The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-07-12
SHOTWELLPEPPERED
Aged Geo. West Alleged to Have
Emptied a Barrel of His Gun.
DISPUTE OVER OWNERSHIP OF LAND.
One Fourth of July Morning Shooting
Which Was Not Dawn on the Bills
ShOtwell not Dangerously Injured
West Released on Heavy all.
SUDDEN ANGER.


George West, aged 80 years and one
of Ottawa's oldest residents, is alleged
to have shot and painfully wounded
BENJAMIN Shotwell at the west side
ravine at about $50 o'clock Fourth Of
July morning.
Shotwell was mailing up hole in
the line fence separating the property
owned by William Raymond from that
rented by himself and was standing
within few feet of the ravine when
he felt singing sensation on his
back and shoulder and heard the re-
port of gun. He fell to the ground
and called for assistance. He was
taken into the house where his injur-
les were examined by DR.. Dyer, who
pronounced them quite serious but
not necessarily dangerous.
The police were notified and MIR.
Shotwell stated that while he did not
see his asSailant he was quite certain
that the shooting had been done by
George West, his neghbOr, living on
the other side of the ravine.
When asked why he was so certain
that Mr.. West did the shooting, MIR.
ShOtwell stated that Mr.. West and he
had had numerous disputes over the
ownership of that portion Of the Coles
property lying north Of the ravine.
When he (Shotwell rented the prop
erty from Mrs. O'Neil, the present
owner, he had been told that he was
entitled to use all north of the ravlne.
Mr. West. who owns the lot south OF
the ravine, had claimed to own north
of the ravine and four feet north OF his
(ShOtwell's) barn. They had had hot
words over the matter and West had
threatened to make him suffer if he
did not keep away from the barn and
ravine and remove his horses from the
barn. He paid no attention TO the
matter and went out to fix the fence,
thus getting shot.
The police went to Mr.. Vests house
and finding that he had just left for
town, secured his gun and followed
him. One barrel of the gun had re.
Gently been discharged and the other
was yet loaded. Mr.. West was arrest
ed and placed in Jail, where he remain
ed until I o'clock last evening, when
his attorney, M. II. MOlOney, got out
writ OF habeas corpus before Squire
Bane, and he was released, under 81, 800
bail. Alfred White and Michael
Formulas signing the bond.
The records in the recorders office
show that Mr.. West purchased from
the heirs of Nicholas Matthias what
he supposed to be all of lot 3, in out lot
10, subdivision of the S. W. of sec. II,
OTTAWA, but the record also shows that
the north half of this lot did not be-
long to the Matthias heirs but to Mrs.
ONeil. Some twenty or more years
ago Nicholas Matthias, who was kill
ed on the G. b. %. railroad some time
ago, sold the north half of lot 3 to
Emory Lyons, making the ravine the
dividing line Lyons transferred 1t to
DR.. Coles, and upon his death, hswid-
ow sold it to Mrs. O'Neil, of Chicago,
of whom it was rented by Shotwell.
together with lot IS, upon which the
Coles house stands. Mr.. West was de-
ceived in his purchase and, of course,
supposed that Mr.. ShOtwell was tres
passing on his property.
Mr.. West had had his property sur
veyed. and, according to his deed.
found that the barn was on his prop
erty. He may have been influenced
to do the shooting, If he did do 1T, by
the answer of a certain gentleman OF
whom he asked what he the gentle
man would do about ShOtwell'S al
legged trespasS. The gentleman said:
why, I'd get a wide bellied shot
gun and fill his pants full OF mustard
seed shot :"
The police are certain that Mr.. West
did the shooting, and his friends ad-
nit it, though Mr.. West claims that
he did not do it.
Mr.. Shotwell is resting easily and it
result fatally.