The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-25
MYSTERIOUS SHOOTING.
q. B. N0LL OF JOPLIN, MISSOURI,
SHOT THROUGH THE LUNG.
he Said He Was Assaulted by Two High
way Robbers on South Main Street,
but Little Bird Whispers That He
Shot Himself in a Room.
Over a Love Affair.

"A man was shot on South Main street."
said an excited Individual, running up TO
an EAGLE reporter last evening while the
golden streams of light from sinking
sun still ilIumined the western sky
That is all that WAS said. and the ex'
cited Individual hoped away further on
TO tell the tale to another listener.
Inquiry found that the man was
H. 3. Noll of Joplin, Mo-. merchant of
that place, and that he was then 1T the
city hospital with bullet hole through
his lung, and in a weak condition.
When the police sought him the
doctors said that they would allow no one
to see him before morning, and thus
every avenue to All intelligent inquiry into
the facts were shut.
When the affair was first heard of man
drove up South Main street in a buggy.
When he got to Harry street he met a. G.
Payne and to him he said "Mr. drive me
to doctors, l am shot" Payne hardly
believed him but the man unDuttoned his
coat and vest and showed him the bullet
hole in the under garments while the
blood was still streaming down his BODY
and oozing out through his shirt. The
wounded man was Fl. y. Noll
The story told by him was that he was
coming in from Goddard and that when
he arrived near English's park two men
who were sitting under a tree stepped into
the road before him. One Of them asked
him for chew OF tobacco and upon being
| told that he didn't chew the man raised
! concealed weapon and shot him. Accord
| ing to his story they went through him
and robbed him OF sS3
These are his main statements; they
may be true and they may be not Mon
day morning he hired livery rig at MIR.
Towards livery barn, stating that he
wanted to go to Goddard. Last night the
rig was returned and his statement was
that be was delayed longer than he ex-
pected. Others say that he was seen
Monday night riding with companion.
Still others say that the team was seen
hitched Monday afternoon before certain
Joint here in town. About noon Monday
he called at Chief Cones house, acting
strangely, and wanted the chief to do
some service for him connected with the
collection of debt that he alleged was
owing to him by man at Goddard
amounting to about $4,000. He said that
he came In from Goddard aud passed
over the Lawrence avenue bridge. That
is hardly probable, as he would necessarily
have to travel two miles south to do that.
When the team he was driving arrived at
the stable there was not particle of evil
dence abont them to indicate that he drove
that distance. When Mr.. Payne met him
his coat and vest were buttoned tightly
about him, a little attention to toilet that
he was unlikely to perform had he been
shot two or three blocks further south.
And then that story OF being robbed OF
SS3. The porter at his hotel says that his
finances were low, and porters are compe.
tent Judges of the condition of such men
as he is.
And again, he left word to everybody
that nothing should be said to the reporter:
about his being shot. This vas suspicious
for a man shot under such circumstance:
as he claims would have no reason to cour
secrecy. This naturally eXcites 1
reporters curiosity and Is an IN
ducement for him to go deeper
into the matter than he would otherwise
do. The result Of this further inquiry is
whisper That Noil shot himself in a room
, on account of some love affair, and tina
he went out, took the buggy and drove
! down Main street to be discovered IN orde
to shield the woman in the case.
When the report OF the shooting spread
accompanied by The story OF Noll. Their
was considerable excitement and Will
= the matter was somewhat singular, every
body took it for granted that his story WA
: true.