The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-07-13
A COLORADO COUNTY SEAT rsuD.
A Remarkable Plot and ssassinatirn.

SoLOkADO COuNTI SEAT FEIDs
A Remarkable Plot and Assassination.
DENVER, Colorado, July 5.-This city
was terribly excited over the startling news,
received last night, that two of the Grant
County Commissioners had been sho; and
killed and the either Commissioner and the
County Clerk MORALLY wounded, by mask
ed men. The trouble that led to the shaot.
ing Is the result Of an old feud, dating back
to 1879, when the County was created by m
act Of the Legislature, and the State House
located at Hot Sulphur Springs. At an cleo
ton held In 1880, the people, by q vote
changed the county seat to Grand Lake. The
matter was taken to the District Court, and
from there to the Supreme Court. Mean.
while, the bitter hatred existing between the
two factions was growing in Intensity, cul.
minating in yesterdays bloody work. Grant
County has three Commissioners. Barney
Day, L. L. Mills, and L p. Webber, \ ma.
.jority Of whom, Day and Mills, are IN favor
of declaring the vote illegal that created
Grand Lake The Couiny seat and removing
the records back to Hot Springs. Last Mon
day the Commissioners held regular meet
ing q. Grand Lake. Jus: what was done
then IL not positively known, hut It reported
that they decided to declare the Office of the
County Treasurer vacant because of his re-
fusal tn file satisfactory hoai. During the
meeting Day, Weber, aud the clerk, Dean,
stopped a: Mrs. Ynung's 30 ardins house, q
quarter OF a mile away, around tho end OF q
small lake, the rDad leading from Mrs
YounR's house To town through thieket OF
small pines. Yesterday morning just before
ten O'Clock two of the Commissioners, and
the clerk started from the house to 90 10 the
place of meeting aud finish up tho business
before finally adiourning. When about mid
way through the tbicket three men sprung
out of the bushes and commenced firing,
shooting them down almost inst an,ly. Be
fore the work had been done one of the
Commissioners returned tho FIRE, instantly
killing one of the assallants. The other two
masked men, thinking they had killed all
three Of the party, disappeared In the lush
es. When the startled citizens arrived al
the place of combat, q moment later, they
found Day dead and Weber and Dean NOR.
tally wounded. They tore the mask from
the other mans face and found thai hs was
Mills, the other County Commissioned The
other two assailants arc lot known. Suspi.
cion, however, rests on two noted depera-
does, Bill Redmond and Len Coffin. When
the news was brought to Hot Springs Il pro-
duced intense excitement. and shortly be
fore dark to night party Of twenty horse
men, we'll armed, left for Grand Lake and .
terrible fight is expected. Up to this hour
Go o'clock) no late news has been received
from The scsne Of the tragedy, as a couri- +,
riding fifty miles over the mountains Is the
only means Of communication.
DENVER. Jal, From a multitude Of
conflicting reports constantly being received
concerning the Grant. county tragedy, 1t is
difficult to get the real facts In the case; the
report, however, that body of twenty armed
men had left for Georgetown for the avowsd
purpose Of avenging the death of the victims
Is not entirely without foundation. Texas
Charley, who left the Springs with Fred
Dean for Grand Lake on Wednesday and re-
turned on Thursday, tells the following
story of the fight, which is deemed authen-
tic: Day, Weber and Dean left Mrs. Youngs
: boarding house for the town, and wheb
about twenty five PAGES from the house were
passing q lot of pines and rock, WeJer walk
ing about thirty feet behind Dean and Day.
! Four masked men jumped out from behind
the rocks and pines and shot Weber In the
back, just above the hips, the ball passing
through his body. Weber cried III arn shot
and ran toward Day and Dean, and fell be-
fore them. The leader Of the masked party
Mills, then sprang on Dean, knocking hin
down, and began pounding him over the head
with bis gun. Day drew his revolver aI,,,
shot Mills behind the ear, the powder from,
the pistol burning his hair; Mills fell On top
Of Dean. As soon as Day sho. the man b.
ran back toward Mrs. Youngs Ice house,
when some masked men came up behind
him. Day shot at them and II Is believe
wounded one Of them. A shot from behind
struck Day and the balls passed through hi,
body and head. H ran about fifteen steps
and fell dead in the path. Weber was un-
conscious after falling, and at 1880 the same
night was dying. His last words were,
"Pour some water on my wounds" Web.
er's and Days bodies were taken TO Weber's
ranch ON the F,azer, from wh-nce Ds, B
body was taken to the Springs, where 1t will
be- buried. Mills will be buried at Grand
Lake. Dean Is at Grand Lake and was alive
al last accounts. Coffin, Martin, and VIM.
Redmond, supposed TO. be of the attacking
party, have SO far eluded arrest. The last
named beyond doubt is dangerously wounded.
Sheriff Raye-, Of Grand county, Is at Grand
Laks, and important arrests are looked for;
aud, while tho whole county is intensely e.
cited, no violence Is anticipated.