Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1885-06-24
ATTEMPTED HOMICIDE,
THOMAS WEST SHOOTS AT ANGUS
McMASTERS.

Two Rifle Shots Fired, and No One Hit
How the Trouble Came About
Tho "Shootist'' Claims that His Boy
Has Been Swindled- Mr.. Harper's
Candid Statement.
About noon yesterday j. NJ. Harper
and Angus McMasters left this city in
a livery rig for the Bullwhacker mine,
in Bullwhacker gulch, off of Deer
creek, about II miles from HALEY.
After looking over the mine, and Civ.
ing instructions to Paul McMasters
and WilIiam Jones, the two men
working there, they started for Haley.
AS they got about half way down the
steep grade connecting the nine with
the gulch, they saw Thomas West
walking leisurely up the road with
rife resting on his left arm, his right
hand on the stock, close to the trigger.
As he advanced he looked Angus Nc.
Masters steadily in the eye and raised
the gun. The horses stopped, and
Mr.. West swung tho gun into posi-
ton with the evident intention of
shooting between the horses at Nc.
Masters. The latter exclaimed: "For
Gods sake, Mr.. West, don't shoot |!
Don't shoot!" and pulled the horses
heads right and left, to prevent Mr..
West from drawing bead on him.
Mr.. Harper jumped out on the near
side, ran to the front and grabbed for
the gun. Mr.. West saw the move,
and raised the gun out of reach with
both hands. AS he did so Mr.. Harp
er's left foot struck against bowlder,
and he fell at full length down the
steep grade with such force that be-
fore he stopped himself he had sus-
tained cut four inches long in the
palm Of his left hand, and a number
of other bruises and scratches on the
hands and left cheek. Serambling
up as best he could, Mr.. Harper
bounded down the hill like a deer,
crossed Deer creek into Wolftone
gulch, and assembled the mountain to
the Cyclops mine, from which point
he followed the Divide to Bullion.
MIR. M'MAsTERs SHOT AT.
While Mr.. West was raising his
gun out of Mr.. Harper's reach, Mr..
McMasters jumped out Of the buggy
and hid behind it. As Mr.. Harpe,
fell Mr.. West instantly raised his gun
and fired at McMasters, but missed
him. The latter left his hiding. place
and started to run up the hill toward
the mine. He had hardly taken g
half.dozen leaps when another shot
was fired, the bullet passing close by
McMasters's head, and the conclusion
throwing him down, shouting: "l'n
, shot; Pm gone" Mr.. McMasters
does not know how long he lay there
but he soon picked himself up, ane
ran up the grade, yelling "Murder
Murder!" and attracted the attention
of the men, who ran to him, when he
fell exhausted. For few monent
he was unable to speak, but finally
he said: "West has killed Harper
in the buggy-on the grade"
Mr.. Jones ran to the place indicat
ed, and found the team standing
Mr.. Harper's hat laying on the
ground, and no one in sight. H.
jumped into the buggy, and drove t.
! HALEY to secure physician and in
, form the Sheriff.
HOW THE NEWS WAS RECE1FED II
HALEY.
, AS the news spread IN town the cit
liens congregated in groups on Mai
street, to discuss the affair, and a!
t agreed that the occurrence woul
8 prove a serious blow to the country
r as Mr.. Harper had just succeeded il
. placing the property in Philadelphia