Captain Wolf
Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 September 1885, page 4
A HART WOUNDS A WOLF
Shooting Case in Dayton Ky. over a Ferry Boat Landing
Captain Wolf owns the float at Dayton Ky. Captain Hart owns
and runs a small steamboat (the Burnside) from Cincinnati to New
Richmond. The is no public landing in Dayton and Captain Wolf would not
allow Captain Hart to land at this float. Accordingly, yesterday Captain
Wolf pulled in the gang plank when Captain Hart resolved he would fix things,
and drew his pistol and shot Captain Wolf twice. One ball entered behind
the shoulder blade and the other into the arm
Dr. Shackleford extracted both balls. No arrests were made, but a warrant will be sworn out for Captain Hart's arrest today.
Captain Royal G Hart hails from Marietta Ohio. He is a young man, strictly temperate and of excellent character. For some time he has been well known as a Cincinnati and New Orleans pilot, but this being low water season and nothing to do in that line, he became interested in the little steamboat Burnside, which makes daily morning and evening trips between New Richmond and Cincinnati. Dayton Ky. is one of the way points.
The trips of the Burnside from Dayton to Cincinnati deprived the ferryman of some of his patronage and it was through business jealousy that the trouble began. Captain Hart claims that the ferryman now has been making threats against him right along and has been carrying a big revolver. As a matter of fact, any steamboat is entitled to make a landing alongside of any other navigator who is fastened to the landing place.
Captain Hart was seen by a reporter of the Enquirer last evening. His version of the affair is as follows:
"I was going upon the steamer Burnside this evening and as I was making a landing at Dayton Ky. at 7:15, I went to put my stage plank out on a boat that was there. The ferryman threw it off, saying 'By G-d, I wont let you take your people across my boat.' I told him I would, went out on the flat, and shoved him away from the plank. After I shoved him he picked up an ax and started after me. Just as he got within reaching distance of me I shot him. Then he turned as if he was going to pull a revolver out of his pocket and I shot him again. We had twenty Dayton people on the boat, among them seven or eight ladies, one of whom fainted. I put them off after I shot him, then backed out, and went on up the river. It was just as plain a case of self-defense as there ever was in the world."