The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-11-24
William Smith Dying at Sacred
Heart Hospital.
BOTH MEN ARE WELL KNOWN
Mystcrlcus Crime of thu wealthy Little
Spokane Rancher-Arrested and
Taken to Prls.

drunken frenzy at fancied insult,
Adolph Selheim, the wealthy farmer
and owner of the beautiful Selheim
springs, shot and nearly killed William
Smith, a former empolye, at the bar
of the New Club saloon at Front
avenue and Washington street last
evening a few minutes after o'clock.
The bullet entered at the right side
of what is commonly called the Adams
apple" ranged around, and lodged dan
gerously near the spinal vertabrae. The
wounded man was Immediately taken
to the hospital, where County Physi-
clan Freeman dressed the injury. At
midnight he was resting easily and it
was thought he would recover.
A MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR.
The affair is shrouded in mystery.
There was no bitter quarrel leading up
to the shooting. Selheim and Smith
have heretofore been good friends, the
latter working on the formers ranch
during the summer and fall. They
come to town together last evening,
and were in each others company on
the street. Together they visited the
Club saloon at $50 o'clock and drank,
Selheim paying for the round. They
went out together, and must have sep
arated soon afterward.
At 1920 O'Clock Smith was seen at the
Louvre theatre, where he drank at the
bar. John Deuber remembered wait
ing on him. He drank beer. He left
at 745 and five minutes afterward
Selheim strolled in. He bore evidence
of having drank too much, a number of
witnesses say. He drank a glass of
whisky and went out. Smith had in
the meantime gone back to the New
Club. He met Alexander S6ene, within
he invited to drink. Both men
We're standing at the end of
the bar nearest the Front ave-
nue. entrance, when Selheim sudden
~ came in. He approached Smith with
few short, quick steps, mumbled
something that no one present under
stood, drew a 3S calibre revolver, and
fired point blank. Smith fell in a heap
Selheim fired again. A deep hole in
the outer moulding around the bar is
evidence of the second shot, which did
no other damage.
Skene and Richard France, the pro-
prietor of the New Club turned their at
tentiOn Immediately to Smith when Sell
helm pocketed his gun. The latter
stood motionless a moment. officer
Peter Mines ran in the rear entrance
from Washington street just then. Sell
helm ran out the front door but
stopped on the sidewalk. He made no
resistance and was taken TO police head
quarters. There he appeared to be
excessively intoxicated, and did not
reply intelligibly to questions asked
him by Captain Coverly. He was
locked in a strong cell. His attorneys
called a few minutes later and issued
orders that no one should be admitted
to see him. Their instructions were
implicitly obeyed.
BOTH WELL-KNOWN MEN.
Both men are well known in Spokane
Mr.. Selheim is Sc years old, but looks
older. He was prominent before the
public in the early days of the water
works site agitation, when he submitted
a proposition to build a reservoir and
pumping station at the springs, u miles
northwest of the city. He is of German
descent and speaks English with a
marked Teutonic infection. On the
prison register he is recorded as a
''rancher" and his offense is defined
as attempt to murder"
William Smith first worked as driver
of the first truck ever brought to Spo-
kane. He owned it, and throve by
hard work. He was contemporaneous
with Melville Grimmer, who about the
same time went into the same business
on a large scale. Smith afterward
worked as foreman in the old o. X.
livery stables, when they were located
at Riverside avenue and Lincoln street.
He was arrested for burglary last sum-
mer, when Ed Sims turned states evil
dence and endeavored to implicate him
in the theft of two shotguns from house
on Sprague avenue. On his trial in the
superior court he was declared not
guilty He is a man of commanding
stature, being six feet tall and weighing
over 200 pounds.
SBLHEIFS STRANGE ACTION.
IT am at a loss to understand Sell
helms strange action" Richard France,
of the New Club, told a reporter last
night HE and Smith were here to-
gether an hour and half before it hap
pened. They were on good terms when
they left. When Smith returned he said
nothing about having had a personal
difficulty.
Fortunately for me I was at the low
er end of the bar, or else might have
been in line with the second bullet. 1t
happened so suddenly nobody seemed to
know how it came about. Selheim shot
Immediately after he came in. There
was no time for parley-or for Smith to
get out of the way.
"Selheim and Smith were the best of
friends. There was nothing one wouldn't
do for the other. Mark my word, if