Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-03-25
COLD-BLOODED MURDER.

paper contained an account about like
this
CoLD-BLooDED MURDER.
Yesterday, between twelve and one
o'clock, in front of this Office, on Sec
ond street, James McKeon, in a man.
ner almost wholly unprovoked, shot
James Smith, commonly known as
Windy Smith. Smith died at two
o'clock this morning, of his wounds,
Windy Smith was not bad man, but,
as his nickname would imply, he was
kind of noisy, harmless fellow; and
McKeon, who is gambler and pro-
fessional bad man, can give no good
reason for the killing. There is de-
termined effort on foot to lynch the
murderer.
This account was brief, but it seem
ed to set forth the facts pretty clearly,
1 thought, and l felt considerably cha.
grined when / saw an account Of the
matter later on, as written up by the
prosecuting attorney. 1t may be in
accurate as to dates and some other
points of details, but, as nearly as !
can remember, his version of the mat.
ter was like this:
The TERRITORY OF WYOMING,
COUNTY OF ALBANY. co.
In Justices Court, before E. w. Nye,
Justice Of the Peace.
The Territory of Wyoming, plaintiff
VS.. James McKeon, defendant
Complaint.
The above named defendant, James
McKeon, is accused of the crime OF
murder, for that he, the said defan-
dant, James McKeon, at the town of
Laramie City, in the county of AL
bany and Territory of Wyoming, and
oh the 18th day of July, Ammo DOM
ini 1880, then and there, he, the said
defendant, James McKeon, did will
fully, maliciously, feloniously, wicked
ly, unlawfully, criminally, illegally,
unjustly, premeditately, ceolly, and
murderously, by means of certain
deadly weapon commonly called a
Smith & Wesson revolver, or revolv-
ing pistol, so constructed as to revolve
upon itself and to be discharged by
means of a spring and hammer, and
with six chambers thereto, and known
commonly as a self-cocker, the same
loaded with gunpowder and leaden
bullets, and in the hands of him the
said defendant, James McKeon, level
at, to, upon, by, contiguous to, and
against the body of one James Smith,
commonly called Windy Smith, in
the peace of the commonwealth then
and there being, and that by means
of said deadly weapon commonly call
ed Smith & Wesson revolver, or re.
volving pistol, so constructed as to
revolve upon itself and to be dis
charged by means of spring and
hammer, and with six chambers there
to, and known commonly as a self
cocker, the same loaded with gunpow-
der and leaden bullets, and in the
hands of him, the said defendant,
James McKeon, held at, to, upon, by,
contiguous to, and against the body
the said James McKeon, did willfully,
maliciously, feloniously, brutally, un-
justly, premeditately, coolly, and mur-
derously, Of his malice aforethought
with his deadly weapon aforesaid held
in the right hand of him, the said de-
fendant, James McKeon, to, at, against,
ETC., the body of him, the said James
Smith, commonly called Windy Smith,
he, said defendant, James McKeon,
at the said town OF Laramie City, in
the said county of Albany, and in the
heretofore enumerated Territory of
Wyoming, and on the herein before
mentioned 18th day Of July, Ammo
Domini 1880. did infict, to, at, upon,
by, contiguous to, adjacent to, adjoin-
ing, over, and against the body of
him, the said James Smith, common
ly called Windy Smith, one certain
deadly, mortal, dangerous, and pain
ful wound, to-wit: Over against, to,
at, by, upon, contiguous to, near, ad-
jacent to, and bisecting the intestines
of him, the said James Smith, CON-
monty called Windy Smith, did in
great agony linger, and lingering did
die, on the .14th day of July, Ammo
Domini 1880, at two o'clock in the
forenoon of said day, contrary to the
statues in such case made and provid-
ed, and against the peace and dignity
of the Territory of Wyoming.
/ am now convinced that although
the published account was correct, it
was not as full as it might have been.
Perhaps the tendency of modern
journalism is to epitomize too much.
In the hurry of daily newspaper work
and the press Of matter upon our
pages, very likely we are fatally brief
and sacrifice rhetorical beauty to nak-
ed goose-pimply facts.-Bill Nye in
the Detroit Free Press.
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