Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-07-12
THE COLORADO IRA GEDY.
Which, Resulted IN the Murder Of T..
r. Weber, and Others.

Telegraphic reports in the Chicago
dailies was the first and only news
that reached this place of the Col
oradoassassination which terminated
the active career of former and
we'll known citizen, K. r. Webber.
1t appears that Mr. Webber was one
of the commissioners of Grand
county who had under consideration
the removal of the county seat from
Sulphur Springs to Grand Lake.
The question had been agitated for
a year or two, and bred much hard
feelings among leading men of the
county. About the first Of the pres
ent year one of the commissioners
having resigned, Webber was APP
pointed in his stead by the Cover
nor, in accordance with a petition.
A meeting of the commissioners
was held in February and from chat
time on excitement was at a white
heat, and threats surrounded the
commissioners on every hand. An.
other meeting of this board was
called for Monday, July ID, at Grand
Lake. They met and transacted
business which occupied Monday
and Tuesday, but just what was
done is not known to us. On We'd
nesday morning while commission
ers Webber, Day and the clerk, a
Mr.. Dean, were on their way TO con-
tiuuc the meeting, and when going
from Mrs. Young's boarding house
to the town along the side Of the
lake, and near brush and not far
from town, four masked men jumped
out from the brush and ordered the
Weber party to hold up their hands.
They did SO, and the leader of the
masked party advanced toward Web
Der with rope. Barney Day, whose
hands We're up, Immediately drop
ped his hand, and quick as flash
pulled his revolver and shot the
masked leader dead. The whole
party then began firing, aud quicker
than it takes TO tell this, Day, Dean
aud Webber were shot down, and
the other three masked men made
off through the woods, having hors.
es near by, The shooting attracted
attention in the town, and large
crowd were soon on the spot But
nothing could be seen but Webber,
Day, Dean and one masked man
lying in pools of blood by the edge
of the lake near the timber. Barney
Day was dead Captain Dean was
still alive, with bullet hole through
his left lung and one in the hip.
Webber was alive, though uncon-
scious; shot through the head, The
masked man was dead, with q bullet
hole through his head, The mask
was removed, and the face of com.
missioner NJ. J Mills appeared be-
meath it. | is believed that one Of
the other masked men was wounded,
as he was tracked through the brush
for half a mile, though none OF them
was captured.
The bodies were taken into town.
The remains Of Day we're taken to
the Springs for burial. Webber to
his ranch on Frazer river, where he
died at o'clock the next morning.
Thursday the remains Of Mills were
buried at the lake. Dean is being
cared for at Grand Lake. The fact
that four masked men attacked the
party, and the leader advanced to-
ward Webber with a rope, and
Barney Day fired the first shot and
killed the leader, was given by
Dean, but nothing more, as DIR.
I1rcisius refused to allow him to
make a statement on account Of his
condition. Webber leaves n wife
and one child The Denver 7ri6une
comments on him thus ale was
young and energetic lawyer, who
was for FIVE years Assistant States
Attorney for the State of Illinois at
Chicago. lie became interested in
the Wolverine mine in Grand county
in 1880, and at the time of his death
held a controlling interest in it, and
was likewise its superintendent, in
addition to which he owned a large
amount Of real estate in and near
Grand Lake, He was a man gener-
ally well liked, and preferred the
law to violence in the settlement Of
any question, although he was by no
means a coward y
Mills, the traitor commissioner,
who acted as leader of the masked
men, was a man of unenviable rep
utation, being fugatiye from JUS
tice in Mississippi, where he com
mtted murder, but on some tech
nicality he escaped and made his
way west, and its unfortunate that
his wasn't the only life taken.
Mr.. Webber was well known and
respected in this city where he re-
sided for many years, and the news
Of his tragical and untimely death
will penetrate the people in general