DELP, Pleasant - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

DELP, Pleasant, boss at the coal mine near Grange Corner formerly operated by Clay Steinbaugh, was shot and killed on Saturday by his nephew, Robert Thomas. Thomas is 22 years old, but in spite of his youth, has been married three times. Some talk concerning the relations of the third wife and Delp is given as the cause of the shooting. Thomas fled, but was captured at Montezuma. There were several witnesses to the shooting, which was deliberate, without previous quarrel. The shooting took place in the boiler room at the mine. There were two shots, the last of which struck Delp’s heart, notwithstanding which he walked thirty feet before falling dead.

Once again we are called upon to chronicle and establish as a matter of history so far as The Star is concerned the facts as near as we could learn them in a shooting scrape which occurred at the McIntire coal mine about 11:30 last Saturday forenoon when Robert Thomas, aged 22, and son of John Thomas, shot and almost instantly killed Pleasant Delp, an uncle by marriage. Delp was superintendent of the mine and was in the act of paying the men off when the two men engaged in a quarrel. Delp had told Thomas that his services were no longer needed at the mine and that he should bring out his tools. In the argument which followed numerous accusations were made and abusive words were exchanged by the two men. Thomas declared that Delp had insulted his wife which Delp asserted was untrue. After exchanging “liar” a few times, Thomas drew a 32 caliber revolver and fired two shots. The first shot, according to the corner’s verdict, struck Delp near the pit of the stomach, passing through the liver and right kidney. Placing his hand on his stomach, Delp stooped slightly and turned as if to walk away when a second shot was fired. This one struck in the left shoulder, ranged down, passing through the left lung and heart and lodged in the right lung. The Shooting took place in the boiler room in the presence of a number of other miners. Delp then attempted to walk but was compelled to call for assistance, exclaiming that he had been shot in the heart and would soon die. Several of the miners hurried to his assistance while Thomas placed his revolver in his pocket and walked away. Delp and his assistants started to his home, which is only a few feet away, but only got across the small creek when death came. Eye witnesses declare that it was a pitiable sight when the lifeless form of a once strong and hearty father and husband was carried in and placed on the bed in the little cottage. A mother screamed in terror while seven small children, ranging in age from 14 years down to a seven-months-old babe scrambled about the bed, clinging to their father’s hands and feet. Thomas left the scene of the shooting immediately and was latter apprehended at Montezuma by Marshal Wheeler of that place and held until the Parke county sheriff arrived, when he was taken to Rockville and placed in jail. Delp was 35 years old and was a member of the F. & A. M lodge at Sylvania, also the K. of P. lodge at this place, which organizations had charge of the funeral which was held on Monday. Interment was made in the new fraternal cemetery north of this place. A story to the effect that Delp once killed a relative of Thomas’ has become circulated and is being given as the cause of the shooting but this is a false report, doubtless being misconstrued with the Bryant murder of a few years ago, when John Bryant was killed by Chauncey Delp a distant relative of the deceased man. At the preliminary hearing before Justice Bryant yesterday Thomas waived examination and returned to jail to await the investigation by the grand jury.