Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-08-11
THE PISTOL AGAIN.
Billy Harrison Killed by Arbedi-
low Tarlease.
A WOMAN AT THE BOTTOM OF IT.
Interview with the Prisoner and
Other Particulars OF Ia
Tragedy.

Eureka has had another shooting scrape,
this one proving fatal. The hour, the
number of shots and the rapidity Of the
shooting were almost a repetition Of the
shooting affair Of the evening before, fur
Their down the street.
Wm. Fl. Harrison, q restaurant waiter,
was met at the entrance of Joe Mendes'
saloon by Arbedilow Tarlease, and shot to
death. Five shots were fred in rapid sue
~cession. all by Tarlease, Harrison not being
armed, SO far as the reporter was able to
learn. Following are the facts, as near as
could be CLEANED in the excitement Of the
moment succeeding the shooting 4:
TARLEAsE's STORY.
Jealousy seems to have been the control
ing motive Of the tragedy. Tarlease is a
miner, and has lived with his wife on Ruby
Hill for about three years. They had
saved up some $500 or $500 in money and
property. Mrs. Tarlease concluded to
come to Eureka and see what she could do
in the a Of keeping q restaurant. The
st. Louis Restaurant was opened by her on
North Main street, Tarlease continuing to
work in the Eureka Consolidated mine, at
Ruby Hill. Billy Harrison was engaged
as a waiter in the restaurant. The parties
had not been acquainted previous to this
time.
Tarlease, it seems, got an idea in his
head that all was not right between his
nil A~1 -. hsa - l.
remain up at the mine for a week or more
without visiting his family. They have
three children. After the green-eyed mon
ster got possession of him he, on one occa-
sion at least, came down at an unseason-
able hour in the morning. He found,
according to his version, the children in
their customary bed, but Mrs. Tarlease
was not with them. He did not prosecute
the search, but concluded that she was
with the waiter Harrison. Shortly there
after tsome days perhaps) he met Harri-
son in q saloon up town and accused him
of stealing the affections Of his wife. Tar
lease says Harrison admitted as much,
saying ''She is as much my wife as yours
From this time on things grew from bad
to worse. Tarlease caused a notice to be
published in the SENTINEL, setting forth
that he would not be responsible for any
debts contracted by his wife, and she in
turn began a proceeding to obtain a di-
vorce. The legal notice in the divorce
suit is now appearing regularly in the
advertising columns Of the SENTINEL. The
next move by the husband was to dispose
Of the property on the Hill, consisting of
some miners cabins, etc. This done, he
says he tried to prevail on his wife to go
with him to her parents, who reside in
nunaa UAIIav nolsfN- Oh looI.~-l l.
move a step. Next he proceeded to
says, Of laying the whole case before
her aged parents. The old folks were
deeply affected and concerned regarding
the situation Of their daughter, and the
old gentleman at once t~elegraphed her to
proceed without delay to Grass Valley.
The telegram was answered by letter, two
letters in fact, in one or both of which she
declared it to be her purpose never again
to live with Tarlease. Certainly she would
not visit her parents while he was there.
Then it was that the old folks suggested to
Tarlease that he had better take a little
trip East, and that during his absence they
would endeavor to get Mrs. Tarlease to
join them at their home in Grass Valley.
Tarlease complied and went East, how far,
he did not state. He asserts, however,
that he received a letter which induced him
to return to Eureka sooner than he ex-
pected. The letter contained infor-
nation that his children were to
be sen out on q ranch. He did not want
his children to be thus treated, and he re-
solved to return and look after them in
person. He arrived by last nights train
under a fictitious name, or else his name
was not given at all. He went direct to
the st. Louis Restaurant. His wife was
sitting On the doorstep. He demanded to
see his children. She replied that they
were in bed, and that he could not see
them until morning. He insisted upon
seeing them Immediately, and thereupon
entered the bedrooms. Things were not
as they used to be. There had been
changes that looked suspicious. The chill
dren had been shifted to different apart
ments, and everything seemed to indicate
that Billy and the woman were bunking
together. He accused her Of it. ami she
finally said. Eyes. Billy and I sleep in that
ROOM" He piled her still further with
maddaned queries, until she tauntingly re-
marked 'I'm Billy's woman, and don't
care for you and don't want anything more
to do with you" This enrsged him to
fever heat, and he started up town in
stantly in search of the destroyer Of his
happiness.
just inside Of the hall leading
into Mendes' saloon Billy was seated on q
step-ladder, talking with Tom Beck. The
outer door opened suddenly, and Billy, ap-
parently surprised, arose and started in
that direction. Beck started at the
same time to enter the main
saloon from the hall where they
had been sitting. He heard Billy
say "Hello," and looking around
saw him extend his arm as II to shake
hands with the man at the door. At that
instant Tarlease showed q pistol against
his side and fired. Billy Immediately
sank in q crouching posture in the corner
Of the hallway next to the door, and with
his hands uplifted in an imploring atti-
tude, he would say ooh! oh r. or don't!
dontr' as the shots were poured into his
body. At one stage, the hands OF the pros
trate man were showed out Of the way by
Tarlease in order to make certain OF his
deadly aim. Five shots were fred in
almost as many seconds. Deputy Sheriff
Patterson, who happened to be in the rear
Of the saloon, fastened to the scene of the
shooting. He rushed up and took hold Of
Tariease, and Beck thinks the last shot
was fred just as the officer grappled with
him. He was taken by Officer Patterson
direct to the Jail, where he was lodged in a
cell. The dying man in the meantime
crawled toward the door, and finally rolled
to the sidewalk.
Sam Friedman was one Of the first to
reach him. When asked who shot him.
Billy answered, ''Tarlsase," and in re-
Spouse to the question, what forS' he
replied, ''for nothing" These were the
only words that we heard that he uttered.
He was taken to the rear room Of DR..
Schneider's drug store, where he breathed
his last in fifteen or twenty minutes. Drs.
Owen, Nesbit, Chamblin and Thoma were
present, but could do nothing for him.
He was either wounded in both sides or
one ball passed entirely through his BODY.