The herald., 1897-08-11
KINGS BAD BREAK
GOES ON A TEAR AND GETS
KNOCKED OUT
A Question Whether He Attempted
Suicide or Was Going Cunning
for Emil Harris

Warren King, notorious bunco steerer,
sure thing gambler and all around con-
fidence man, is lying on cot in the city
Jail with two ugly scalp wounds, one on
each side of his head. On the blotter he
is charged simply with drunkenness.
King was found in a room at the Flor
ence lodging house on South Main. street.
Shortly before noon a pistol shot was
heard in the room which he occupied,
and the landlord rushed in to find King
lying upon the bed bleeding from an
abrasion in the right temple. A smok-
ing revolver lay upon the floor and the
odor of burnt powder filled the place.
Notice was at once sent to the police
department. and Officer Shields and Ser
geant Jeffries hurried off to the place
to investigate.
When they arrived the appearance Of
the room gave every indication of an at
tempt at suicide The revolver was
picked up and found to contain one load
ed cartridge and two empty shells.
Kings fingers or his left hand were pow
der burned, showing that he had evil
IDENTIFY graspe6 the weapon with his left
hand and discharged it with his right.
The bunco man lay in a stupor. con-
dition resulting rather from the quantity
of liquor which he had consumed than
from any other cause. He was loaded
into the patrol wagon and taken to the
receiving hospital. DR.. Hagan attended
his injuries, which were found to be
slight, and nothing more than mere
abrasions of the scalp, after which he
was locked up in the Jail.
Just whether King meant to commit
suicide or not is question which it' hard
to settle. He was drinking in we'll
known resort with a number of others
late last night. When he got ready TO
go home he was pretty thoroughly un-
der the influence of liquor, and one of
his companions offered him the use of
his room in the Florence, as he did not
expect to go home himself King ac
cepted the offer and, taking the key to
the room, left That wac the last seen
of him until yesterday morning al about
II o'clock, when he made his appearance
al Emil Harris private detective office
on Court street.
Harris was formerly chief of police in
this city and the relations between him
and King have always been anything
but friendly The old ill-feelirg was
recently revived since the arrest of
Rebel George" the gold brick swindler,
who turned trick here by which l. W.
LORD and Geo. A. Bowren were relieved
of 0,000. Harris worked up the case
in .he interest of Bowren and has been
very active in gaining evidence against
Rebel George" who is bosom friend
of Kings.
Harris and Kirg came down the stairs
together and stopped in front of the ci
gar stand at the corner of Court and
Main streets King asked Harris to
walk into saloon and have a drink
The detective refused, whereupon the
bunco man slapped him in the face.
With that Harris lanGad stinging blow
upor. Kings chin and at the same time
grabbed his cane away from him and
began beating him over the head with it.
The fighting was rapid but brief, and
resulted in the ignomnious defeat of the
confidence man, who beat retreat but
returned in a few minutes Harris was
standing by the curb in front of the cigar
stand mentioned before, when King
stepped up behind him and grabbed him
by the throat. Harris struggled to gst
free and finally got his revolver out of
his pocket and began beating his as
sailant over the head with it. Again the
fighting was brisk, with odds decidedly
in favor of Harris. Finally the two men
were separated and one of Kings friends
got him into buggy and GROVE away
with him.
Or, reaching the Florence King got
out and went up to the room where he
had spent the night. Going to bureau
drawer he took out a 3S-caliber revolv
er. He was in very bad humor and it
is not known whether he intended TO
kill himself with the weapon or expected
to go cunning for Harris. In either case
he made blundering work of it. 1t is
more than probable that he intended to
start after Harris, and in fooling with
the gun to see if it was loaded accident
ally discharged it owing to the befuddled
condition of his brain.
A reporter saw King in Jail yesterday
afternoon. He was still so drunk that
he could give no intelligent account of
himself and ir rambling way tried to