The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-20
COLD BLOODED MURDER
John Walters Shot Down by
James Pursell.
BULLET WAS FOR ANOTHER
1t Tore a Hole Through Him as Large
as Mans Hand-His Back Was
Turned When Pursell Fired
the Fatal Snot
Special Dispatch TO the Standard

weli-knoxn old German, who has been
in the employ of Andy Schilling at the
Capital beer hall for the past four or
FIVE years, was shot and fatally wound
ed this evening. about $3.50 o'clock, by
James c. Pursell The murder was
entirely unprovoked and was as cold
plooded an affair as has ever happened
in this city. A.
Walters was standing at the end of
the bar in the beer hall. near the mid
die of the room, talking to Andy SchiI-
ling, who was behind the bar facing
him. There were one or two men sit
ting in the room, and boy standing
/ further along the bar While they oc-
pied these positions, Pursell entered the
room. advanced a few steps inside and
aimed the piece at Schilling. saying
/ that he would kill him. The boy stand
/ ing near the bar saw the act, and
| called to Schilling to dodge. Schilling
1 acted upon the advice of the boy at
| once and dropped behind the bar Just
| as Pursell fired. The bullet entered
behind Walters left shoulder and came
out in the center of his chest, tearing
| great hole. th@t could not be covered
| by mans hand.
After firing the shot Purseil ran from
the building carrying his rifle. and ran
UP Front street as far as the concert
| hail. He entered here and went around
behind the bar He called upon the
bartender to give him drink of whis-
Key, but was ordered from behind The
bar by the proprietor. He left the bar,
| nut stopped just at the end and started
10 put new cartridge into the piece
Someone saw him. and called out TO
those who stood nearby to stop him.
ZIMMERMAN named Cooney jumped for
the murderer and wrenched the rife
from his hand. The new cartridge fell
10 the floor. and the man was seized by
a bystander, till an officer came to his
aid
Larson and r. G. Bond took Purseu
70 the county JAIL where he was locked
up In the meantime Chief of Police
Angevine had attended TO the wounded
man. Who. Mfss~ ~talken- Ia the Sisters hos
pttah HNhefe he received~sfl the atten-
ton that could be received He was
conscious despite the terrible wound that
ne had received. He said that he did
not know who shot him. He did not
even know that there was man with
a gun in the place. That Is probably the
case, as his back was turned towards
the door as he was thfklng to Schilling
when the man entered.
For a time after the shooting the
friends OF the man who was shot were
much excited and there was wild talk of
lynching. Walters has been here for a
long time. and has always been a quiet,
inohensive man. He had many friends
among the Germans, and as one of
them said tonight. he had nor an
enemy in the world
OF the spectators of the tragedy. Will
IAN Errand tells the best story of the
affair. He says that Pursell entered
the room quietly and walked as far as
the clock which hangs on the east wall.
Then ne stopped and leveled his rifle at
schilling, who was saved by his ouick
dodge. After ffrinu
fled from the room. The ball. after
passing through the body of Walters.
shattered large porcelain bowl that
stood on the end Of the bar, and the frag-
ments flew In all directions. Two or
three pieces hit Andy Schiflfng in the |
head and cut his scalp a little, Andv |
Schllling said tonight while he was |
the blood from his head that |
he did not know the man, and did nor |
Know that he had ever seen him before |
ne entered the room tonight. lie said /
that the whole affair happened SO /
quickly that he could not tell anything I
about ii.
bartender Mills at the Gem concert
hall says that Pursell came into his
place Few minutes before the shoot
ing occurred and covered him with a
gun, saying. Give me a drink or I'll |
shoot YOU full of holes Mills Thought
the fellow was fooling and told him to
snoot away. Then the fellow looked at
MIN again and quickly left the place.
ne next that he saw of him was when
ne ran into the room after the terrible
shooting and ran behind the bar. as re-
lated above. After Cooney had taken
the rifle away from him someone ran
INTO the place and said PurselI had
killed man on the street. and that
Lney would hold him. This they did
III the officer arrived
The gun with which the shooting was
lone is an old 50-70 Springfield army
.lfie IT Is one that Pursell has had. he
says, for several years
The cartridge that he was TRYING to
out in the rifle when il was taken from
lin is a 500. and is an urIy-looking
hing. The bullet that did the shooting
as picked up from the floor in the
seer hall. This, with the rifle and the
lew cartridge, are III the possession or
he sheriff
James r. Pursell the man who did
he shooting. is a man about As years
10. VINO has been In this part OF the
tate for about five years. He has been
nrospector in the mountains between
Thompson Falls and Mnllan. Last
inter ne was foreman OF an extra sec
ION gang between Thompson Falls and ,
Soxon. He came in from there Just
tter Christmas. and has been living in
cabin on the island ever since He
as been drinking considerable for two !
r three weeks, and had taken. it is
ttsfhoon Previous TO coming TO |
iontana he had been in the American
ayy and is literally tattooed. his arms
nd hands being evidence 0f this fact I
When taken 70 the county jail he went i
or a while hut soon raaaxa~aa ~ | ,
omposure. He refused for time Is !
I've his name, but later in the pres ! !
nee OF County Attarnas. Duncan. Clerk i
Court Ssqane, Sheriff Mclaughlin
nd Standard reporter he told hfs
anne and admitted the killing. He
4id that his reason for the act was
nat short time before the deed WAS Q
one Re had been in Sehfling.s place {
nd had asked Schilling who Was tend I
x bar Tor glass of beer Schilline K
ad refused. and said. You - Z
ould rather see ,Scu dead than give n
lu glass of beer pfirSeu Sai3 Tbat I
: replied; II have spent a lot Of d
oAeE here this winter. you -, and d