New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-05

l. ~ re- 81 - sc5
! IA Jserpeypsan Printsr n Shot Dead ~ .
s. am vT I'D SUBJ -
From the. Council Bluns Nowa) Times, June 2ls
/ Yestertlay9 Just as the Times was in pres
and the boys had begun to distribute theil
cases, our Office was the scene of Q ternb1
| and sanguinary encounter. James NJ. Bel
is young man about twenty two years o.
age. He is small man, about i've feet sia
inches high, rather stockily built, has gray
eyes, light curly hair, and is in his manner
| taciturn, and so far as our acquaintance
with him goes to show he is a quiet, orderly
young man, and always minded ms OWL
business while employed in the Times office
! He has been in Council Bluffs only about
ten Or twelve days and has worked part Of
the time in this Office and part OF. the time
on the Nonpnseil, having no regular situa-
ton. but sssiibbng," as it is called, for other
printers regularly employed, at such times
as the latter happened to be drunk or indis-
posed. He had been .'subbing" for Charles
Austin. the murdered man, during the day.
At about six O'clock in the afternoon Bell
left the Times office. and went over to the
NonWreil, remaining there short time,
when he returned. ~ ts
He came up in front of the Times office,
and leaned up against the door easing, look
ing into the Office. Austin. made some re-
mark about his damned SUBJ" blaming him
for something that had occurred. The lat
ter (BelD responded by calling Austin a
id liar" Austin made a rush for the
door. swearing he would whip Bell, but was
so intoxicated that he lost his balance and
went off the sidewalk into the gutter Re
covering himself, he started for Bell Sec
Ond time, when the latter drew a small re-
volver. and leveling it, shot his assailant
through the head, the ball striking him
w. f1,a r.fr1,% Oh
inch above the eyebrow, passing directly
through the brain, and lodging against the
skull bone on the back side of the head.
Austin threw up his hands, gave dull
grOan, and fell forward on his face on the
sidewalk, and for some minutes made no
sign. Pretty soon, however. he began to
exhibit signs of remaining life, and was
taken up and carried to the yard in tie rear
of the Times office, where he remained in
semi.conseions condition till removed to
the building adjoining the Washington
House, where he recovered sufficiently to
converse at intervals. go.
Bell, Immediately after he had fired the
shot, came back to the office, terribly fright
ened. We said to him, BEL, what have you
dOnes I" He replied, II have shot Austin.
What shall DOR We at once told him to
60 over to Montgomery's office and keep out
of the way of the rapidly gathering and
fearfully excited crowd until he could be
taken in charge by the proper authorities.
He followed our advice and went across the
street. The crowd was increasing by scores,
and in less than ten minutes the whole street
in front of our office was crowded with peo-
pie. Some of the lawless and turbulent
spirits who are always on hand in such cases
began to raise the cry, Where is he 2"
Bring him out ETC., and two of these lat
ter followed Bell across the street, avOwing
their determination to take him out and
hang him. They were, however, speedily
dissuaded from their purpose by a little
moral suasion' IN the hands of Mont
gemery. and there We're no further demon
STATIONS of the kind -if-seiI, r.. 81.
Bell was born in Cincinnatti; he has a
brother living in Indiana, and two sisters
living in Benton county in this State. e
Charles Austin is thirty-three years of age.
He is an old jour printer, having -"tramped-
the United States from the Atlantic to the
Missouri, and from the lakes to the gulf. i
He was an eccentric genius, very intelligent
and pleasant. and like most old jour prin-
tiers, was possessed Of an exhaustible fund
OF aneedOte and humor. He had all the
prOverbial generosity of the true printer, and
his last penny was ut the service of any one
who used him we'll. His wound is I'M
doubtedly fatal, and he is only alive now by
reason Of his cast iron constitution and his
strong, sluggish nervous organization.
His home is at 1872 Whitehall street, New
York city.