Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-08-25
ALEXANDER ALLAN KILLED
Last Evening at Dusk Joseph Bl0nger
Shot and Killed Allan at the
Bottom Dollar Mine.
TIE TRAGIC RESULT OF A QUARREL
Blonger Surrenders Himself and is
Lodged in Jail-The Story of
the Tragedy.

Last night between IL and l O'Clock,
j Joseph Blonger Knocked at Sheriff Kin
sells door and when Mr.. Kinsell answered
the summons said that he had killed Alex
Allan, and surrendered himself to the
law.
Mr.. Blonger was lodged in Jail and
about o'clock this morning Mr.. Kinsell
left for the Bottom Dollar mine, where
the tragedy occurred, to get the remains
of the dead man.
This forenoon Mr.. Blonger was seen in
the jail, and to a representative of the
New MEXICAN told the following story of
the killing:
"For over month past, Alex Allan,
Cyrus Smith and myself have worked and
eamped together at the Bottom Dollar
mine. Everything hai been pleasant
among us, and while Smith and myself
were working for Mr.. Allan, no contract
for any special length of time had been
made, we were on good terms and no
trouble of any kind had come up. Several
days ago Mr.. Allan run out of lumber aud
none could be gotten except from Chi
cago. Smith and myself wanted to come
to Santa Fe until the lumber came, but to
this Mr.. Allan objected as he would then
be left alone. We consented to stay until
last Monday. On Saturday Mr.. Allan
came to Santa Fe and remained until
Tuesday morning, when he came back to
the mine, reaching there about 10 O'Clock.
"Mr. Allan and Smith then walked to
Cerrillos to attend to some business and
I stayed to watch the camp. They came
back just before dark. l had supper
ready for them and we sat down and ate.
Just as we had finished Mr.. Allan asked
me what was thinking about and l told
him I was going over to the Bonanza
mine to get team to take me into Santa
Fe, and Smith said he would go along.
This seemed to anger Allan and he said
we were nice fellows to leave him all
alone. To this Smith replied: I'VE have
to look after ourselves and if we want to
go away you can't help YOURSELF Allan
jumped up from the table and drew his
gun and covered Us with it and said he
would see if he could not keep us there.
At this time Ed Andrews came up to
spend the evening at the camp. Allan
lowered the revolver for moment and
then threw it at Smith. 1t fell near me
and I picked it up. Allan clinched with
Smith and threw him to the ground. AL
Ian picked up a rock and as he held it
over Smiths head said: Ill brain you
right here | don't know how it hap
pened, but fred at Allan and the bullet
struck him either in the chin or just be-
low. Allan sprang up and began to run
in circles, falling as he ran. In less than
five minutes after shot him he was dead.
Before he died, went to him and told
him | was sorry, very sorry that the
shooting had happened. He tried to an
swer me, but his breathing was SO diff
cult and the blood was rushing from the
wound 80 rapidly that | could not under
stand what he said.
$50 soon as saw he was dead, got
on horse and went over to the Bandana
mine and hitched to a wagon and drove
to town, and gave myself up to Sheriff
Kinsell. That is all there is to it,"
From the manner in which Mr.. Blon.
ger tells as to how the killing oc-
Cured it is plain to be seen that at the
time it happened he was so excited that
he did not know what he was doing. He
is very Respondent over the matter and
feels that in defending Smith he has com
mitted a crime he can never atone for. II
is certainly sad case. 1t all happened
in moment of time, and in the excite
ment Mr.. Blonger lost his Judgment and
reasoning powers.
This morning, about 1870, Sheriff Kin
sell arrived in the city with the remains
OF the dead man, which were Immediately
taken to Cables undertaking rooms and
prepared for burial. view of the body
disclosed the fact that two shots were
fired at Mr.. Allan in the excitement of the
moment by Mr.. Blonger, both of them tax.
ing effect. One ball struck just at the left
corner of the mouth, cutting out all the
upper teeth, the other hit the point OF
the right shoulder and ranged upward aud
passed through the neck, cutting the
juggler vein.
Sheriff Kinsell saw Ed Andrews and
talked with him about the shooting. Mr.
Andrews account of the affair substan-
tiates the story told by Blonger in every
particular. Andrews says that after he
WAS shot Allan came to him and said
"Good-bye, Ed, it is all over" and in an
instant was dead.
Alex. Allan was we'll known in Santa Fe
and up to short time ago was deputy
sheriff under Sheriff Kinsell, proving
himself an efficient officer. About six
weeks ago he left that position to work
the Bottom Dollar mine in southern San
ia Fe county, and was making good
progress in developing the property
when the unfortunate and deplorable af-
fair Of last night happened. He leaves a
wife and one child to mourn his death.
Joseph Blonger, now in jail to await a
hearing on the charge of murder, is a
resident Of the city, and is we'll ard fav-
orably known by many of the citizens.
He enlisted in Company H, Twenty fifth
Michigan infantry, as private in March,
1862, and served through the war, and
was mustered out Of the service on June
5, 1865, as a corporal. He Joined Oarle-
ton post, g. A. R., of Santa Fe, August
Is, 1889, and is still member in good
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