Ketchum daily keystone. (Ketchum, Idaho) 1884-1884, 1884-09-07
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY
A Young Man Meets Death at his
Own Hands Near American Falls.

On last Saturday morning, two men,
whose names were subsequently, learned
to be Burt Beer and Martin Kehoe,
boarded Conductor Lanes trim on the
Oregon Short Line, at Pocutello. They
had neither tickets nor money to pay
fare. They wanted him to carry them
to Shoshone. He told them that he
orders; that he had no discretion in the
matter and that they would have to get |
off al the next station, Michaud. They |
insisted on being carried as far us Amer.
lean Falls any how, but Conductor Lame |
| told them positively he could not take |
them, and arriving at Nicbaud, pro
ceeded to eject them from the trnin i
Thereupon Kehoe said to his partner. |
''sliall we make fight at the same time |
exhibiting the butt emf Of revolver
that lie had on his person. Lane told
! them. however, that there WAS no kind
OF n fight they could make that would
compel him to carry them further.
Finding further resistance useless, they
! got off the train, one OF them remalking
to the conductor, lyon s--of-a-b--h.
well fix you for this"
| They walked to American Falls that
night. Cond. Lale telegraphing the
facts to Superintendent Blickensderfer,
! he made complaint before Justice
Thompson, at Pocateio, who issued
warrant for their arrest and placed it in
the hands of Deputy Sheriff G. H. yaa
Rypen, for service. Proceeding to
American Falls ON Sunday morning, the
officer found the parties behind tile
company's tool house, and sought to ar
rest th,m. They refused to submit 20
his authority, AMI Van Rypen being
alone, started for the depot for posse
to aid him in making the arrest. In the
meantime the two men started west
along the track, bnt inst before they
reached the river. they took TO the wag-
on r. ad. and getting on a passing wagon
going down to the river. as Beer alleges,
to the placer diggings, TO p ocure work.
The officer and his posse oyerhauled the
men about five miles from the station,
they having short time before lief. the
wagon. and ordered them to halt This
they failed to d., and started on the run
Van Rypen repeated his order to surren-
der, and they refusing TO do so, the off :
Ger ordered his | osse to- open fire on
them. and at the third volley. bullet
from one of the guns struck Kehoe above
the knee on the left leg. breaking it, and
bringing him to the ground. Beer step
hit, he said he WIS. and as testified to
by Beer. reached out his band SAYING.
Burt, can't stand this; good bye"
and before Beer could comprehend his
meaning. or realize what his intentions
were. Kehoe placed the muzzle of his
own revolver to his head, which he held
in his hand at the time he fell, and de-
liberately took his own life.
The body of Kehoe was conveyed to
the depot ut American Fails, and thence
to Poeatello by special, which was sent
down for that purpose, arriving Mt Poca-
tello about 4 p. NJ. Sunday evening
On Monday morning an inquest was
held by Justice Thompson. acting coro-
ner. in the hearing of which the facts
above related were substantially elicit
ed. The verdict of the jury being to
the effect that the deceased came TO his
death by shot fired from pistol in his
own hands
The defendant Beer, whose escape
from death was almost miraculous, as
Kehoe WIS in advance of him when he
fell, and the Sheriffs posse in line in
the rear during the shooting. was on
Monday morning arraigned before jus.
tice Thompson on charge of exhibit.
ing . deadly weapon, and upon hear.
ing of the evidence was sentenced tc
three mouths imprisonment in the conn-
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