The herald., 1896-03-15
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SPECIALS
MINING PARTNERS QUARREL
j. J. Nicholson Claims to Have Fired
in Self.Defense
Roof and COnover Are Dead and Their Story
VIII Never be Told San Bernar-
dino Notes

SAN BERNARDINo, March IA Last
Thursday about noon, six miles south
west of Pinto mountain, on Cotton
wood road, in the Pinon mining dis
trict, Riverside county, ?. R. Nicholson
shot and killed II. Conover and James
Roof. These men, together with j. J.
Nicholson, were partners in mining
claims, and they had difficulty in di-
viding interests in the mines, out of
which the fatal quarrel arose.
One of the survivors of the fl ht, z.
r. Nicholson, says that Conover with
gun and Roof with pick handle at
tackled J. J. Nicholson, his brother, and
shot him in the arm and knocked him
in the head with the pick handle. At
this juncture p. r. Nicholson attempt
ed to separate the combatante, and he
was himself knocke1 on the b ad with
the pick handle. He then went to his
tent and got Winchester and killed
Conover and Roof. J. j. Nichols on
was shot in the arm, from which he
came near bleeding to death. After
the killing the two brothers came 10
Banning, where they surrendered them
selves to II. M. Carpenter, deputy sher-
iff of Riverside county.
j. Nicholson, Il. r. Nicholson. Jas.
Roof and Robert Conover had been
working their mines all winter with an
arrastre and doing we'll. Recently dis
sensions arose, and j. j. Nicholson an
nounced that he would leave the mine.
Roof engaged iu controversy, result
ing in a quarrel, and Roof, picking up
his Winchester, fired at L. II. Nichoi
son, the shot taking effect in his arm.
AT the same time Conover attacked
him with pick handle, striking him a
vicious blow on the back of the head,
leaving an ugly scalp wound. j. j..
Nicholson was not far away, and he
rushed to the rescue OF his brother,
when Conover attacked him with the
pick handle. Az this Nicholson ran to
his tent and. securing his own Win
chester, killed both Conover and Roof.
The Nicholson who was shot 10 the arm
was suffering intensely, and the two
brothers started at once to drive to
Banning ninety miles away, where they
arrived last night at 10 o'clock.
The first man to reach the scene of
the tragedy WAS Nathan Garrett, and
he found Conover still alive but unable
to speak. He died little later. Late
this afternoon M. d. Warren brought
the bodies of the dead men into Ban
ming. Roof was son-in-law OF Con-
over and the wives of the two men live
in Banning and were there to receive
the bodies of their husbands.
No one witnessed the tragedy except
those participating, and only one side
of the story will ever be known.
There is some question as to juris.
diction, some claiming that the scene
of the killing is in San Bernardino and
others that it is in Riverside county.
The sheriffs Of the two counties met in
Banning this morning, and after can
vassipg the matter fully came to the
conclusion that jurisdiction belongs to
Riverside county.
From Banning east to Colorado river
the county line is practically unde-
fined and uncertain. ,L
LAWRENCE RESCUED
S. s. Guffy, who was sent out by the
board of supervisors to rescue Edwin
Lawrence, returned from Swarthout
ChuyOu lulS blt6TuUOl. duuy uhu W
force his way through over six feet of
snow to Lawrence's cabin. When he
arrived there he found Lawrence with
out food except handful Of beans.
His horse and cow we're without hay or
grain and we're in starving condition.
They had only bsen kept alive by feed
ing on brush dug from under the snow.
NOTES OF THE DAY
w. H. Denham, the Cucamonga indi-
vidual who was convicted of battery,
Samuel Cunning being the complain
ing witness, yesterday sent in the $50
to pay the fine inflicted by Judge
Soule.
Mr.. and Mrs. John Anderson have
issued cards announcing the celebra-
tion of their silver wedding at their
reeidence, + and Fourth streets, on
Thursday evening, March 18th.
Wednesday was celebrated as Arbor
day in the city schools, and the pro.
grams which had been prepared for the
Friday afternoon before were finally
carried through, and now in every
playground in the city there are as
many new trees as there are rooms in