The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-10-15
COMMISSIONER ARMSTRONG UPON
FREIGHT DiSCRlMiNATIONS.-VAN-
DERslLT'S DENIAL OF GER
TAIN OBJECTIONABLE
ASSERTIONS.
THURLOW WEED GRADUALLY SINKING.
AN ARREST WHICH DIDN'T CATCH
GOV. TABOR.-DRESSED
BEEF.
The SIayhack Affair

GuIu0 anu lClOI l.. NOiC tO-i'ShS
MADE a statement as to what occurred
in the room where the shooting TOOK
place. They say in substance.that Stay
back, on entering the room, threw his
coat back, drew u revolver, and advanc-
Jig said: "Well, I'm here, sir" Then
observing 3 weapon on Cockereli's
desk, asked: ''Is that for me?" To
which Cockerell replied: mo, it il for
use only to defend myself" SlaybaCk
then said: You are prepared TO draw,
then draw Cockerell answered: Il
don't have to draw; l don't want to
draw; 60 away from here; | don't want
to have anything to do with you"
Slayback and Clopton meantime pressed
forward and crowded Cockerell against
the wall. Then they all got into a sort
of a tussel, each having a hold of the
other, Cockerell being the most crowd
ed. The latter asked McGuiin to take
Slayback's pistol from him, and while
attempting to do So, the weapon was
discharged and S~layback staggered n
sank to the floor.
McGumn obtained Slayback's pistol
and has it. Clopten, who accompanied
Slayback to the office, states: " was
at Slayback's request in his company.
He said he would slap the editors lace
and then demand an apology Tor the
article published" Clopten did not
reach the editorial room quite as soon
as Slayback. On entering the room
he heard Slayback say: Don't you
draw that pistol on mr Simultan-
eously Cockerell fred" Clopten says
that it was after this that he caught
Cockerell's arm to prevent him from
shooting again, and forced him back
against the wall, holding him till he
saw Slayback was shot, when he went
to the l~atter's assistance. AS far as he
knows, Slayback did not attack Cock
erell until after the latter fired, nor
show any pistol.
1t is understood that Cockerell has
been in consultation with his counsel
all night, and has decided to surrender
himself to the authorities.
In the post mortem examination this
afternoon VIM. II. Clopten, who was
with Col. Slayback, testified positively
that Slayback was not armed, and was
shot while taking off his coat. Both
John McGufin and Victor Cole testified
emphatically that Slayback drew a re-
yolyer when he entered the room, ana
advanced on Cockerell, pointing the
pistol at him. Their story did not diff
fer from previous. strtements. Nc
Guhin took Slayback's pistol and with
it compelled Clopten to keep his hands
off of Cockerell. He produced the pis-
tol, a pe~arl-handled British bull dog.
The jury's verdict merely recited the
method of Slayback's death.
At the inquest Col. CockereI read a
statement under oath, the substance OF
which is, that at the reception rooms
of the Elks club, of which Cockerell Is
president, and Slayback was a member,
on the night of September 3Oth Col.
Slayback was In the reception room
and used violent language towards the
Post Despatch. charging its editor with
being a blackmailer, and making serious
charges against the paper. Later in
the evening Cockerell invited Slayback
into the library DON and asked II he
intended to apply the term blackmailer
to him, He answered that he did not,
but entered upon another TRADE Of
abuse against the paper; then suddenly
closing and lecking the door of the
room, he said to Cockerell: You
have brought me here to bulldoZe
me, and now we are alone and
man TO man. 1 tell you il the Post
Despatch ever attacks me or assails my
character, ] will go to your office and
kill you. l will take the life of any
man who employs a newspaperto abuse
and injure me" He spoke of his part
ner, Mr.. Broadhead, who is a candidate
for in the Ninth district and
the charges that have been made
against him, repeating several times
that he would shoot anybody who
would publish such things of him. lie
further said that Cockerell would be
held TO account for the course of the
paper, and declared that before the
campaign was over he (Slayback) would
go on the stump and from house to
house and denounce the Post-D Despatch
and break up its business. Cockerell
assured he had no intent to bully him;
that he had simply asked for an eX-
PLANTATION that was due him; that be
entertained only friendly feelings for
him; that he had never written a line
against him, and hoped that he
never would. After some further
conversation, Slayback became quiet,
they shook hands, went into another
room, drank together and parted in the
most cordial way. Col. Cockerell then
said that, from the malignant attack
made upon the Post-D Despatch by Stay
back at the political meeting Friday
night, he was satisfied that he intended
+ o execute the threat he had made to
denounce the paper from the stump.