HUMAN BLOOD SPILT AT POLLS – November 3, 1903

From the Tazewell Republican, Thursday, November 5, 1903

HUMAN BLOOD SPILT AT POLLS.

Two Killed, one Fatally and one Seriously Wounded in Scott County.

Bristol, Tenn., Nov 3. — A fatal row occurred in an election booth at Fairview, Scott county, Va., today. Two men were killed, one fatally injured, and one seriously. The dead:
JOHN OSBORNE.
EZEKIEL NICKELS.

Wounded: J. H. Catron, shot through the neck; will die. Alexander Keys, shot in the right hip.

The trouble arose over objection being made to C. P. Roller serving as a Republican judge. Roller, it is claimed, had been selected by Democratic election commissioners for service. Osborne and Nickels, the two dead men, were Democratic judges and were brought into the quarrel on account of the official connection with the election. It is believed that Catron fired the shots that killed Osborne and Nickels. The two men who were killed shot Catron and Keys.

The Bristol News of the 3rd inst. gives the following:

“According to the meagre details received over phone from Dufflied, Va., by The News this afternoon the battle to death was brought about over a disscussion as to who should be the Republican judge at the Fairview voting place.

The Democrats, who control the appointment of election judges, had selected C. T. Roller, a Republican, to serve as the representative of that party, along with Deputy Sheriff Nickols and John Osborne, the Democratic judges. Just before the polls opened early this morning some Republicans objected to Mr. Roller serving as a judge.

This brought on a discussion, each side arguing pro and con. The discussion waxed warm and soon hot words passed between those implicated. Following the cross fire of angry words a blow was struck and a general battle ensued. During the scramble and mixup revolvers were drawn and the firing began. Many shots rang out and excitement was high. When the smoke ad cleared away and men’s senses returned to them, both Osborne and Nickols were lying on the ground dead in their own blood while Catron and Key’s were staggering off, wounded men. The prompt efforts of the cool headed men checked the battle and kept more human blood from being spilled. The bodies of the dead men were removed to the respective homes where loved ones in tears awaited the coming.

Physicians were summoned and medical aid administered to the wounded men.

Just who fired the fatal shots is not known, but it is generally believed that they came from John Catron’s revolver.

Fairview is in Scott county, Va., and is near the Tennessee line, with Hancock county, Tenn., on one side and Lee county Va., on the other. It is at the foot of a mountain and is considered a rough territory. It is about twenty miles from Gate City, the county capital of Scott, and is ten miles distant from Clinchport. The Powell precinct polls a large vote and is a Republication stronghold, there being but few Democratic Voters in the precinct.”

Transcribed (misspellings intentional) from an article in the Tazewell Republican, by Patty Jones, December 29, 2018

It is possible that the C. P. Roller mentioned in the beginning of the article is the same Calloway Patton Roller shown on this page, although later in the article he is listed as C. T. Roller.

See another article posted about this same incident, with corrections of some details.