The indicator., 1894-12-15
TROUBLE AT CRIPPLE
DEPUTY KILLS A PRISONER.
James csAe, Killed and Thomas short
Wounded by Deputy stcriinE.-The
Men HAD fceh Arrested for Robbery
and Were trying to Escape.

Denver, Oct ia special dlspAtr.h
from Colorado Springs ~ The Times
Sun. says;
Deputy Sheriff Il. q. Sterling at mid
hight last night, shot and Killed Jas.
Cannon, and wounded Thomas Short,
two prisoners he was bringing FROM
Victor to Colorado Springs, The shoot-
ing occurred At divide station, and
was, It Is claimed, in self defense, the
men having endcavored to escape. Can
non and Short We're arrested for being
Implicated In holiup of the faro bank
at the Victor hotel ON saturday morn-
ing. They Were taken to the lookup
at Cripple Greek. The arrest caused
great ill-fecling among the associates
of the two men. both OF whom have
been employed MS miners In the Night
ingalc. 1t was claimed by their friends
that Short and Cannon were attending
Il dance at the time Hr the robbery
ana werc In no Way connected with
It, ~ waS rum0red In Cripple Creek
on saturday that an attempt would be
made TO rescue them from the Jail.
Deputy Sterling accordingly decided to
bring the men to Colorado Springs for
safe keeping. He set out last night
in II wagon. Beside the prisoners aud
himself there were two vuartit.
On arriving at Divide, about mid
night, the wagon was stopped in front
of livery stable and the two men
taken out and told to go inside. Some
guns which Sterling carried, and also
his belt and his pistol, were taken
In and he and the guard went out nf-
ter blankets. When they returned they
found tHa prisoners in possession of
the guns. They covered him and he
ordered them to lay them down. A
struggle cnsued, during which, the
men threw down the guns, but held the
pistols and ran out or the door. They
went In the direction of the railroad
track and Sterling followed. He COM
mande,l them to halt, but they refused
10 do so. They got behind some ties.
They. as Sterling states, said that they
would surrender. He walked up TO
them and they fired two shots Mt him.
He returned them. There was no more
firing and he Walked up to the place
where the 'l,eh We're. He found Cannon
lying on his face on the ground. lie
was dying from bullet wound in the
heart. lie had also been shot in the
face. Short was wounded in the leg,
but not dangerously.
Cannon expired within few min-
utes. The sheriff and coroner at this
place We're notified and the body of
Cannon was removed to the morgue
here. Short was brought rs d prison.
er. and is now in the I'll Paso county
Jail. Sterling used n shotgun in re-
turning the fire, and Cannon's face
shows the result Of the powder marks
rhe above story is as told by the dep
nty.
Adyices from Victor state that the
most instcnse excitement over the
shooting exists. The friends of the
Two men were very angry at the arrest
in the first place and its tragic term
nation may cause more trouble in the
district. The miners side of the story
Is that the arrest was made on very
little ground, and that others have been
arrested and taken to Colorado Springs.
A coroner's jury was called and after
hearing the testimony of Short and
Sterling. eXoncratcd tue latter from
blame.