Wild revelry among the colored population of the Shaw mine, of the Pittsburgh Coal company, near McDonald, culminated between 1 and 2 o'clock Sunday morning, in murder, Miss Gussie BURCH, aged 25, being shot and killed. Melvin ALLMON, age 31, who has been employed at the Shaw mine for the last year, was taken into custody at the Oakdale station, just as he was preparing to board a Pennsylvania passenger train. ALLMON was given a hearing before Squire A. B. COCHRAN on Monday and is being held in the county jail at Washington for the shooting and killing of Gussie BURCH. Leroy SIMS, "Sunny" JOHNSON and Robert JOHNSON are being held as material witnesses. Nineteen attendants at the dance were lodged in the local jail Sunday. The murder was apparently the outcome of a drunken brawl, due to too much white whiskey at the festivities at the "Sunny" JOHNSON boarding house. Gussie BURCH had had some trouble during the evening with Leroy SIMS. Gussie had pulled a rather dangerous knife. SIMS tried to take it away from her. ALLMON got into the affair, and when he tried to get the knife from the girl she slashed him across the hand. He then stepped back toward a door, pulled his gun, fired, and the girl dropped to the floor, fatally wounded. The tragedy brought the dance to a sudden end. March 22, 1928 McDonald Outlook Martin ALLMON, a Negro, 31, was held for murder Wednesday, for the killing of Gussie BURCH, a Negress, aged 25, at the Montour No. 9 mine of the Pittsburgh Coal company, near McDonald, on Saturday night, March 10. The inquest was held Wednesday at McDonald by Coroner William BAKER. ALLMON, arrested shortly after the shooting, has been held in jail, and was taken to the inquest. First Assistant District Attorney Russell Z. MONINGER represented the commonwealth. County Detective Frank A. CREPS, who investigated the case, was one of the principal witnesses. The Commonwealth did not go much into the testimony, simply producing enough to hold the accused. The murder was the outcome of a dance and too much liquor. The slain woman had had trouble with another colored man during the evening, Leroy SIMMS. She had got hold of a dangerous looking knife and during a scuffle in an effort to take it away from her ALLMON was slashed across the hand. The shooting and killing of the woman followed. The trouble occurred at the home of "Son" JOHNSON, a Negro boarding house keeper. May 17, 1928 McDonald Outlook Melvin ALLMAN, a Negro, entered a plea of guilty Monday before Judge Erwin CUMMINS to a charge of voluntary manslaughter, the shooting to death of Gussie BIRCH, a Negress, at the Montour No. 9 mine of the Pittsburgh Coal company, near McDonald, on March 1 of this year. He was sentenced to pay the costs, fine of $1 and to undergo imprisonment in the Western penitentiary for an indeterminate term, not to be less than two years nor more than four. The court in passing sentence stated that under all the facts it was clearly a case of voluntary manslaughter under the law, and that the district attorney was right in accepting such a plea. Attorney Robert E. BURNSIDE represented the defendant. He stated to the court that ALLMAN was formerly employed in West Virginia, and, investigation showed, had previously born a good reputation. He worked steadily, but at times did drink some. Attorney BURNSIDE presented letters from former employers of ALLMAN, who gave the def! endant a good reputation as a worker. They expressed surprise that he had gotten into this trouble.