The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-05-13
DIEDWITH BOOTS ON
MURDER OR sU1c1DE-WHIcH
Dug Reed, Murderer of Hank LOOMS,
Sentenced by the Sidneyites,
and Assists in Hang
~ ing Himself.


o
desperate named Charles Reed, or Reed
Douglas. The probable lynching of the
villain vas also foreshadowed, an event
which subsequent information proves to
have taken place. The details of the
startling occurrences form another thrill
ling chapter in the record of events in
the great west.
We are enabled to-day to give the
readers of the LEADER full particulars:
1t may be as well to begin at first
with the origin of the trouble between
the two men. Reed, the murderer,
has been floating about Sidney for sew
eral months past, and has been living
with a dissolute woman named Mollie
Wardner. On Friday night, about IL
O'Clock, Henry LOOMS, together with
John Hester and another man. whose
name We failed to learn, passed Mollie's
bagnio while the woman vas standing
in the door or just outside. She spoke
to LOOMS, saying:
"Come in here darling, and bring
your friends along. I'll try and make
it pleasant for you"
LOOMS replied: $50 back into the
house and mind your own business.
We want nothing to do with disrepu-
table characters"
LOOMS then ~apologized to the wo-
man, and his friends and himself
walked on slowly, thinking no more
about the conversation. His reply to
the cyprian, however, greatly incensed
the woman, and she Immediately sent
a colored mar after her friend Reed.
Unfortunately for LOOMS, the colored
individual found Reed; he went to the
house instantly and Mollie was enabled
to point out the receding form of
| Loomis, saying as she did so:
There goes the -. He has gross
ly insulted me. If there is any a
hood about you you will promptly
avenge the INSULT
Reed started down street on a brisk
run, and upon reaching Loomis struck
him a violent blow upon the head,
which staggered him somewhat. Before
LOOMS had time to recover himself,
Reed fired, the ball taking effect in the
left thigh. Loomis fell to the ground
and the murderer placed the revolver
to his breast preparatory to shooting
him again.
LOOMS threw up both hands, saying:
"Don't shoot me again Dug; don't you
see Pm down? What do you want to
kill me forp"
"Who are you, anyhow" said Reed
The fallen man responded: 81 am
Hank LOOMS; l never harmed you"
After this hurried conversation the
murderer fled. In a very short time it
was known all over Sidney that Reed
had shot HANK LOOMS, as he
is Familiarity called by his intimate
friends. The affair resulted in the. form
ing of five or six squads, all well armed
and fully resolved to hunt down the
bloodthirsty wretch. They started
| out Immediately in various directions.
Sheriff Zweifel and Hugh Bean
mounted their horses and went in a
northwesterly direction, and when
about a mile and a half from Sidney,
dismounted, picketed their horses and
walked slowly along. They had not
proceeded more than half a mile until
they espied Reed crouching behind
some rocks. Sheriff Zweifel yelled:
drop your arms and throw up your
hands, you scoundrel!''
Reed dropped his revolver and threw
up his hands, saying:
"I've done so; come here sheriff, /
want to surrender and have a talk with
YOU"
The sheriff responded:
"Come to us instantly or we'll fire on
you.n
The murderer then did as command
ed. Sheriff Zweifel and Mr.. Bean Sc
cured his weapon and made him walk
with his hands behind him until they
reached the spot where their horses
were picketed. Remounting their
steeds they returned to Sidney with
their prisoner, going by a circuitous
route to the county jail, in which he
was lodged and a guard of men placed
around the building. AS o o as it be-
came known that Reed had been cap
tured and jailed, crowds of people, en-
bracing both sexes, gathered around the
building. Shouts of Bring him OUT
Lets hang him, y "We want Reed >
| ETC., rent the air but no effort was made
at that time to obtain possession of the
prisoner. On Saturday morning the
sheriff offered to take Reed out and at
tempt to send him away to Jail in an
other county but the prisoner said:
"No, I'll take my chances within the
walls here: you can never get me safe
to the cars through that crowd. If I've
got to die it might be as well to go up
right here in Sidney..'
The wounded man, LOOMS, in the
meantime, had been picked up and car.
ried to the post hospital where it was
soon ascertained that the prospect fol-
saving his life was exceedingly limited.
Drs. Mumm, Maple, Slick and Win
nette held a consultation and decided
that the only hope of saving his life
rested in prompt amputation of the
limb. The operation was performed
ahout nom on Saturday after which