The Monte Vista journal., 1897-09-11
KILLED BY MISTAKE.
DEATH OF ALAMosAs MARSHAL
joseph \. s,.e.s sAo. ~ o. ?. nrsv.,
whe hisssek lsin fes . Ussgiar-HisA
ChArAuecs es the DsceassA.

Alameaa, Colo, Kept. 7,-Joseph Il.
SimOns, marshal Of AlamOsa, was shot
and kiiied unintentionally by o. =.
Brown, q few minutes after midnight.
Mrs. Holman and two daughters live
ON Deaver avenue, and were disturbed
by sone one demanding admittance.
Emma Holman ran out the back door
and ar0Nsed the Brown household, with
an appeal for protection. MIR. Brown
hastily stepped Into his slippers, pick
ed up revolver and went out to fright.
en- intruders away. There appears to
have been two Of them, but one had
disappeared. The other moved on
about hfty yards and refused to leave.
Brown Ared his revolver twice. but
with 10 Intent apparently To hi, the man
whom he supposed to be Mountain
Charley" 4 well-known negro. Later
Information shows that the negro was
not In town that night. and that the
man was white man whose identity
IL suspected but no; positively known
At second shot he moved OF saying
he would return and kill the whole out
mt. Brown returned to bed. A few
minutes later he was again aroused by
the girl who cried. Get up and help us,
they are coming back
This time he grabbed n shotgun load
et with No. shot. and went out the
front door, cooking the gun as he
went. Seeing the shndOw OF a man ap-
preaching the Holman house, the gun
went OF aS he raised 1t. prematurely,
as he Enys. and the man fell. with II
charge In the nfsiumcn. and died with
In m hour while being carried home.
Marshal Simons had heard pistol
shots and accompanied by his son Al
pha had run In the direction from
which they came. arriving JUST in time
to be mistaken by Brown for the man
who had been creating the disturbance.
Brown realized instantly that he had
shot an old friend. and spent the nigh,
In a frenzy OF despair, vowing that II
Slmons died he would kill himself. He
wns not Informed of his death until
this morning. Al the moment the fatal
shot was fired the Holman woman rec
ognlz1si Simons. and with the help OF
several men who arrived opportunely
carried him into the house. He was
rational, saying Mr.. Brown was not 10
blame and begged To In taken to see
his family, hut died on the way to his
home.
Coroner Ruby empanclesi u jury and
held an inquest. After taking tes,i-
hiOny, Fubstdniinlly M above. the jury
returned verdict cxonerating Brown
from NIL blame In the premises.
The funeral services Of the deceased
mar~hal will bc held at 10 o'clock to-
Morrow under the auspices Of the
Grand Army of the Republic, Of which
he WAS . member. lie leaves II wife
and seven children the youngest being
~ years Old. He has been marshal Of
AlamOxA since 1852. except four years
when he devoted himself TO mining In
Creetle. lie was a native OF Rhode Is
land and 10 years old.
o. r. Brown who did the killing In a
pioneer Of Alamosa. ~ years old. n
PALMER by trade and highly respected.
Mr.. SimOns was man Of rOng char.
actef and q fearless officer. He has
becn NO lsng identified with the town
that his los~ under such painful circum-
stances n keenly felt. the more no since
II was lesa than three years ago thu,
Charles Emers0n, while serving as
marshal Of AlamOsa. was shot and
killed n the discharge Of his duty.