Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-12

THE DAYS GOING.
sBLIND JACKv AGAIN MAKES a
FREAK TO GET EYEE WITH
GEOFF LAYELLE.

He Gets Hauled Up with y shot-Proceed-
ines of the City Council-A New Fire
Ordinance to be Drafted and Passed.
Yesterday morning about s o'clock the
good people who were ont that early were
treated co something OF an excitement at
the corner OF Academy and Park streets BY
an encounter between two men at that
point. The combatants proved to be
blind Jack, = Jack Mcconnell, and Thomas
Layelle. After a struggle for q few seconds,
Jack broke and run up Academy to Broad
way, down Broadway to Utah, and up
Utah towards Granite, pursued all the time
by Officer Meikleiohn. who had seen the
scufie from the City Hall and FASTENED to
the scene of the original encounter and
started after him as he an. Dave. how
ever, was
A BAD SECOND
in the race, as his legs are short, but his
wind was good. and al he ran, pistol in
hand, shouting, -"Stop, Jack, it's me.
Meikleiohn, stop, or I'll shoot the one
or two stragglers ON the street looked ON
in amazement, especially as the pursued
carried in his hand a large revolver, as well
Is the pursuer. When Jack had nearly
reached Granite, Dave must have been
somewhat tired between shouting and in
ming. and he took a shot, he claims, in the
air. The effect was not immediate, and
a second was fired somewhat lower, pass
ing near the shoulder OF the objective
point and lodging in the iamb OF the door
of the Office of Curtis & Majors, about
the bullet was sufficient, and Jack turned
and
STOOD AT BAY,
with pistol pointed, but the officer was
not to be bluffed out, and with bound or
two he was at the side of the fugitive, and
with a blow OF his gun knocked him down
and then disarmed and arrested him. A
citizen then came to the assistance Of the |
officer, and a procession was formed as
Citizen with Jack in charge in
front, and Meikleiohn, with a U in each
hand, bringing up the rear, n in this or
and without further incident. the sta
tion house was reached. The prisoner was
subsequently removed to the County Jail
and the case at ence laid before the grand
jury. which is in session, and which, during
the day, examined a number OF witnesses.
Up to the adjournment OF court no indict-
meme had been returned.
After the excitement OF the morning had |
subsidized inquiry was made and it was as
certained that the assault was q case OF
mistaken identity. As is well known in
Butte there has been
A FEUD EXISTING.
O'Donnell and Geoff Lavell on &C.
count of a mining suit in which the latter
the victor. At the time O'Donnell
,wore vengeance and more than a year ago
Mr.. Lavell but got the worst OF
,he encounter, and was at the time placed
a jail in default of bonds to keep the peace.
lie has been out for some time and has on
occasions renewed his threats. Yesterday
morning he seems to nave nerved himself
10 dr. something desperate. and took up
lis station in front of Strasburger's store,
ind his eyesight being very detective asked
i gentleman standing near by to tell him
when Geoff LaveIl came along On his way
breakfast. he evidently having ascer-
that it was customary for him to
walk home about that time. The gentle
nan supposing that ne wanted to see him
IN business glanced down the street and
eeing Taos. Lavell approaching said there
ONES one OF the Lavell's but l don'tknow
When he reached the point O'Don-
evidently not able to distinguish be-
ween the men
DREW A REVOLVER,
nd with an explanation was evidently
bout to shoot when his would-be victim
urned only to find the weapon at his
He quickly grasped it and a struggle
it's possession of a seconds duration
nsued during which the palm OF Mr.. Lavell's
land wal torn by the sharp point OF
he site on the barrel. In the brief struggle
)Donnell was the victor, but when he got
possession of the gun he must have dis
overed his mistake for he Immediately
and ran with the results above
tated.
There was on the streets yesterday some
criticism upon the conduct
the officer in firing the shots, but there
ire two sides to the question. AS a rule it
8 not only unsafe but wrong to use a
veapon except under the most trying cir.
Mr.. Meikleiohn, however,
tates that he refrained from using it until
le saw he had a fair field, there being no
me in sight, and the fugitive evidently get
ing the best Of the race. Further, he did
ct know whether Mr.. Lavell had been in
ured or not, and under the circumstances
le considers his act entirely iustifiable and
n the strict line OF his duty.
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