Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1876-08-21
TRIED FOR HIS LIFE.
Some Characteristic Frontier Fun
.--Everybody Participating and
Drinking at the Close.

,,on u burglar the night bef,'re hid
git into the " ind, about II hundred
of the boys collected around the
scene If the "c,.urre aud hr.ped
rongr.tu atins upon the hero SO
thick and 3, fast that lie was scarcely
able t. end ire th.m. Ate ,dinY to
bust less WIS quite gu, of the ques-
ton. The bcsie sel msn nn doubt
wished t,at he had let the burglar
lone, relying up,n hi, Dig f,r the
safety Of his properly ther than
upon his revolver.
THE AUTHOR OF IT ALL.
Mr.. Bbi, better known. perhaps,
as "Curly," who is an irrepressible
fun maker, was at the head Of the
admiring crowd. The sidewalk
wherein the second shot OF the two
that were fred took effect was made
to bear the marks Of split blood. In
quiry ran rife a. to the probable
whereabouts of the victim A party
was detailed with instructions to
hunt about in all secluded corners
for his body, for it was granted that
he must be dead. Meanwhile q
throng of men kept beseeching the
unfortunate shooter for details Of the
bloody affair.
| DISCOVERY OF A CORPSE.
| At length those who went in search
of the remains Of the burglar were
seen approaching with . man
stretched on . door. The acme of
excitement was now reached, and all
bystsnders united in bewailing the
fact that so prominent citizen Us
Z W. Gowen should have blood on
his hands and corpse at his door.
The body was brought up and de-
posted in an alleyway adjoining the
premises of the accused--fOri it must
be noted that some were loud in
their denunclations of the act and
unsparing in their accusations OF the
| object Of so much concentrated in
terest. Mr.. Gowen, in short, was ac-
cu.ed of having without. due provo
cation. but mayhap in moment OF
great excitement, taken the life Of a
fellow man. The dead body lay
there, we'll dressed in black. CORY
handkerchief covering the face, two
revolvers stuck in the breast of the
coat, a dark lantern by the side, and
the whole resembling the corpse OF a
| Renteel crscksman killed in the act
| OF crime. -..,-
AN rNBoCNpEp MEASURE or IN.
TEREsr.
The crowd at this time was so
great that the sidewalk was wholly
blockaded. The accused man stood
silent behind his counter, pale with
singing regret and tremulous with
rising fear, while the spectators,
overcome by the presence of the
cadaver, cast solemn looks Of disap-
prevail ut him. 1t was trying
moment. Some calm-headed per-
sons in the gathering men who
would be cool under any circum-
stances-suggested an inquest and
preliminary examination Of the muir
derer. Accordingly the corpse was
conveyed up the street by six men
with uncovered heads, and deposited
in the court room. Justice Gould
was at'once on the bench. He issued
q warrant Of arrest for Gowsu, who
WAS brought before him. ]. Cronin
WAS appointed attorney for the de-
PENDANT aud W. c. Dewey for the
prosecution. John Dunn was en-
powered to act as coroner, to take
charge of any property the deceased
might have. The gathered specta-
tors, it is almost superauous to say,
exceeded the capacity of The court
room. The interest was absorbing
and the proceedings were solemn.
THE EXAMINATION
OF the defendant began at once. His
situation, his embarrassment. his
solicitation for consequences, all
may be imagined when we say that
it took posse Of strong men to
bring him into court. Once there,
however, there was NO escape. Sew
eral witnesses were examined, the
counsel on both sides made touching
pleas, the judge gave the jury the
Law and added some eloquent words
besides. A verdict was reached in .
brief space of time. The jury found
the accused guilty OF murder, but
recommended him to the mercy Of
the Court. The Court sentenced him
to sacrifice enough coin to pay for
drinks for everybody at Becker's
saloon. Had it not been for the
recommendation Of mercy, the Court
said. he would have named two-bit
house.
Everybody who wanted to do so
drank, and thus ended more fun
than Silver City has experienced be.
fore for many months. The deceased
was burned. The straw being dry,