The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-19
Mills On The STAND.
Believed Perjue Was Going
to Kill Him.
STORY OF THE TRAGEDY.
DID NOT CARRY A GUN TO
SHOOT PERJUE.
Other Witnesses Testify That Perjue
Had Threatened Mills, and That
He Had Bad Reputation-The
Defense Rests-Congressman King.
III.

save Harry.
Edmund Ericsson was in the saloon
and saw the affair. He testified to hav-
ing gaeard PeIiue use. very vile lam
guage 70 MlEls.
Mr.. Acton saw Periue rush forward
and kick: Mills was down on one knee
when the last shot was fred.
Ms. Harry L. Mills testified: went
from the store 10 the saloon had
heard there was trouble between my
husband and Perjue; when / got in [
rushed TO find Mr.. Mills. and told him
l would like him TO come home with
me; he said he would in a moment,
when ne found his hat; MIR. Periue w9S
using very ylle, abusive language to
MIR. Mills, and the crowd was pushing
Him back. Mr.. Dalton told me I had
better 20 out; he Thought there would
be no trouble l ded not take hold of
Mr.. Mills and tear his vest. Harry did
NOT break away from me. 1 remember
taking his torn vest (Which was torn
before 1 came i'm because a lot of let
ters and a pockefbook fell cut of the
pocket just outside the saloon door.
Frank Wright saw the whole affair
ar the saloon; there was much drinking.
Perjue did not drink; the Petersen boys
J
scene language; didn't hear Mills say
that he would make himself even; Per
jue said: You are always making some
gun crack, Harry" Didn't hear Mills
say: L don't want to be led ;n5o
FaoubIe with men whom cannot fight:
1 am going 10 protect myself. l have
never said that the killing of Perjue by
Mills was a cold-blooded murder: never
said Mrs ought TO Zoe hung; Mills did
r.
you" Minis didn't challenge Perjue to
come out and fight him on the bench;
l heard Mills decline 10 fight. Don't
know when Mhls vest was torn
whether by Mrs. Mills, Mr.. Straw or by
Perjue in the first struggle.
Mr.. Perdue's reputation as a. bad man
was testified to by Messrs. Stewart
Re4nheimer, Sargent, Lee, Wright,
Foisy, Ware and Mrs. Marcia King
The dispositions of four other men. sus-
5aaned the same testimony in regard to
the character and reputation of Perjue
were read by Judge Powers.
PERJUES THREATS.
Mr. Acton. ST.. testified that on the
End day of July he had q conversation
with Nj. Periue He called Mr.. Mills
a e-of a b.; said he would like TO
cut his heart out and would do 50 soma
time. Mrs. Periue was not present
Mr.. Reinheimer talked with Perlue
ai5etUt Mills. He-Sa6d he would fix him.
did not hear l1iEn say Harry was carry
ing q yum
MI. Ro4daman testified that ON the
morning of the 5th PeIiue said TO him
that he would fix Mills before the day
was out.
The boy Ericsson told a story which
Was d telling one for the defense and
which the furious prosecution of the
prosecution falled to shake. Tt was to
the effect that ne met Periue IN the
mountains as he (EricsOn) WIS coming
down with a load of wood for Minis,
10 pay or g. harness purchased from the
halter. Perjue advised him not to pay,
and said if he ever found Minis a.one
IN the hills, as ne had met him, they
would nave to haul. him down"
Mr. Riley testified to Perjue's unreal
eouabIe anger at Mr.. Mills for refusing
TO let him have SOME potatoes out of
the store which had been promised TO
another man.
Junction, PiTEe County, Utah, Sept.
17-NIr Beclstead testified this morn
t4lg that Parjue had Threatened the life
OF Mills because he would not let him
have some potatoes that Mills said had
been promised to another man.
MILLS ON THE STAND.
A great deal of interest was manifest
when the defendant was placed upon
the witness stand. He testified that he
once lnterfered in a row where a man
was being kicked. Mr.. Periue struck
at me at that time. l went home and
STAYED there. At another time Mr..
CASEY WIS swearing at me in a saloon
about 1lle interest ON some money I
had lent him.
I was very excited and all broken up
at the preliminary hearing in this case.
Perjue once pulled, q gun at a Dance
I persuaded him to put it UP.
Periue said to me on one occasion
that ] had lied about some potatoes
which l refused 10 let him have. and
that sc mon1eyed with him he would
fix me. had heard numerous threats
which he had made. and was afraid OF
him Had carried a, gun most Of the
time since q certain burglary. Had not
carried it for Perjue. shot the revolver
twice outside the bedroom window
then reloaded it and placed it in my
pocket. Went for the COW: was in the
house the major part of the morning;
I 7vrestled with Nelson I'm the forenoon:
had no coat on aal the morning. When
l went in the mouse about noon my
wife called my attention to the fact
that a, pet dog had been shot IN the
hind leg and hip. 1 went to the saloon
and asked Dorrity If he knew who had
done it, and offered $40 for information.
/ was angry about the dog; after some
words Peterson either began to roll no
his sleeves or take off mis- coat. I don't
know which l said I would stand no
show with him; that I could not fight
him, but would make myself even. Per
5ue said smash THE Cd d s. of q b.
I told him 1t was no affair of his; he
said he would make it SO. He took
hold of me and pushed me against the
wall. broke loose and he struck me
twice: l ran out of the saloon. Went
through the gate and towards the
house; didn't so in. / missed my haE
gun or cartridges while l was out. The
gun was IN my pocket all the time.
met Mr.. Stocks; he asked me not to go
back If I wanted trouble; I told him
] wasn't after any trouble. but had lett
my hat in the saloon and. further,
wanted 10 see Mr.. Barnes on business
When l asked Dorrify fer nay nat he
was bus1. but said ne would get it in
a, few moments. l spoke to Barnes;
my wife asked me to go home: I re-
fused. Parjue addressed me very OBJ
eceneiv; he told IRE to name my time
and place and game. Some one caught
me by the throat: thought Periue was
on my back: don't remember much of
what followed: ! thought I was being
killed; 1 fired through intense fear:
that was the passion that pFedominated
Within me; not anger or revenge. /
knew he was q. desperate and danger
Gus man, and that he always drew g.
knife in q row.
Mills bore a very severe cross-exarni-