Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1881-02-12

ont. "Oh. | am shot" ran u few step
and fell, expiring in about fifteen min
utes After his first ejaculation he
never spoke Billy, made a run for the
door intending To escape. MIR. Eby,
however, grapplcd with him as he pas
sed, and Red Moor struck a furious blow
at the wrctch's head with Colts
pistol. The first blow fell on Eby'S
hand nearly crushing it. The second
was delivered with better effect just as
the door was reached and he fell into
the arms of John L. Code. the sheriff,
who was Just rushing in, having heard
the shot. The prisoner WAS then taken
down to Pat MctIugl's place and bound.
The news spread rapidly, and the people
seemed to be in a state of more than or
dinary Indignation. Code feared an at
tempt to lynch his man, and according
~ kept him at Pat McIIugh' until the
crowd had dispersed The lights were
then put out, and he waited about an
hour after that before he attempted to
remove his prisoner to his cabin, the
all Icing in no condition 10 put priS-
oner in. He then started out the back
door, having with him as deputies Frank
Peters, Wm. Quinn and Pat Mcllugh.
They had their prisoner bound tightly,
and were consequently obliged to carry
him Arriving ut the door of ode's
cabin they were entering with ao much
haste as possible, when the avengers
Sprang uut from the side of the building
and from every possible place of con
cealment, and before CODE could say Il
word some half lozcn disguised men
were sitting down on him AMI as many
more on his assistants while the pris-
oncr was spinning towards the nearest
tree as rapidly rs twenty men could
haul him. Code and his men were
thrust into the cabin, and what then &C
Cured can only cleaned by the after
discoveries.
Code soon came up Main street and
procured the assistance of the coroler
and one or two others. They followed
the tracks over 70 the edge of the timber
across French creek. where they found
Ely Sperkcd Billy dangling from IA
pine tree. and no evidence Of any living
human being around. Judge Lynch
had executed his inexorabe sentence
,levetiv. ana secretly. ely Specked
Billy" with his hands warm with the
blood of his inotIrnding victim, had paid
The penalty and his soul, if such as he
have souls. had fled to the tortures of
an eternity of punishment. The body
was cut down and brought into town.
40 noise was heard and but few were
awakened while any portion of the
double tragedy was being enacted.
Great was the ollrpri," of the citizens
on awakening Monday morning, to learn
that Il highly respected man had been
shot down in cold blood. and that the
foul murderer was laying cold and stiff
at the feet of his victim.
The coroner's jury, composed of Odo
Recdcr, A. I. Fcay, and Tom Wheeler,
viewed both bodies on Monday and
eli lied the following testimony. in the
inquest held on the body of Abram
Barnes.
J. L. Altafcr sworn and testified:
have known Barnes four or five years
saw the shooting. do not know of
any previous trouble between Barnes
and the man called Fly Specked Billy
Barnes was playing billiards with Mr.
league. The man who did the shooting
was Nonrishing lis revolver around very
cawlesslv. He went outside and fired
two or three shots, then caine inside and
asked several men up to take drink.
He kept looking around as if watching
some one. don't know who. He said /:
rs there any body here know" He
went up to Mr.. Barnes, caught him by
the shoulder and shot him. Barn $
rceled towards the door and said "Oh,
am shot" He just after that said to
me, Perry, am dead"
Doctor ID. w. Flick being sworn testi-
fed that he was called to attend man
| who had been shot. Found the man
had received a mortal wound and was
dying. The ball had entered about an
inch above riNh' nipple in a diagonal
course, through lhc apex of right lung.
| Judged from the .mGInt of hemOrrhage
| it had cut off a sc lion of the pulmonary
artery. 1t was gin.shot injury, or of
pistol of large size calibre. In answer
to the jury witness said, there was no
question but that the wound was mortal
and caused the death of Mr.. Barnes.
H. Moore being sworn testified
that he was present at the shooting OF
! Abram Barnes, on the night Of Febru-
ary 9th Barnes was playing billiards
Saw man fourishing IA six-.hooter
Tried to get up to him, with intention OF
slencing him one way or other. but he
kept turning around SO it was impossible
to get up behind him. He dropped his
l-.k