Western avenue was again the scene of lawlessness and the life of Arley Hughes hangs in the balance as the result of a wound from a revolver shot by Charles Wilder

According to the story told by young Hughes he was walking west on Western avenue last evening. He stoped at the Unitarian church corner for shelter from the rain and was there accosted by a young man who asked him where he was going. Hughes did not recognize the fellow and consequesntly did not make any very definite explanation to him. When the rain ceased they walked together on west a short distance when the stranger drew a revolver from his pocket and again demanded where he was going. Hughes simply stated that he was out walking and the two continued on west, Hughes purposely going towards a street light in order that he might see who the fellow was.

At about Twenty-third street, Hughes' companion whipped out his revolver and told him that he proposed to know where he was going. Young Hughes saw his opportunity and grasped the revolver to wrest it away from the fellow and in the scrimmage it was fired, the bullet taking effect in Hughes' abdomen a few inches to the right of the navel.

As soon as the shot was fired the neighborhood was aroused. J.J. Beall and J.S. Cunnigham were immediately on the scene and took in custody the young man who did the shooting and he was identified as Charles Wilder, the son of William Wilder, a fireman on the P., D. & E. He was sent to Charleston after the preliminary hearing last night.

Wilder tells a somewhat different story from Hughes' but acknowledges that he did the shooting.

Arley Hughes is the son of Judge Hughes, of the Mattoon city Court, and was to have left early next week to complete his law studies at the University of Illinois.

The attending physicians say that the chance of Hughes recovery is very small.

Mattoon Journal-Gazette, 8 Sept 1899, Friday


From the Mattoon Gazzett, 15 Sep 1899, Friday, states that Arly Hughes died at 4:30 Saturday morning, two days after the shooting.