N&W in 1908 -- Shooting

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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
September 26, 1908

SECTION FOREMAN KILLED BY RAILROAD AGENT
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Tragedy at Toms Creek Outgrowth of Quarrel Over Shipment of Whiskey

    Tazewell, Va., Sept. 25--(Special)--Will Rice, assistant agent at Toms Creek, shot and instantly killed Section Foreman Crawford near Toms Creek depot last night.  It is reported that a difficulty had arisen between the men over a shipment of whiskey which Crawford claimed was in the express office addressed to him.
[The above was Page 1 news, but on Page 3 of the same issue an article stated that it was J. C. Wright, described as "an assistant around the station," who shot A. J. Crawford, a miner, who may have been a mine section foreman, but not an N&W section foreman.  The following paragraph in the second article may be of interest in appreciating the tenor of the times in that region: "The shooting created quite a little excitement about the little village of Toms Creek, where the miners are generally a peaceful lot.  Bondtown usually furnishes all of the excitement for the village and on this account a great many persons took sides on the shooting.  It was the general opinion that Wright was justified in his act.]

Gordon Hamilton
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