The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-07
Especial to The Herald,

Especial to The Heraid)
RichfieId. Utah, July 6.-There has
perhaps never been a murder case in
southern Utah that has created such q.
sensation as the killing that occurred
at MarysTale. yesterday. which was
chronicled in The Herald today Jack
Perdue, the dead man, was of a genial
nature until he became angry or in
toxicated. while Harry Mills. the man
who did the killing, is a step-son OF the
late W II. Lyons. formerly proprietor
Of the Lyons block in Salt Lake City,
and heavy owner in the mines of the
Narysvale country The trial that will
follow viii no doubt be one of the most
holly contested, if not the most that
has happened in southern Utah since
John d. Lee was tried for participation
in the Mountain Meadow massacre, for
it is conceded that every member of
the Lyons family will go broke to free
Mills.
ACCOUNT OF AN EYE WITNESS.
The following account of the killing
is from an eye witness:
/ Marysvale had been preparing to
have a rousing celebration. the great
y
/ brass band from here and invited peO-
/ pie from far and near to take part. The
/ forenoon programme went OF quietly
and everyone looked forward 10 a great
I time The afternoon sports were going
/ on. and some so men were in Stewards
! saloon drinking. among the rest Mills
and Perdue.
( Mills had a dog killed the day be-
fore, and he accused q young man
named Peterson from Annabella OF
killing it, and a quarrel followed. Per
due took an interest III the fight, say
ing, Give them ROOM Let them fight.
and Mills said something to him, when
PerdUe answered back in a quarrelsOme
way, showing that he was ready TO
take up Peterson's row. Then the two
exchanged several blows.
GOT A GUN.
I'm not your equal. Jack. but I
can eqUslize US" said Mills. as he drew
away and left the saloon
Mills went to his house and got IS
calibre pistol and went back 10 the
saloon. Sheriff Stocks Of Piute caught
hold of him and tried TO get him not
to go TO the saloon again. even follow
ing him inside, but go he would His
wife came in and tried to get him to
go away.
As ne came into the saloon Perdue
kicked at him
COMMENCED FIRING.
1t was then that Mills drew his
weapon and fred, but some one struck
his arm and he missed his aim, the
bullet striking the floor. He shot
again. but struck the veteran miner,
Ben Reed. in the fieshy part of the
right shoulder.
BY this time the saloon was nearly
empty. but the five who were there
had now caught both men and were
M fUr~
Mills pistol away. Mills. got his hand
loose long enough TO use it and shot
while the pistol barrel was almost up
against Perdue. The bullet entered at
the right side. Just below the ribs.
passing through the entrails and lOdg-
ing among the little ribs at the back
of the left side.
Perdue ran out of the back door. fol-
lowed by two or three. who found him
walking among the boxes and bar
rels. his shirt and vest on fire, while
his skin around the wound was ter
ribly burned with powder. His arms
were doubled across his bowels. while
he was bent over and groaning. Look
ing up at one of his friends, he ex-
claimed: BY =, he got me-" He was
carried into a camp house close by, and
DR.. Lyons was called TO attend Kim,
but to no avail. and 30 minutes later
he died.
Sheriff Stocks arrested Mills at once.
shackled and handcuffed him and put
him in Jail. Talk of lynching was
freely INDUCED in by several of the
people of the town and the officer put
a guard around the jail to prevent any
such thing.
After he was in custody Mills broke
down, and frequently asked, rs Jack
dead?" When told that ne was dead
his grief knew no bounds.
Perdue was genial and popular. but
somewhat quarrelsome. Several years
ago he served 30 days in the SEWER
county Jail for using insulting language
before lady while he was drunk. He
shortly after went to Salt Lake and
took the Kelley treatment. From
there he went TO Piute. where he was
married, and stayed for some time. But
he got into a cutting ARRAY and cut
another man with knife. For this he
got six months in Jail. ". II. Lyons
had work for him. and knowing him
as former neighbOr. paid the fine and
had him come 10 the Vale and enter
his employ last fall. He leaves a Wife
and two children with no means of
support, and the poor woman is fran
tic
Mills is hot headed. but he was
usually well liked. He, too has a wife
and two children. and Mrs. Mills is
said to be wild with grief at her hus-
band 5 mlSCeed.
AN OLD FEUD.
1t has been known for a long time
that the two men hated each other,
but no one knows the exact cause.
Some say il was an old insult Perdue
gave to Mrs Mills; others that it was
an old difference over an old mining
claim, while others lay it to many lit
tie troubles.
a coroner's jury was called soon al
ter Perdue was dead. Nine witnesses
were summoned, but only four We're
examined The jury then returned a
verdict, saying that the dead man
came TO his death from a gunshot
wound made by a weapon in the hands
of Henry Mills, giving no judgment OF
the intent A preliminary hearing will
perhaps be held tomorrow, as Attor-
ney j. b. Jennings has been called to
Marysvale TO defend Mills Public opsn-
ion seems to be much divided in regard