Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-10-10
THE SILVER CITY TRAGEDY.
Story of Trustworthy Eye Witness
of the Affair Completely Exon
crates Mr.. Fielder.
MARSHAL CANTLEY WAS The AGGRESSION
Cantley Fired Twice Before Field
Pulled His Revolver,-The Former
Was Intoxicated-The Latter
Was Sober - Mr.. Field
Discharged.


evening of the killing of Marshal @. L.
Cantley, of Silver City, by James s.
Fielder, prominent young attorney of
the same place, caused quite a sensation
in official and legal circles, both men be-
ing we'll known to many people now in
Santa Fe. 1t appears, no wever, that the
report, which was sent over the wires
yesterday, was essentially incorrect, CIV
ing an entirely erroneous coloring to the
unfortunate affair.
STORY OF AN EYE WITNESS.
Mr.. s. P. Carpenter, a we'll known cattle
man of Grant county, who came up on
the train from the south this morning,
was seen this forenoon by NEW MEXICAN
representative. He related the story as
given to him by an eye witness, Mr..
Tony Clark, a merchant of Deming and a
trustworthy and unprejudiced man, who
had no reason to tell anything but the
truth.
IN THE WHITE HOUSE SALOON.
Mr.. Clark told Mr.. Carpenter that the
shooting occurred at the White House
saloon, in Silver City, about lc:l5, or
Tuesday night. Cantley and Fielder, who
we're supposed to be personal friends
had been shaking dice at the bar. Finally
Cantley, who had been drinking heavily
and was somewhat intoxicated, abruptly
accused Fielder of saying something
against him.
Fielder replied that if he had had any
thing to say against Cantley he would
have said it to him personally.
oANTLEY DREW HIS GUN.
Cantley then asked Fielder if he was
armed, and Fielder answered by saying
that he did not think it was proper fol
Cantley to ask him such question.
Then Cantley drew his revolver anG
fred three shots at Fielder in rapid sue
cession, but missed his intended victim
each time.
After Cantley had fired two shots
Fielder drew his revolver and began fir
ing. He fired five shots. The first missed
Cantley, but three of the other shots
struck the marshal in the left side
IN THE REGION OF THE HEART,
and either one of the wounds thus In
fiicted would probably have proved fatal
The men were standing about fifteer
feet apart when the shooting began
Cantley being at the end of the bar ane
Fielder leaning against railing near tn,
desk. Cantley's intox icated condition
possibly accounts for his poor shooting
According to Mr.. Clark, Fielder was sober
and used his weapon with remarkable
GOODNESS, holding it up with both hand
and taking deliberate aim.
FIELDER ACTED IN sELF-DEFENsE.
Mr.. Carpenter adds that before leaving
he saw telegram from Mr.. W. B. Walton
clerk of the court at Silver City, to thu
manager of his paper at Deming, in which
Mr.. Walton said that Cantley was wholly
to blame for the shooting and fully exon
Grating Mr.. Fielder.
LAUNDERING PRESS REPORTS.
As soon as an inklicg of the TRACED!
! reached Santa Fe yesterday morning, tn,
New MEXICAN ordered full details by wire
but up to the hour of going to press il
was only able to procure the meager an6
las it now appears) untruthtul dispatch
printed last evening. For the purpose OF
showing that someone at Silver City must
have deliberately misrepresented the
facts the following dispatches sent out
from there yesterday are reproduced:
The Associated Press account of the
affair says: Lawyer James Fielder shot
and killed City Marshal Cantley this
morning. Fielder was drinking IN sa-
loon and made considerable noise. Cant
ley requested him to keep quiet, when
Fielder replied acrimoni ously and pulled
his gun and shot the marshal dead
Fielder was arrested and lie in jail"
The United Press report to the Optic
was in these words: "Silver City, N. NJ,
Oct. 9.-James s. Fielder, an attorney of
this city, shot and killed Marshal G. L.
Cantley, this morning. The attorney
was drunk and noisy upon the streets,
and the marshal attempted to quiet him.
Words ensued and the attorney pulled a
revolver and shot the marshal dead in his
tracks. Excitement is said to be raining
high over the fatal shooting of an officer
in the discharge of his duty"
The Denver Times of yesterday also
printed a special from Silver City to
about the same effect as the dispatches
quoted.
oENsURE MERITED.
The Press associations certainly merit
severe censure for spreading broadcast
such untruthful and mischievous reports
and the person at Silver City who origi-
mated them should be smoked out and
taught wholesome lesson.
MR.. YrELDER DISCHARGED.
A telegram to Judge Bantz, received
to-day, announces that the preliminary
hearing before Justice Givens, in Silver
City yesterday, resulted in the discharge
IF NJ E;o1dor