Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-09-30
THE FREE PRESS.
GRANGEVILLE. IDAHO.
FRIDAY, September 80. ls92
FATAL SHOOTING AFFR4 Y.
Price Y0ndeH Kills Nm. Cham
bers at Cottonwood, Sunday
Afternoon, Sept. 20.
YANDELL is DISCHARGED.


come of an old feud between the parties,
the particulars of which will be readily
recalled by readers Of the +. +.
Below we give the substance of the
testimony taken by coroner Bibby at
Cottonwood, on Monday, September 26
THE TESTIMONY.
Thos. Corum testified: Went TO the
brick yard about 5 o'clock Sunday after
noon, September %. Met Price Yam
dell. He asked me if was friend of
his. l asked why he wanted to know.
He said: "Those fellows have laid
plan to kill me. They stopped me on
The road and want me to fight it out
with Chambers" Asked me what to do.
Told him to go home. Said he wanted
to avoid Chambers. He got on his
horse and started home. When he had
gone about 100 yards Pickens Kissed at
him. Chambers came out with pistol
in his hand. Yandell turned around
and came up town. Chambers said
1--WE will follow the s. b and 40
him up" Pickens also said ave will
follow the So b. up there and
town and followed close behind. They
exchanged a pistol On the way up.
When got TO Cottonwood l told some
men sitting on the porch that thought
there would be shooting scrape and
we had better prevent it. They made
LIGHT of it. l then went to the saloon.
Chambers and Pickens were fixing
themselves at the hitching rack. Cham
bers left, followed by Pickens, and in
about two minutes Yandell followed
Pickens and Chambers nnhitched their
horses. Pickens mounted. Chambers
remained on the ground. just as Yam
dell came out to unhitch his horse
Chambers pulled his gun and laid 1t
ON his saddle. When he got on his
horse he put it in his right hand coat
pocket. When Yandel saw the pistol
he stepped back to the porch and drop
ped his bride rein. Pickens asked
Yapdell how he wanted to settle the
difference between him and Chambers.
Yandell asked him what business he
had to interfere; but said he was willing
to drop it and say no more about it.
Pickens then turned to Chambers
and asked him how he wanted to settle
It. Chambers said II have had it in
for the s. b for two years and
will do him up" At the same he un.
dertook to pull his gun, but Yandell
was too quick and fired first. Peter
johnson, deputy sheriff, then caught
Yandell and ran him into the saloon.
Pickens said to Chambers: Get down,
Bill; we will bust the door down and
kill the So B." lie then jump
ed from his horse and said to me: "hold
my horse while we kill the So b."
/ refused. lie then grabbed me by the
collar and ierked me to the ground. He
then went to the door of the saloon and
was met by Ben Gerding, the proprietor.
He pushed Gerding off he porch. Cham
bers then came to the door with his piss
tol in his hand. ] said: 'Bill, don't
shoot him" Chambers said: You dry
MP, or ! will drop you right there"
Then he stepped on the porch and Ger.
ding clinched him. They had a sort of
rough and tumble. Pickens ierked
Gerding away from Chambers, and az
soon as he was loose Chambers kicked
the door in and went In with his pistol
in his hand aud said: Il will kill the s.
- b -"
What happened inside l don't know.
heard five shots in rapid succession.
In about minute Yandell ran out
about 50 wards from he door and said :
ibid hit him2" He was arrested at
once by deputy sheriff Johnson.
Cross-examined by the jury andell
told me about thirty minutes before the
shooting that Pickens and Chambers
were forming a plan to kill him. call
Pickens an outlaw. He was with
Quantrell during the war. Have known
him in Oregon for years. He has the
reputation of being bad man. l was
not 40 Yards behind them when they
exchanged pistols. | did not think II
safe to enter the saloon. Deputy sheriff
johnson was in the saloon with Iandell
when Chambers kicked in the door.
Ben Gerding testified to Chambers
putting the revolver on his saddle as he
mounted, and afterwards attempting to
fire at Yandell. Johnson run Iandell
into the saloon. | shut the door and
Pickens forced it open. l grabbed him
and nut him out aud then closed the
door. Pickens and Chambers attempt
ed to force the door again. VIM. Heart
burg drove by at that moment and
Chambers pointed his gun at him and
told him to stop or he would kill him.
Chambers wanted TO get in the house,
Int stopped him and told him Yandell
was under arrest. He pointed his gun
into nv face and told me tn let him sc
or he would kill me. | did not let him
90 till Pickens pulled me away aud said
he would take the gun away IRON
Chambers, Before PickenS or | could
pet hold of Chambers he had burst the
door omen. He went in a few steps and
fired a shot and then another shot wat
fired and went by me. Before | coult
get hold of him they were shooting a
one another with johnson between
Three more shots were fred and tht
last shot dropped Chambers. Yandel
then ran out few yards and was Arrest
ed by johnson,
Cross ex.-Chatnbe beers had pistol il
his hand when he broke into the sa
loon. Pickens did not try to proven
Chambers from entering the saloon un
til he threatened to kill me.
+. +. Nuxol confirmed former evi
depce that Chambers laid his revolve
on his horses neck as he was mounting
Yandell united his horse and wen
backward few steps with his hand oil
his hip. Then | heard Pickens say
Boys. settle his and call it 'quare.
l.. w. johnson testified that Cham
bars got into a quarrel with NJ. Hanle!
nt the brick yard Sunday but 1t was set
tied some way. / went to the saloon
Pickens and Chambers were outside try
ing to monnt their horses / spoke L
them and they said they were goin
home. Yandeil was in the school an
said somethiny to me about shooting
I said nnonsense" Yandell and | Wen
out of the saloon and united his horse
chambers threw his pistol over his sad
die. Ylndell said: II have got no fire
arms, r lly, or | would mmodat
you Before / could interf-ro 1andel
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