Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-01-07

Tom Travers, with q Knife Through
His Heart. Shoots His Assailant.

The Bodie Standard gives the particulars
Of the death Of Tom Travers, formerly Of
Eureka, who was killed in that place on
Friday last. The Standard says that three
or four evenings previous to the fatal
r~econtre Thomas Dillon, an inveterate
opium smoker, met Thomas Travers in an
opium den, when a difficulty ,sprang up
between them IN account Of the language
used by Dillon about the women who fire.
quent the den. One story is that Travers
struck Dillon on the head with q large
opium pipe, and another billions own
story is that the blow was struck with q
six-shooter. An officer, hearing the row,
entered the opium den and found Travers
with q drawn pistol and put an end to the
difficulty, but made no arrests. From
that time on, until the difficulty termi-
mated in blood, it is said the two men were
watching, walking about and threatening
each other. Friday night they met on the
street, but as Travers had a friend with
him nothing was said. About 1870 O'Clock
Saturday morning. as Travers was passing
the covered way in front Of the Concert
Hall dance-house, Dillon stepped in front
Of him and asked: Are you as brave q
man as you were the other night" Dill
Ions story is that Travers Immediately
drew a six shooter and struck him Dillon
on the cheek, and he exhibits a swollen
place to s~ubstantiate his story; but some
believe this was produced by the blow at
the opium den. Certain it is, Dillon grap-
pied with Travers and plunged a knife
blade, eight inches long and one and q
quarter inches wide, through his heart.
Officer Black, hearing the row, ran out
just as Dillon plunged the knife, a second
time, into the back Of Trayers. Black
rushed in, seized Dillon and drew him back.
when the wounded man fell to the side
walk. Officer Marley then ran up and
raised Travers to a sitting posture, and the
latter, with the blood gurgling in his throat,
as quick as thought, drew his six-shooter
and fired at his assailant, who was only
four or five PAGES distant, the ball taking
effect between the left hip and the back
bone and ranging upward. Travers then
gave q few gasps and dropped back dead.
Thomas Travers was q native OF Trenton,
New Jersey, aged about "a years. His pa
rents still reside in Trenton. He had lived
on this coast several years, most OF which
time was passed in Nevada. Three years
ago he worked at one OF the furnaces in
Eureka, from whence he went to Silver
Reef, Utah, from which place he came to
Bodie two or three months ago. He might
be designated as a sport.
Thomas Dillon, who now lies in such a
critical condition that his physician Will
allow no one to speak with him, is believed
to be an Irishman by birth, and is about
80 years of age. He has been a miner,
working in Virginia, Eureka. Belleville and
Typo, but since he has been in Bodie the
officers class him as "an opium smoker
and loafer = though gentlemen, who have
known him for years, say that while there
has been q good deal Of rough talk about
him. they have always found him TO be
pretty square. 1t is believed hat the men
lecame acquainted with each other in Eu-
reka, some three years ago, but it is not
known whether or not they ever had any
difficulty prior to the affair in the opium
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