THE HUDSON PATRICIDE

THE HUDSON PATRICIDE

KILLED HIS FATHER.
A FAMILY ROW RESULTS IN THE SHOOTING
OF DAVID HUDSON BY HIS SON.

The boy in Jail Charged with Murder in the First-Degree
What He Says of the Shooting -- He Shot to Cripple Not to Kill

David Hudson was shot Wednesday evening of last week by his 18 year old son, Harry Hudson, at their Canal St. home. The particulars are about as follows:

Hudson and his wife have not gotten along well together for years. Wednesday, Hudson had been drinking and came home in an ugly mood. A violent quarrel followed. The husband and wife were coming to blows when the son, Harry, who had been in the room most of the time, interfered. He attempted to separate his parents, but when he found he could not, he drew a revolver and shot his father twice.

Hudson died about four o'clock Thursday afternoon from his injuries and the son, Harry, now lies in the county jail charged with murder in the first degree.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting are peculiar. While David Hudson and his wife would frequently quarrel and fight, the son, Harry, was always considered a good, hard working boy. He was of good habits, and disposition, and was never known to have gotten into any trouble before. Why is was that he took such an active and dangerous part in the last fight cannot be explained.

The people of the Hudson neighborhood blame Mrs. Hudson for most of the family troubles. Mr. Hudson was a man that worked most of the time on the streets for Commissioner Mavis and was generally liked by all who knew him. He was quiet and inoffensive. He seemed to get along with everybody better than his wife. To give some idea of the disposition of the woman, when her husband was shot, and while he lay prostrate upon the floor, she kicked him in the face. When the officers arrived on the scene, she told them to take Hudson away from the house or she would tear his entrails out the holes made by the pistol. She was arrested and placed in the calaboose, charged with being disorderly, to keep her from injuring her already dying husband. She was held until after he died.

The boy, Harry, made the following statement to the officers when questioned after the death of his father: "I attempted to separate my parents several times while they were fussing, before I went over to my aunt, Mollie Moller, on Scioto street to borrow her revolver. When she gave it to me after I told her what I wanted with it, she told me to be careful and not shoot anybody else. It was my intention to cripple by father by shooting him in the legs. I did not mean to kill him."

When Mr. Hudson was first shot, it was the supposition upon a hasty examination by the physician that he had been shot through the left arm and that one ball had made a glancing wound in the abdomen. Two holes were observed in the abdomen, but it was it was thought they indicated where the last shot had gone in and out. Upon further examination, however, it was fund that both shots ranged inward. The shot that struck the arm went clear through and lodged in the abdomen and the last shot, directly in.

Everything possible was done for Mr. Hudson's recovery but to no avail.

The post mortem was completed Friday and was conducted by Dr. Wilder and Courtright. Three pieces of lead were taken out of the lower part of the bowels, one whole bullet and two parts of another bullet. It is the supposition that the second bullet split when it struck the bone in the arm. The bowels were punctured with a number of holes. The doctors reported to the coroner that death was the result of the injuries received in the bowels and gave a detailed description of what they found.

Union Herald - Circleville OH - 05 Dec 1895

Mary Moiler Released.

Mary Moiler, who was arrested the other day, charged with being an accessory to the crime committed by Harry Hudson in the shooting of his father, was released Monday after a hearing before Mayor Hammel, there not being sufficient evidence to hold her. The revolver was not given Hudson by his aunt, but by his grandmother, who it was stated, did not know for what purpose he desired to use it.

Union Herald - Circleville OH - 05 Dec 1895

David Hudson Shot by His Son.

Last Wednesday evening, about 6:30 o'clock, David Hudson and his wife had a quarrel and altercation, at their home on Canal Street, when their son, Harry, aged about 18 years, procured a revolver, and shot his father twice, causing four bullet holes, two in the abdomen, one of them near the center, below the stomach, the other opening obliquely downwards to the right, four inches. A bullet passed through the fleshy portion of the left arm, midway between the elbow and wrists. Neither of the bullets have been found. Hudson was living yesterday afternoon, but it is feared the wounds are fatal.

Young Hudson was arrested, and placed in the city prison to await the result of the wounds.

LATER - Hudson died last evening between 4 and 5 o'clock.

Democrat and Watchman - Circleville OH - 29 Nov 1895

The death of David Hudson, from the wounds inflicted by a revolver in the hands of his son, Harry Hudson, occurred Thursday evening, 28th ult., just as the Democrat and Watchman was ready for the press, and there was only time to announce the fatal result.

M. A. Lanum, the Coroner, held an inquest, taking the testimony of Mary Mohler, Rebecca Fullen, Harry Hudson, Mrs. Lydia Hudson, William Watson and James Trego, who detailed the circumstances of the shooting Wednesday evening, Nov 27th.

Drs. Wilder and Bowers and A. P. Courtright, who made post mortem of the body, made their report, describing the wounds. They found half a bullet in illum near colon, another portion of ball in bony structure of pelvis, on right side, another ball cut obliquely was loose in abdominal cavity. They gave as cause of death: injuries to the intestines, loss of blood and consequent shock.

The verdict of the Coroner is as follows: "After having heard the evidence and examined the body of David Hudson, I do find that he came to his death from being struck with leaden balls fired from a revolver, said revolver being in the hands of and fired by his son, Harry Hudson. I am further satisfied that said shooting was done with the intent to protect the lives of himself and mother, and the intent was to cripple and wound and not to kill."

Harry Hudson was held to answer to the charge of murder in the first degree. His aunt, Mary Mohler, was arrested as an accessory, the allegation being that she furnished the revolver with which the shooting was done. After a preliminary examination Monday evening, before Mayor Hammel, she was discharged, the evidence not sustaining the charge.

David Hudson was 54 years of age. He was born and always lived in Circleville. He was a soldier in Co. H. 69th O.V.I. serving until the close of the war. He married Lydia Hudson, daughter of the late William Hudson, September 8, 1861.

Democrat and Watchman - Circleville OH - 06 Dec 1895