The San Francisco call., 1896-10-31
Miners Had Resolved to Mete
Justice for the Taking of
Human Life.
THwARTED BY LAWS MIN1oNs
The Two Men Hurried to Mojave's
Jai-Details of Thursdays
Fight.

BAKERSFIELD, CAL, Oct. 30.-John
Buster Sr. and John Buster Jr., two OF the
principals in the shooting affray yester-
day morning at Randsburg, the mining
town on the Moiaye Desert, were logged
in Jail at Moiave tonight. They were
hurried out of Randsburg by officers to
prevent a Iynching. the miners at the
camp having recently agreed 10 hang the
next man who shot fellow human, it be-
ing hoped by the hardy toilers that by
making an example of some one they
would check lawlessness at the desert
mines. From later and more complete
details of the affray it appears that if the
Busters were not the aggressors, they were
at least guilty of attacking a man who a
few minutes before had 1.-The Drop on
them and spared them.
thompson saloon, in W hieh the shoot
ing took place, is a frame and canvas
structure on Jerusalem Flat, at the juno
ton of FiddIers' Guch and Randsburg
road. George Wooster was in the place
playing poker with John Buster Sr Bus
ter had" been in camp some time. and a
few days ago was joined by his son, John
Buster Jr., who came from San Pedro.
Wooster accused the old man OF cheating
by the aid of his son. Young Buster at
once drew knife and started for Wooster.
The latter stepped back. and the bar
keeper, youth named Fesler, passed him
Winchester rifle which had been stand
ing behind the bar. Quick as flash
Wooster leveled it at Buster and shouted: !:
Throw up your hands, or I'll blow
your head off,
Up went Busters hands and down went
the knife on the floor. The old man
picked it up, but as he made no attempt
to use. it Wooster gave tie riff, back to
: the barkeeper and went out. In a short
time be returned and Immediately on en-
- tering the saloon he was attacked by the
Busters. The younger man got Wooster
up against the wall and held his arms to
his sides while the old man stabbed him
: in the thigh and back, inficting bad
:. Wounds
The account OF the affray now grows
confused. a rife was seen in Wooster's
hands and afterward in young Busters,
and then the shooting began. Bartender
Fesler got out aosix-shooter and Joined in.
Quite a number OF shots were fired and the
Busters ran out of the saloon. When the
fight was over II was found that a man
lay in the road some 200 or 300 feet away.
He was Frank Ault, who had recently
come 10 Randsburg with his stepfather,
James Stewart of Visalia, brother of
George Stewart, editor of the Visalia
Delta. Ault had not been IN the saloon at
all and was going Cp the road to look
after his team when he met his death. An
examination of the body showed that he
: had been shot in the back, the bullet pass
ing completely through the abdomen.
After passing through the body the bullet
went over 100 feet and struck a post in a
blacks shop. Ault lived for some
time after beine SHOT.
Deputy Sheriff ]. NJ. Crawford and
Constable Claude Bohannon were asleep
at the time of the affray. but heard the
shots and at once hastened TO the scene.
The two Busters were put under arrest,
as was young Fesler, who, it is said. con-
fessed that he did some of the shooting,
tsthat he was trying to protect Wooster
from young Buster, who was firing his
rife promiscuously. 1t was found that a
bullet had passed through the younger
Busters ear, but neither of the men was
otherwise injured.
Fearing the result should the prisoners
be kept in camp until the tragedy became
known, after the miners decision to
lynch the next person who shot any one,
q team was at once procured and as soon
as possible Crawford and Bohannon start
ed with the Busters for Mojave. The rage
of the miners was great when they learned
that Ault had been killed and his sup
posed slayers were out of their grasp.