. Edwards & Co.'s shingle mill. Although there were a number of witnesses to the shooting, it seems almost impossible to get at the underlying motive prompting it.

Warner was the grantee of the Hamilton electric light franchise and manager of the Hamilton Light and Power Company. Power was furnished for lighting the streets by H. L. Edwards & Co.'s mill. For some weeks there had been perplexity keeping a head of steam for lighting, a duty that devolved upon the night watchman at the mill. The man filling this position was Dave C. Moody, a young man, a native of South Carolina, who had been in this vicinity nearly two years, coming here from Tennessee.

On Sunday night Warner went to the power house, as was his custom, to attend to the dynamo. While he was there Edwards took Moody to task for failure to keep up steam, and, as Edwards tells it, Warner joined in the complaint. Moody offered a complaint in return of having to carry wood across the street to the fire. Warner called him lazy and said he would not give him $1 a day. Edwards said: "No, you are not worth your salt." Moody resented Warner's assertion and grew impertinent. Warner placed his hand against Moody's breast and cautioned him to give him no back talk, whereat Moody pulled a .38-caliber revolver and fired, the ball piercing Warner's left breast. Warner fell in his tracks, exclaiming: "You have shot me through and through," and died almost instantly. Dr. Hopkins probed for the ball and found it lodged just inside the skin at the back, having pierced the small end of the heart.

Warner was about 42 years old, and leaves a wife, to whom he had been married twelve years. He had been a hotelkeeper in Milwaukee and San Francisco and a real estate speculator on the Sound for some four years, operating at Fairhaven, Blaine and Hamilton. He had resided here over two years, and, though poor, was among the most enterprising citizens.

Moody made no attempt to escape, but was promptly arrested and kept under guard until tonight to await the preliminary trial. The wires could not be had to summon the coroner and prosecuting attorney, so these officials did not arrive until 6 o'clock tonight. Justice Behrens subpoenaed witnesses and a jury and set the hearing for 7 tonight. The largest hall in town was filled to overflowing to listen to the testimony. The judge read the complaint of H. L. Edwards, charging Moody with murder in the first degree. The prisoner stood immovable as stone, seeming to feel no regret at the rash act. His counsel waived examination, and the prisoner was removed to jail.

To the Post-Intelligencer correspondent Moody said today that he shot Warner because Warner took him by the chin and threatened to "kick the G—d guts out of him." He is a worthless young scapegrace and seems to have no sense of the enormity of the crime he has committed. He was asked today how he felt, to which he replied: "Pretty well; only I'm getting tired," at the same time twitching nervously at the bracelets on his wrists. He is small and boyish in appearance, with light blue eyes, long, slim Roman nose and defective chin. He bears the reputation among his associates of being quarrelsome, and on several occasions has threatened drawing a knife on an adversary. Once, two months ago, a constable took a knife from him when drawn in anger. It is reported that last winter, when he lived with J. J. Zook, a rancher near Lyman, the two quarreled over a game of cards, and Moody pressed the rancher into a corner at the point of a revolver.

At the inquest tonight several witnesses were examined, stating the facts of the murder substantially as set forth. It was shown that Warner had a cob pipe in his mouth during the conversation and when shot, which tends to show that he was not prepared to fight. The murder is looked upon as practically unprovoked. Warner was never quarrelsome, and all the testimony shows he was not in the least excited. There was strong talk last night of lynching, and rumors of violence are afloat again tonight. The prisoner is well guarded, and should any attempt at mob law be made the officers will be strongly supported in the attempt to spare the community this additional disgrace. The jury has not yet returned a verdict, but it can only be a verdict of murder in the first degree.