Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1882-11-25
A Hard Hittsr.


One of those ainoa. Unaccointab,c
and exceptional accidents in which one
man is killed by a blow from another's
fist occurred at Lead City on last Fri
day, the participants being Tim Cole
man OF the Bull Dog ranch, one of the
best hearted men in the Hills, and Bax-
ter Hickland a rancher on the Belle
Fourch. The particulars of the affair
we take from the Democrat Of the Goth,
and as a majority of our readers are &C
quainted With Tim they will prove in
tercsting.
I'm our Issue Of Saturday the Demo-
crat published a short account Of an
affray at Lead City, wherein Tim Cole
man killed Baxter b. Hickland. Since
then all sorts of wild rumors have been
flying about. more or less improbable,
but we think the following statement
from John Dundon is the most correct
that has yet been given Of the too sad
affair. He said: Il was behind the
bar when Tim and Hickland am into
my place, both were very much under
the influence Of liquor. After talking
with all present they stepped to the bar
and called for a drink. Tim put a dol
lar on the counter and Hickland picked
it up and put it in his pocket. After
they had drank | asked IIickland to
give me the money. Then Tins atten-
ton for the first time was called to the
fact that Hickland had taken the money
and he asked him to give it up. After
q few words Hicklaud drew his hand
from his breeches pocket and said: 4
will give it to you, and struck at Tim.
At that Tim struck him and he stagger-
cd back. then as he rose Tim struck him
q secoud time and he fell near the door.
Bv this time | had cot around to where
the parties were and picked IIickland
up and carried him into the back room,
and then for the first time | saw that he
was dead. Of course, | was terrible ex-
cited and it WAS some time before | could
make any one really believe that lick
land was dead. When Tim found out
he had killed his friend | thought he
would 90 crazy. He was perfectly wild.
The officers arrived and Tim. n. once
gave himself up
This, we recprd &c, q true version OF
this sad ae.,srr.
"A ~coroner's jury was at once impan.
cllcd consisting Of Frank Abt, Lewis
Valentine and l.. e. Smith. who, after
the meeting adjourned until 10 o'clock
to-day, when they finished their ~investi
CATION and returned 4 sealed verdict.
A post nortem examination was held
by Drs. Dickinson, Gunsolly and Neil
who found that the right lung was badly
diseased and the kidneys in 4 very IN.
healthy condition. They decided thai
death was caused by c%oncussion Of the
brain, caused By the blow"
LATER.
The coroner's jury in the Colman,
Hickland case yesterday returned a yer
dict TO the effect that IIickland's deatF
was caused by a blow struck BY Tin
Coleman. and that they could find u,
excuse for the o~ifense. Following this
decision Colman was arraigned before
Justice IariIHer Tor preliminary acarlnc
in the matter. SO aS 10 ia bis bail. thc
i, examination before the magistrate was
postponed untii this morning Pioneer
All the evidence given before the cor
ner's jury showed that both Coleman
and iiickiand were friends that they
had been drinking and carolsing 70,
gether much Of the day, ana that the
death Of liickland was an accident. Tue
doctors who made the post mortenl
found the liver sud the kidneys Of the
deceased IN \ diseased condition from
the excessive use of o,cohoiic sti9nuie.!ts
and are OF the opinion that had Thee
organs, and the brain artery wGirh was
ruptured, been in a heal:hy otp.c death,
in nj. probabilities, would not have fol-
lowed the violence he received.