Idaho weekly keystone. (Ketchum, Idaho) 1884-1884, 1884-09-13
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY



to be Burt Beer and Martin Kehoe, (
boarded Conductor Lanes train on the 4
Oregon Short Line, at Pocatello. They /,
had neither tickets nor money to pay 4
fare. They wanted him to carry them
to Shoshone He told them that he I
orders; that lie had no discretion in the
matter and that they would have to get
off at the next station, Michaud. They
insisted on being carried as far as Amer.
lean Falls any how, but Conductor Lane
told them positively he could not take
them, and arriving at Michaud, pro-
ceeded to eject them from the train.
Thereupon Kehoe said to his partner,
f'shall we make fight at the same time
exhibiting the butt end of a revolver
that he had on his person. Lane told
them, however, that there was no kind
of a fight they could make that would
compel him to carry them further.
I Finding further resistance useless; they
/ got of the train, one of them remarking
to the conductor, ''you s-of-a-b--h,
well Ak you for this"
They walked to American Fails that
night Cond. Lane telegraphing the
facts to Superintendent Blickensderfer,
he made complaint before Justice
Thompson, at Pocatello, who issued a
warrant for their arrest and placed it in
the hands of Deputy Sheriff e. H. Van
Rypen, for service. Proceeding to
American Fails ON Sunday morning, the
officer found the parties behind the
company's tool house, and sought to ar
rest them. They refused to submit to
his authority, and Van Rypen being
alone, started for the depot for a posse
to aid him in making the arrest. In the
meantime the two men started west
along the track, but Just before they
reached the river. they. took to the wag-
on rs al, and getting on a passing wagon
going down to the river, as Beer alleges,
!, to the placer diggings, to procure work.
, Tie officer and his posse overhauled the
men about five miles from the station
: they having short time before left tbs
t wagon, and ordered them TO halt. Thi,
, they failed to do, and started on the run
Van Rypen repeated his order to surTen
der. and they refusing to do so. the OIL
Ger ordered .Iis posse 10 open fire oI
| them, and at the third yoIley, bulle
, from one of the guns struck KehOe above
the knee ON the left leg, breaking it, auC
{, bringing him to the ground. Beer step
ped up to him, and asked him If he wa
hit, he said lie was, and as testified t,
by Beer, reached out his hand saying
:, Burt, can't stand this; good bye,
n and before Beer could comprehend hi
: meaning, or realize what his intention
/, were, Kehoe placed the muzzle of hi
own revolver to his head, which he hel
q in his hand at the time he fell, and de
d literateIy took his own life.
: The body of Kehoe- was conveyed I
i the depot at American Falls, and theme
& to Poeatelio by Especial, which was sci
!" down for that purpose, arriving at Poe
u tello about P. VI. Sunday evening.
On Monday morning an inquest wa
held by Justice Thompson, acting corr
:, ner, in the hearing of which the fac
above related were substantially elici
ed. The verdict of the jury being
the effect that the deceased came to h
- death by shot fred from pistol in h
own hands.
The defendant Beer, whose escal
from death WAS almost miraculous,
Kehoe YVES in advance of him when
er fell, and the Sheriffs posse in line
m the rear during the shooting, was I
at Monday morning arraigned before Ju
tice Thompson on charge of exhibi
Ia ing n deadly weapon. and upon hes
o. ing of the evidence was sentenced
ii three months imprisonment in the cou
I. ty Jail.
lin There would seem to be, from t
ce surrounding circumstances, aside fre
W the mere wound which Kehoe receiv
'e- in the leg, mystery connected with
motive which prompted him to take
IL own life, which may be cleared up hel
,y. after. The two men were comparati
m strangers TO eaehother, having met /
ICE about week previous to the killing.
There is. as We are informed, CO
er- siderable quiet feeling manifested at
wn catello over the unfortunate affair, a
be public opinion is somewhat divided
at upon whom should rest the responsit
ity of the fearful tragedy,--Idaho II
M aid.