Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-15
NEITHER SERIOUSLY HURT.

Riverside park was the scene yesterday
afternoon of what might have been a more
serious alteration, but for the prompt in
tervention of friends of the parties inter-
ested. 2 AS it was, the ARRAY was not an eli
tirely bloodleSs one, both of those who took
part in it being slightly wounded. The
participants were j. Y. Baker, who runs
the merry-go-round on the corner of Twelfth
and Main, and Ollie Bowles, the owner of a
dairy farm on the edge of town. Baker
was shot in the large toe on the outer side,
the ball just entering enough to break the
skin, and Bowles was shot in the head, a
scalp wound only.
A GAZETTE reporter called on Baker at
the Jail, where he was waiting till bond
could be filled ont, and got from him sub
stantially the following statement as TO the
cause of the difficulty:
For some time past Bowles has been a
frequenter of the merry-go- aroundin COM
pany with little girl, his niece, who was
in the habit of going to the merrygo-round,
riding for awhile and then referring the
owner, Mr.. Baker, to her uncle, Mr..
B0wles, for payment. He always paid the
aInount, but the last evening when Baker
applied for payment for the rides of the
little girl, BowIes, he says, refused to pay,
saying that he had given her money with
which TO pay for her ride. Baker then
told Bowles he would give him the Is cents,
anu lLf ldlitr GtDlltu lClLlUS ulili W pig
the child off when she failed TO pay her
fare. This Baker said he would do, and
Bowles became very abusive, calling him,
Baker. a number of epithets that can
not be printed. Baker started back to
the buggy and Bowles arose and
drew gun. Baker stopped, turned round,
went for his revolver, about eighteen or
twenty Yards away, and when he returned
BOwles was gone. Baker, as he says, has
intended seeing Bowles and demanding an
apology for the abuse he received at his
hands, and yesterday at Riverside was the
first opportunity he had had. He straight
way accosted Bowles and demanded the
apology which he thought due him. This
Bowles refused to make, and asked Baker
wha; he would do about it. After some
further words of an angry nature, Baker
drew a six-shooter and striking Bowles on
the head knocked him down. He struck
him a second time and the pistol
went off. By this time Bowles
had drawn his gun, and Baker
caught his hand, holding it 50
as to keep the muZzle toward the ground.
Bowlos was struggling TO raise it and the
pistol was discharged twice, one shot
wounding Baker in the foot as above
stated. Baker claims that he had his
pistol free and ucould have killed Bowles
had he so desired, but only wished TO thrash
aim for the insults heaped,upor him. When
bGrh pistols had been discharged the crowd
rushed in and disarned both and separated
them When Bowles got free again he
started for Baker with a knife. Baker in
he meantime had gotten into Peyton Mad
dox's buggy in company with another man.
Bowles ran toward the buggy ard Baker
and his companion jumped out,
Baker taking the whip with him.
He struck Bowles over the head
with the whip but merely stunned him.
He was endeavoring to get out of Bowles'
way, being totally unarmed, when the
latter was caught and held. Chief
Maddox arrived a little later and arrested
both parties.
The above is substantially the statement
of Baker. Bowles was seen later, and his
statement corroborated that given by
Baker, except that he failed 10 mention the
episode about the little girl which happened
at at the merry round, he merely saying
that the cause of the difficulty was 4 per-
sonal matter between him and Baker.
Each man declares that he could have
killed. the other had he so desired, but in
the struggle was only trying to keep from
being the victim of the shots which were
fired.
The wounds of both parties are so slight
as not to prevent their appearing on the
street, and both were out soon after the
shooting.