The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-20
HALL SHOT KAEMPFER
The elimination of a Row About
Business Matters.
IT ENDED IN A GUN PLAY
Both Men Fired at Nearly the Ssme
Time and Attorney Halls Bullet
Found Its Biliet-Ksemp-
fer Will Recover.

AS the elimination of a disagreement
owe a matter of business. Attorney
o. NJ. Hall, one of the members of the
old board of school trustees. shot and
wounded John Kaempfer. at o. West
Park street, lest evening. about 5:i5
o'clock. Both parties had guns and
shot at one another. Kacmpfer's bull
let missed. but Halls took enect la the
breast of his antagonist. Hall was ar
rested a few minutes after the shoot
ing occurred and detained at the u
ty Jail to await the result of Kaemp-
fer's injuries. which, however. are not
serious. and Hall will be released on
bonds to-day.
Kaemrfer. the injured a is a car
pentcr. and some time ago took a con-
tract to build a house for Lawyer Hall.
The building was completed a few avs
ago.. but the parties were unable to
come to an agreement i'm settling. II
Kaempfer refused to give up possession
till the settlement was effected. Yes
terday he went ou TO the house and
nailed up the windows snG doors. Hall
went put in the afternoon, tore off the
boards and broke in and proceeded to
set up a stove preparatory to moving
in. He was accompanied by Ii. w.
Cordell. and while they were engaged
in setting up the stove Naempfer put
i'm an appearance. He displayed a gun
and Hall sent Cordell after an officer.
While the latter VAS gone Eaempfer
broke oDen the oor Hall met him.
Each had his gun i'm hand and fired
almost At the same time. Hall sue
ceeded in knocking his opponents gun
out of his hand and was not injured.
while KaemDfer was hit i'm the breast
Kaempfer then grabbed Hall and was
holding him when neiChbors ran i'm and
separated them.
Cordell. who went for an officer. met
Policeman Loughrin on West Park
street and together they jumped into n
delivery that was passing and
went to the scene. When they arrived
the neighbors were holding Hall. OIL
Ger Loughrin took the lawyer into
custody and Kaempfer was taken in
the wagon to the city jail. \ physician
was t~elephoned for but could not be
caught and Kaempfer went To his home
at 105 South Oklahoma avenue. Later
Dr.. Weyerhorst was called and probed
for the bullet but was unable to locate
it and took the injured man to his
hospital where he put him under the
influence of chloroform and cut open
the wound. He found the bullet had
only entered about half an inch. and,
striking a rib. had bounded out. The
wound was dressed and Kaempfer
went home. DR.. Weyerhorst stated
that the injury was not at all serious.
In the meantime. Lawyer Hall had
been taken to the county Jail. as it
was not known how badly Kaempfer
was hurt. and was detained there over
night.
: MI. Hall when seen AT the Jail stated
his side of the trouble as follows:
"Kaempfer took q contract To build
my house. agreeing to furnish all ma
~terials. The lumber YARDS, however.
ould not give him lumber unless |
became responsible for the bills. This
I agreed to do. and he built the house.
He furnished the other materials. and
when IL came to a settlement would
furnish no bills for materials aside
from the lumber and insisted on my
taking his word for them. This ! de-
clined to do. and then. he had failed to
build the house according To contract
and ] refused to pay the full price. lie
refused to settle on any other basis
the original contract and. Of
course. we could not agree. I had paid
for the lumber and considered that !
was entitled to possession and placed
n man on watch. but Kaempfer went
out yesterday and nailed the place up
and took away the key. During yes
terday afternoon Kaempfer came to
my ONCE and told j.. w. Shackleton he
shooting me on sight. Mr..
Shackleton informed me OF his visit
and ] put my gun in my pocket when
I later went out to take possession of
the house. Mr.. CordeIl and I were
setting up n stove, having torn the
boards off the windows and doors and
in, when Kaempfer came up
and commenced f~ourishing a gun. ]
sent Cordell for an officer. and while
he was gone kaenlpfer broke in the
He raised his gun to shoot as
he started to come in. but ! knocked il
out of his hands and in tho scufic I
Then the neighbors ran i'm and
parted us
same story. except he claimed he had
fulfilled his contract n that Hall re-
fused to settle. Il thought I was en-
titled to possession he said. and did
propose to give up the house till
he paid me"
Kaempfer's story differed also from
Halls in that he claimed Hall exhibit
ed his gun first. Il saw his gum he
said. and said I've got a gun too. and
II. Then We both shot" lie
made no statement with regard to
Halls claim that he had gone to Halls
ONCE and made threats. nor with ref
erence to the statement hat he had
broken in tine door. The affair will
probably make its way into the courts