Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-07-01
CANYON SHOOTING.
Bloody COIlCl Between James and
Slpp Aired in Court
ANDERSON Acrs AS ATTORNEY.
appears Before Justice commsr in De-
Tense Of sapp, tbs
Defendant.

The preliminary hearings In the
case OF D. L. Sapp, charged with as.
.suiting w. II. James anu Joseph
Erickson with deadly weapon, was
AIKEN up before Justice Sommer this
morning. Assistant County Attorney
Ray Van Colt prosecuted and Judge
Anderson acted as counsel tor the de-
iendant. Sapp was In court, though
he,moves about with d ilieuty on &C.
count OF the woun1 iu his leg which
has not entirely healed.
The FIRST witness called by the rose
cution was MIR. James. He testified
that on the alter OoD oil June 1911 he
was coming dawn Fig Cottonwood
canyon IRON his mine. be had been
told that there was snow driit over
the road anu that there were number
Of stumps and brush piled up making
passage almost impossible. He there
fore took his foreman, Erickson, with
an AZ 10 clear the way. They reached
the uriIt anu found that IL exten1eu
over the creek. Witness drove his
horses upon the drilt anu held Close
% tue side away from The creek as the
NOW was irn only snort distance.
Erickson had goo ahead with the ux
u clear the brush away. WINES saw
Sspp riding on horseback up tn Q
Tue caDycn anu when he got close up
TO Inc team asked him not TO pass
as thVre was no room and eaid that n
5app would walt m mute the team
wound be out OF the way. Sspp eaid,
IN - Is gong to block the rsau
on me-" end drove his horse betwe cen
Witnesses oil horse anu the eide Of the
road. There was go little space that
the saddle oaughl on tue hofsG's mar.
uess anu pulled II partly OIL. 5app
threw his right leg over the pummel
OF the saddle and spurred his horse on.
Witness was crowded between the
wheel OF the buggy and large stone
so that he could scarcety move. Alter
Sapp had gone about twenty feet he
Jumped from his h)rse with large
kniie In his hand nnd came toward
witness saying he would cut his heart
out anu Try 1t. He tried to get mold OF
wituest's throat anu use his knife on
him. Witness held him of until
Ericeson, whom he called, had come.
Erickson struck bapp with the axe
anu Drew his attention away. Sspp
then, turned on EIok1on, graspsi the
AK anu tried to reach him with the
knife. Witness succeeded Ia getting
out his pistol anu shot at S.pp. The
first ball did not seem 10 take feet
and he snot u st cOnI time. Sapp lhen
urew OF, mounted his horse and rcde
away.
rRlCKsoN's STORY.
Erickson then took the stand ind
testified TO practically the same thing.
He said that wien Snpp passed him
before he reached James that he saw
knife hanging fIom his side. When
James called ne ran up and seeing
that Sapp was tying TO throttle James
he struck him with the blunt end OF
The ax between the shoulders. Sapp
hen turned on him, grabbed the emu
OF the ox and was cutling ut him win
the knife when ne heard two p.B.ul
snots. Sapp then Withdrew.
Sheriff Burt next took the stand.
He tesllned that no saw the snowslide
on the day o the shooting. IL WINS n
dangerous crossing anu there was
room Tor only one team to psss. Sapp
had told him on the night OF the
s1iair that James had assaulted
him with club when no tried
10 paes his buggy. He also had
said that when the shot s,ruck
MIN he was fiity or sixty feet away
from the buggy and he was leaning
over from tue ieit side OF the horse 10
te out OF range OF the gun.
DR.. Jonte, who attended Bapp after
his iIjury, ,setified that the ball must
nave entered from behind anu that he
had found TWO points OF exit Ms though
the bail had spni.
AT this point the NEWS went to
press.