St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-04
BULLETS AND BLOOD.
Joe Jepson and Wilkes King
Engage in a Personal
Encounter.
Joe Fired First, Then King
GrappIed and jos
May Die.
Newly Elected and Appointed
City Officials Get Down
to Work.
Annual Meetings OF Library
Board and Court House
Commission.

Joseph Jepson. the erstwhIle politician
and cigar salesman, met with serious
reverses last night and the result is
hard TO determine at the present time.
lie lies Oh cot in ST. Mary's hospital
and the doctors of the institution have
not decided whether he will live or die,
JepsOn come in contact with Wilkes
King. the eX-detective. King is a bad
man to tackle under any circumstances,
and Jepson, for one, realizes the fact.
Shortly before o'clock last night
King, together with several aquaint-
ances, stood drinking at the bar OF the
Continental. on East Fourth street.
They were discussing the change of
municipal authority and were in some
what heated argument, when JepsOn
came into the saloon and intruded
his presence upon the little party. He
remarked. in his usual loud tone of
voice, that he was personally responible
for the retirement of Henderson from
the Office of superintendent of
police and also for the de-
feat of Dwyer. for alderman, in the
Tenth ward. JepsOn was drunk; so
King and the others allowed him to talk
on his rambling way. He made some
remark, Insulting King, in a few mo-
ments. however, and the eX-deteetiye
promptly pitched into him. lie hiI Jep-
son several hard rap5 in the face, and
only stopped when the erstwhile poll
tician begged for mercy. The affair
created quite a stir in the saloon, and
call was made for the police, but JepsOn
walked out and King took a seat in the
restaurant, which apparently settled
matters.
About 7:3O o'clock Jepson rushed
into Tom O'Connor's place on Nicolet
avenue and asked for King. JepsOn
was very much excited and kept his
hand tightly clutched upon some object
in his oyercoat pocket, which turned
out 10 be a revolver. When informed
that King had not been seen, Jep5On
rushed around to various saloons
in search of the man VINO had humil-
lated him before a house full of ac
quaintances. He finally found him
in SaWyeT's saloon at 5I475 NicOllet av-
euue. King was standing in front of
the bar cOnVersing with q. &. Durgin.
OF Grand Rapids, Mich, and &. Well
and w. l. Thompson. JepSOn rushed
upon him and commenced firing his re-
yOlver. Two of the bullets went into
the furniture. and then the men
cinched. JepsOn still had the revolver,
and, pressing it against Kings left
shoulder he pulled the trigger. The
bullet glanced OFF, leaving only burned
spot on the coat and slight dIScOlOTa-
ton of The skin.
Then King secured possession of the
revolver and pushed The barrel into
JepsOn's right eye. The barrel passed
by the side of the eyeDall and pene-
trated almost an inch beyond the
socket JepSOn still fought, and King
struck him over the head with the butt
end OF the revolver. nearly cracking the
skull. The weapon was also discharged,
and the bullet, it was thought at the
time, landed somewhere i'll Jepson's
body. 1t could not be found. however,
50 il is supposed to have lodged in the
wall of the saloon. The cOmbatants
we're finally separated. and King walked
toward police headquarters. He
was met by Inspector Howard,
who. with Inspector HankinSOn, were
on the dead run for the saloon, where
the row was in progress. Howard took
the eX-detective to the central station
and locked him up. Hankinson secured
a hack and had JepSOn taken to the
station. He was more dead than alive.
and presented a CHASTITY appearance.
His face and clothing were covered
with blood. His eye bulged out, and
the blood ran down in a perfect stream.
The patrol wagon at once took him to
St. Mary's hospital.
The walls, furniture. and even glasses
in the saloon where the disturbance Oc-
Cured were besmeared with Jepson's
gore, and the proprietor. MI. Sawyer.
found it necessary to make change of
linen, because OF the crimson stains on
his shirt front. When the firing began
the saloon was crowded with men. A
second later there was not soul in
sight, save the, cOmbatants and the pro-
prietOr. 4 crowd gathered on the out
side, and the doors had to be locked to
keep the curious away.
The physicians at the hospital stated
late last night that it was impossible TO
tell exactly how badly JepSOn was in
jured They considered. however, the
Wounds very serious, and under certain
circumstances might prove fatal. When
King was locked up in Cell No. he
cried like a boy.