Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-03-06
MURDKR.


At II O'Clock last evening William
Smith vas killed by Arthur Perkins,
at Virginia. The following, accord
ing to the best information We could
obtain, were the circumstances:
The Kiliinx
occurred at the International Saloon,
one Of the principal first-class saloons
III the city. Bill Smith is we'll and
familiarity known in this section as n
happy-hear:ed, jolly individual, fol-
lowing the occupation of a miner and
prospector generally, and one of the
most generous and harmless persons
imaginable. He was cruising around
town, and about 10 o'clock in the even
ing he was at the Palace Saloon, and
Il. ere a party Of some half dozen Of the
most respectable and prominent citi-
zens of Virginia, happening in, met
him, and being acquainted he affiliated
and kept their company for some little
time. He was nm Englishman, and
the conversation turning upon the war
In Europe, he took the ground that the
PruSsians were right, or at any rate
they carried through their part OF the
war in gallant and successful style,
and he could not blame them at all.
They went to the International Saloon,
where they took q drink, the Germans
as we'll rs himself drinking champagne.
lie did moi appear to be intoxicated,
but merely jolly and willing to be In
good companionship. They lett him
in the saloon, and went off to their
respective homes. Subsequently he
was by the stove, and laughingly went
on to express his sympathy with the
Prussians. At the time Of the fatal
shooting he was standing near the
front door, leaning upon the counter
of Packsher's cigar stand, in company
with two or three other persons, when
Perkins stepped up to him, saying,
"What do you want?" or What are
YOU after?:' He replied. ~ don't
know as | want anything" and at the
same moment Perkins, speaking very
excitedly and quickly, and drawing q
Colts six-shooter Us he spoke, said
"How do you want it? Where do
you want it," firing rs he concluded
the words. Smith staggered back a
step or two and fell on his back dead,
close to the door,
shot Through the Head.
The pistol must have been showed
directly into his face, the ball entering
the left eye and passing out at the back
of his head. making n hole so large
that his brains as we'll rs blood flowed
out freely in n large puddle upon the
floor. As the victim fell Perkins
stepped back, eXcla'ming, by Cd,
[ fetched him." But directly coming
to n better appreciation of the horrible
deed he had perpetrated, he stepped
forward, saying, My God, didn't
mean that ,"
The Murderer Arrested.
Perkins was Immediately arrested
by some of the b~ystanders and taken
to the station-house. where he re-
marked to Chief Downey: ~ give
myself up to you. l have killed n man,
and Il was an accident, so | give Eiy-
self up to yon. didn't mean to Kill
him.
IL was m Accident"
Perkins was subsequently removed
to the County Jail, where he now Is.
His real name is Arthur Perkins Hef-
nan. lie was born in New York and
raised in California. and Is about %
years of age. He is a piano player,
and played for some time in SCOTS
dance saloon, on South c street. Sui
s~euucntly he was one OF the fighting
army of occupation in the water right
war in Seven-mile Canyon, and lat
terly he has done little or nothing eX-
cept following the occupation Of a
"sport" about town. He lns drawn
his pistol on several occasions, and
| upon little ~proVocation, but this time
was the first fatal use of It. 1t were
certainly better for him that he had
been deprived of that weapon long
ago.
William Smith. we should judge to be
about tLirty-two years Of age. He isa
native OF London, England, and was
formerly n sailor in Inc English naval
service. He has been in this State
some five or six years, :ad has gener-
ally followed the occupation Of q miner
or p~roSpector. lie was working at
Pine Grove two or three years ago,
aud came in from Austin some fou:
weeks since. AS we said before, he
was Il happy, harmless sort Of an indi-
vidua,, ana no n seems to understand
why he was killed.
Csrsaer's Tnquest.
The body was taken to Wilson &
Browns undertaking establishment,
OH Z street, and the funeral will take
place tomorrow. Coroner Symons
will l.old an inquest at six o'clock this
evening, when full details and facts re-
garding this sad homicide will be de-
veloped, throwing more light, we trust.
as to the real cause Of the killing than
at present exists.
p. S.-As we go to press, ut llalf-past
4 o'clock p. NJ, We learn that's crowd
Of at least 400 men made a raid OIL the
officers and the prisoner, while on
their way to the County Jail. The
officers, in order to protect the majesty
of the law OF the land and their own
sworn duties, were compelled to draw
their weapons, and thereby stayed the
surges of an indignant and highly In
ceused p~opulace, who swore vengeance
against n foul assassin. The prisoner
is now in the County Jail, under the
protection of our county officials.
Whether lie eiH be there rhen Tomorrow
mornings sun rises, remains to be seen.
TIE DEVIL BROKE L.oosE.-A man
/ ,1, Ii A1..l L. H,.....in