The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-10-29
WHOLE NO. 3o6.
Lon Gahart Shoots John Boies-Jshn Shobe
shot in the Arn-BoIes Dead and Gahart
Dying.


lclinson fafo.) Advocated frsa
Last Monday, at Bloomington, occurred
one of those shocking tragedies that of late
sometime trouble and illfeefing has existed
between Lon Gahart, of Brownington, and
John Boles, of Clinton, growing out of scme
money transactions. Ii seems that Gahart
had gone security for Boles = note to A.
NJ Rhoads, and had N pay the money. or
part of it, and this was the cause which led 70
the whole trouble. Abont two weeks ago
Gahart met Boles at Bloomington and de-
manded that he should give him q note
for the amount he had paid for him.
This Boles refused to do, and Gahart,
who l. very much larger and
stouter man than Boles, gave him terrible
beating, Gahart was arrested, but through
the Intervention OF friends the matter was
arranged and Boles declined to prosecute.
Thus it was thought the matter would end
But Gahart j. desperate fellow, and he did
not intend to drop il vet. Last Monday
Messrs. Shobe and Boles went out toward
Bloomington TO look at some cattle they
thought of buying- Just at noon they came
into Bloomington and stopped ~ the hotel to
get their dinners. Gahart either saw them
come in or learned of their presence and de-
| termined TO kill them. He went to the hard
ware store. bought pistol, had the dealer
| load it for him and started for the hotel on
| murder intent. Mr.. Shobe, whom a reporter
| of the Advocate saw, SAYS they were sitting
| at dinner, himself, Boles and two other men,
and had got about half way through when
! they heard Gahart's little boy at the gate ex-
elam: Don't shoot Uncle John, pa Ga
hart and Boles are brothers-in-law-Gaharts
| wife being sister of Boles. This startled
than all, and jumping up from the table they
saw Lon in the hall leading to the dining
4 Il L
| stepped toward him and said: "Lon
| We don't want any of this here
Stop it He replied with an oath, and de-
| liberty aimed his pistol at him and fired,
| the ball striking him in tho arm, just above
| the elbow fracturing the bone and causing
| "a severe but moi dangerous wound. He then
began firing at Boles, his first shot taking
fatal effect, striking Boles about two inches
above the umblicus and entering the ston,-
ach. Boles received two other shots. but the
first was the cause of his death, which took
place Tuesday night about midnight AT the
beginning of the affray Boles drew his own
pistol, aud got in three shots, one of which
struck Gahart in the arm and graZed his side
| and one in the neck, passing clear through
and telling Gahart 10 the hoor. 1t is proba-
BILE that this wound will kill Gahart. After
the shooting Boles was able to walk around.
and seemed ut first the least h1rt, but the
| SuOI ne received IN the sIOlldcn DaQ ftltlcQ
his fate. Gahart had to be carried home.
He is very stout man and may be able
to overcome his wounds, but if he does,
it will probably only be to expiate
| his crime at the hands of the
law. BoleS, the victim of his violence, was
Il peaceful quiet citizen; a man who quar-
relied with nobody, and his untimely taking
off at the hands of violent man is greatly
} regretted. He leaves wife and three child
J rem, living in Clinton, TO mourn for him. He
was buried at Bethlehem cemetery with Ma
sonic honors yesterday. Gahart has been
arrested, and if he survives his wounds, will
be fully prosecuted. Shobe returned TO his
home after the shooting and had his wound
dressed and is doing we'll Several splinters
|, | of bone were taken out Of the wound.
Since writing the above Gahart has been
brought to Clinton and placed under arrest.
He is kept under guard at the St. Stephens
hotel. A reporter of the Advocate called on
him to get his statement of the affair. Hesays
, he is sorry he did it; he was not himself.
He was broken up here after the war and
went to Texas, where he and his wife, by hard
, work, made some money which he brought
back with him. John had got good deal of
, it from hina promising 10 return Il whenever
he wanted il, but he never would pay it back;
he had also become security for John on n
note before he went to Texas, which John
told him WAS paid, but after he came back he
found it was not; he tried TO get John to do
|, him right; he had seen him and talked to
him about it; had told hint hat he had five little
children, while his children were all grown
, and able to make a living for themselves, but
John would do nothing about it and would
! not treat him right. Since he had the pneu-
! monia four years ago his head has troubled
him a great deal and he would lose control
of himself when he thought of these things
! The day the shooting occurred he had
no thought of seeing John; he had intended
to go to the circus that day, but gave it up in
! | the morning. When he saw Shobe and
, John come into town he thought be would go
I home and 20 upstairs and 20 to sleep; he
| couldn't do it, he got frenzied; he lost con-
troll of his actions: he hardly knew what he
was doing; he thought he had drunk some
whisky that day; be didn't mean to shoot
|, Shobe-it was an impulse He had done
nothing against him; Shobe had taken sides
/ with John. but he had nothing against him;
, he hope if he had done Shobe an injury he
would forgive him. Ee did not expect to
get well. The condition in which he leaves
, his family is great trouble to him. He has
FIVE children, the Oldest about 10 and the
! Youngest a babe of 16 months. His wife and
children, his sister and his brother are all
with him. 1t is sad sight. The husband
and father living wounded to death, probably,
and under arrest for the murder of another,
his wife's brother. His death will leave them
orphaned and bereft, and his recovery will
only plunge him into the tolls of the law,
: with possibly worse fate. There can be no
| heart so hard but what it is moved to pity,
and it pities still when the other orphaned
, and bereft family Is remembered. His re-
7 covery is doubtful. His body from the hips
S down is paralyzed, and he has great deal
/ of fever; but on account of his great strength
and stout constitution his recovery is pos
sible.