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THE MIICHELL MURDERA Drwakra iwpiimlo Kills Hie Uir Har-• h.l with a snot Oaa rviuui nr (a« al Ika nilniH anl Hie tnruner'a Yen! let.If llollall Ha publican. HKb.Yesterday inoruiug abuiti three o'clock mb enacted tbe most terrible uml cold* blooded tragedy which lias ever die Klourcitv. The murder of J T Pierue, the oity marshal, occurred at the u ot Uauk Lewie, a luw dire ou Matu street, opposite the First Natieuai The particular* ol the affray aqd oonaequeut murder, ai gleanod fro jj witnesses, are sabetauilelly , eafollows:About two o'clock Lomt Ellen, night itchmat), attempted to clone the aaloou ut Dewta, wutuh waa upeu iu defiance of law aud waa disorderly. Lewis ratnaed to oloae, upoa which Ellers attempted tv arreet him.Lewis us eoon aa released, went Into his aaloou, exclaimiug with au oath that he would shoot Ellen, or any other who attempted to oome in. Oeo. Dowdell, who alood by, warued Ellers that Lewis would oarry oat hia threat, aud ao dissuaded him from goiug iu uutil he had scoured assistance. Ellen then went to J uatice Abbey, who ordered him to get auiUcieut force to gut Lewis tie found Deputy Sheriff Lowell, ex-City Manhal Daniel Uolliua aud Marshal 1’ierce, aud returned with them to the aaloou.Pierce, eutirely unarmed, eutered the loou iu advance ol the puase, wheu the following remarks oueued:Pierce—What Is the matter. Lewis?” Lewis—(with ao oath)—•I'll tlx you! At the same time be (Lewis) picked up a shot guu which stood beside the ' ir.Pierce—'Put down that guu IIn a moment Lewie, with auotherouth took deliberntu aim at ibe maishal's head uud Hied. The gull was loaded with a heavy charge of shot, which euteied his head ou the right aide, almost totally blowing it tu pieces. Death waa inatautaueous.Lewie wua well kuowu as a hard character, this bciug the third shooting uffray m wluuh beta.- beouengaged iu the past three mouths. It is also stated with nu appearauee ol probability, that Lewis waa once before guilty ol murder.Pierce was s married mnu with ah adopted cbnd. He was nn luoffeosive aud highly respectable citizeu aud bad beeu marshal about eicht montbs. He i to Dakota a couple ol years ago from Iowa.Public sentiment has ruu high and great ludiguation at the sacriQoe of Mr. Fierce has been loudly expressed. Euota of meu gathered on the street whose toues aud opeuly expressed threats evi deuced a leading toward mob violeuce. Mayor Hurr baa all tbe aaloous olosed aud issued tbe proclamation given be low. officers of city aud couuty moved among the crowua aud qaietly disponed tuem when it was pnaaiole. Arms weie tacked at tbe jail with wbiob tu defeud tbe puauuer. Towaid uoou quiet wan somewhat restored and tbe sober secoud tbougbt evidently prevails.BUEBWIti'a TESTIMONY B1FOBE THE COB O.HBB'S JDUT.W. A. Sherwiu beiog duly aworu says: I reside iu Mitchell, Davisou couuty D T. My age is thirty yean. I kuua John T. Pierce. I saw Pieroe last uighl about one or two o'clock tu Ueory Lewis' aaloou. Heury Lewis, G-orgo Dowdell aud two other parties that I don't know, that is I do uot kuow their names, were in Lewis' saloon at tbe time Pierce there.When Pierce came into tbe saloon ue said What is tbe matter, Heury? Lewis said nometbiug to him, but I did uot uuderatacd what it was. When Pierce came iute the saloon Eller was be-biud him about ail feet I tbiuk. Lewis was standing iu front of the bar with bis back to tbe bar. When he saw Pierce aud Eller he started round behiud tbe bar. Pisroe oaoglit him uy the arm just at tbe eud o[ the bar Lewis weut bo biud tbe bar aud gut bia guu, a double barrel abot gun. When be first started to go arouud, Eller weut out tbe uauk door aud Pierce stood just inside the bar soil waa Htaudtng there wheu LewiB gut hia guu. Lewia said, as uear aa I oau remember, of Eller, I suppose, I will lire that sou of a b 1When Lewia got bis guu Fieroe said Yon wouldn't eboot me, Hauk, aud at tbe same timo Pierce backed out from behind tbe bar and Lewis was following him. As be was backing np, Lowia was pointing to the door where Eller bad gone out and said two or three times that be would get him out ol there. Wheu Pierce waa about ball way betweeu tbe stove aud tbe door into tbe abed, tbe guu weut off. and almost at tbe ai time the light went out. I did not Pierce fall. I aaw the amoku aud flash of the guu. Right away then Lewis tbrowed tho guu on the floor with both bands, and stooped over and raised Pierce's head, aud at tbe aanio time he said, For (Jod's sake, somebody take that gnu and kill me! Then I went oat I oouldnot Buy just bow long I bad bu n in the aaloon when Pierce came in. Perhaps ten minutes. 1 had beard LewiB make some remarks about Ellei arrest iug liirn. He said Eller had hit him with hia billy,” Bud that either Eller or be would have tu leuve town that day. I tbiuk lie made other tbrcBta blit could uot say just wliat they were. I tbiuk be used tbe expression that be would “do him up.” The parties iu the loom dia euaded him when lie made thcae threats. None of them encouraged him. I know when the gun waa loaded. It was about twenty miuates previous to the shooting. Henry Lewis louded the gun. This was after bis trouble with Eller. He leaded the gun in bis saloon, behiud the bar. I tbiuk he said be would about Eller.I attempted to dissuade him from loading the guu and alio tried to take the gun away from him. and id fact ull that were theie tried to dissuade him. He kept talking all tbe time and insistednot bear any ods present say it wonld be serving Eller right to shoot him. I was about twelve feet fiom Lewis when lie fired. I did not seo Pieroe fall. Theooncussiou of the gun pat the light oat. I tbiak be held tbe guu id frout of him and dowD to bit aide like 1 tbiuk, but could not say positively. Ho did Dot give any warning wheu he fired, I did not tbiuk it was Pierce be was after. Eller had gone out. It waa a breech-loadiug shot gun. When Pierce was at the bar Eller was oat of the room.W. A. Hhbhwik.Subscribed sod sworn to beiore mo I bia fith day uf April. 1884.A. 8 Cobtis. Coroner.VEBDICT OF CO bomb's /CRT.Territory of Dakota, Davisou county,Ram aud pi My 1 A D. 1884, by rnuaus of • abot guu bald to south wind*. ol B« Usury Lewis aud byto aoum winu , fblt; H Lawii, f.ionloualv ■1 isrbarged et sent Jobu 1'. Pierce, with Inieat to kill tbe said Jobu T. Pieroe.In testimony whereof, the eeld Jorore beve hereunto set Ibelr bends, the dey eud yeer eforeeaid.M. M. Hitouoock, Oliver Ubonc*,L. N. On as.Attest: A. 8. (JUBTia, Coionei.Emb.,0 Caw Ifc.yt.Uiuuk Fells Pieae: A brace of kide, evidently tramps en rente to the wild frontier to juiu the cow-boys, sprung e UiukuD Gunderson last might that is worth any two we beve beard ut lor e month. They weut to Mr Uuuderaou’a residence about 10 o'clock last night and induced biui tu go Iu hia guu store Iu sell them each a revolver. Upon e«-amlolog all the shooting Irons iu the tatabluumeol tbey selected two ot the beet, bed them filled with cartridges, end just about tbe time they were expected to ley down about 40, Ibe value ol the gnus, tbey made e break for tbe etrefl aud diaapp.ared In tbe darkness of tbe nigbt. At lest accounts tbey were still at large. Tbe young bandits were total strangers to tbe violim.as—An inquisition bolden at) county.a. , - UitobeU,Davison oounty, territory of Dakota, on Ibe 9tb dev of April, A. D. 1884. before A. 8. Unrtia. oomoar of said county, np-
Newspaper Details
Yankton Press and Daily Dakotaian
Yankton, South Dakota, US
Sat, Apr 12, 1884
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Yankton Daily Press and Dakotaian
Yankton Press and Daily Dakotaian
