A Fatal Affray Near Brighton

The February 13, 1879, edition of the Springfield Leader reported that a young man named H. L. Maylock had been shot and killed by another young man named Bud Low at a party at a residence near Brighton (MO) the night before. Low was arrested, said the Leader, and brought before a justice of the peace, to whom he admitted the deed, before making his escape. A special dispatch from Springfield to the St. Louis Globe Democrat described the incident in similar terms, claiming that Maylock struck Low in the face and that Low immediately drew his revolver and shot Maylock dead. 

Another report the next day said that Low's body had been found dead in the woods between Brighton and Springfield. A brother of Maylock and another man had supposedly gone in search of Low after his escape and had returned, saying they could not find him, but it was presumed that they did find Low and had "inflicted this summary vengeance." 

The only problem with these initial reports was that they turned out to be entirely erroneous. It was left to the Springfield Weekly Patriot to straighten out the story in its February 20 edition. It was, in fact, Maylock who had killed Low after Low got drunk and boisterous and started threatening people at the party. Low was being escorted from the room by his brother when he, in some way, bumped against Maylock. Maylock made some remark in return, and Low struck him a blow above the eye. However, Maylock, who was described as a normally peaceful young man, abided even this insult and did not fight back. 

Later in the evening, though, Low became boisterous again, and someone at the party said to him, "Low, you've blacked one eye, and you had better be quiet." Maylock, who was standing nearby, added, "You must not black mine again." In response to this remark, Low "rolled up his sleeves" and made a lunge toward Maylock. According to some witnesses, Low had a knife in his hand at the time. Matlock stepped back until his retreat was blocked by a bed, at which point he drew his revolver and shot Low, killing him almost instantly.

Maylock was arrested and brought before two justices of the peace a week later for a preliminary examination. After a two-and-a-half day hearing, he was dismissed without charges, as nearly all the testimony showed that he had acted in self-defense.