Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-07-19
THE STURMER SHOOTING.
The Story Of the Affair a. Told BY the Man who
Fired the Shot.-A Strong Letter From
the Meshsf or the Wounded Nan.

Evans, who was one OF the active par
Elephants in in the recent shooting af-
| fray at Beetown. Mr.. Evans was seen
by HERALD man and conversed free
ly in relation to the trouble and its
causes. After referring to early mat
tiers where both families had been quite
friendly Mr. Evans said: IA number
of year ago Ilived by this boy and his
folks and he came to be man grown.
He came to me and said they had turn
ed him out of doors. took him and
he was around there a good deal. This
seemed to displease. Sturmer's people,
though they sent for my wife after that
to nurse sick child. The first l heard
of any stories about my wife was from
herself She told me one day that
Sturmer's people were talking about
her and she believed John did too.
found John and took him down there
with me and he denied having said any
thing, but his folks said he had. This
made me angry and perhaps l talked
pretty rough and said some hard things
They accused Inc of saying some things
and talked hard. Mr.. Sturmer and his
wife and son were there and we had
quite quarrel, and ever after that
John Sturmer has been threatening
me. There is a man, now absent in
the west, whom he told he would kill
me. before any shooting took place.
He went away directly after that, to
Missouri l understood. He came back
and crossed the ferry at Cassville and
came to Beetown. where he staid about
twenty minutes and then came over in
my yard and commenced quarrelling
with me on this same subject, what
had said about his folks. / was cut
ting wood on log in front of the
door, and dropped my Ak to put him
out OF the yard, and as 1 started he pull
cd revolver from his coat pocket and
commenced firing, and fired two shots,
one striking me in the knee. fell and
pearly bled to death. l was carried in
to the house and he told my wife he
wanted to get in and finish me. He
was sent up to Waupun for this as you
know.
when he came home from prison,
understood he made promises to behave,
and l heard he said he was willing to
work twelve years to make it straight.
Some said had better have no trouble
with him, and told them would be
careful what l said about home. About
New Years he commenced the same
old abuse again, talking about my wife;
and every time he has been drunk, it
has been the same since. After that,
he got drunk again, along in the spring,
some two months ago or more. didn't
know anything about it, nor my wife,
at first. My wife was sewing for fam
lily there, and was up at my shop, try
ing to shave some hoops, and only my
daughter, girl about fourteen, was at
home. She came up where / was, and
said Sturmer was down town drunk,
telling stories about my wife. / went
home, and then went down to get my
wife. Sturmer came up to the house,
where We We're; and. as the door was
part glass, we could see him leaning
against the gate, with his hand on his
revolver. The neighbors wouldn't let
my wife go home that night, but in
sisted on her staying there, which she
did, and | went home and staid
that night. After that Sturmer went
away, and staid awhile Then he came
back, and said he would behave. Then
he commenced the same abuse of my
wife again, and passed my house three
or four times in day.
ION the fourth of July, he followed
me and my wife about all day, and af-
ter the fourth he followed her into a
house, where she was. She told him to
| go home; but he told her that was not
her house, and she came home The
next day he pretended to be drunk, but
was not so drunk as he made out. He
paced up and down before my house,
and looked in three times-one time
with big, hickory club in his hand.
The last time he came up, he gave n
yell like an Indian, and said, I'm your
man, you s. Of -, and I'll have
it out with you,' and started in. He
had hickory club in his hand, and mis-
hand in his coat pocket; and / shot him.
When he was picked up, he had his re-
volver in his pocket; the same one he
shot me with four years ago. / believed
he was coming in the house to kill me,
as he had threatened me down town y
Those stories you speak of were in
regard to the alleged intimacy of Stur-
mer and your wife?"
Yes. but have every confidence in
my wife. She has pulled me through
twice when was almost dead, and
believe have right to feel conf
dence in her. | have suffered every
thing from this leg of minc At one
time it was twenty-one and half
inches around, but with assistance we
have managed to pull through"
Mr.. Evans is tall, ruggedly built
man, with grey hair and an iron grey
moustache shading strong but pleas
ant face. He is obliged TO walk with a
cane owing to his injured limb, which is
double the size of an ordinary limb. He
has every appearance of having been a
great sufferer from his wound.
In his speech he is quiet but decided
expressing himself freely and with ease.
He was accompanied by his brother,
who resides in the north part of the
state.
In order to do equal justice to all,
the following plea in abatement of
public opinion, from the mother of the
wounded man, is published. 1t was
brought up by MIR. Sturmer Tuesday.
who said that at thar time the doctors
felt somewhat encouraged in regard to
his sons recovery. although they could
not as yet speak positively. In regard