The herald., 1898-05-07
A PROBABLE TRAGEDY
]. B. COBERLY SHOT TWICE BY e.
H. MARTIN g.
WAS WARNED TO KEEP AWAY
Martin Leveled His Revolver at
Coberly and Tried to Avoid
Trouble With Him

]. B. Coberly, a horse dealer and labor
ing man, commonly known as "Ben," was
shot and probably fatally injured yester-
day afternoon by e. H. Martin, who sur
rendered himself at once to the police.
There was at least one witness of the af-
fair, which occurred in front of w. ].
Cooks tannery on Main street, Just south
of the old Kuhrts-street bridge, and from
the statements made by this witness, Mar
tin appears to have tried to avoid trouble
with Coberly.
Martin took a sorrel horse to Cooks
yard yesterday to dispose Of. Coberly saw
Martin there and during the course Of a
conversation asked him what he would
take for the horse. Martin asked $3.50,
which Coberly refused to pay, offering him
$2 instead. Martin declined to sell, because
he deemed it to his interests to sell to
Cook, and then Coberly got angry. He
began walking toward Martin and the lat
ter retreated all the time, telling Coberly
to keep away. Coberly persisted, however
and Martin drew a revolver and again told
Coberly that he would hurt him If he came
at him. This did not deter Coberly, who
had by this time got within three feet of
Martin. Coberly cursed the other man.
each time. The first shot struck in the pit
of the stomach and passed to the left of
the spinal column and lodged underneath
the flesh at the back. Coberly turned par
TALLY after the first shot, and the second
bullet struck under the right shoulder
blade and apparently found a lodgment
in the bunch of muscles in that part Of the
body.
Coberly cursed Martin again and asked
why he had shot him, and then hailed a
wagon and had himself driven to the re-
ceiving hospital, Martin in the meanwhile
walking few steps to- the tannery and
having the police notified Of the affair. DR..
Hagan attended Coberly and succeeded in
removing the first bullet that lodged in
the back, but could not get any trace OF
the second ball. Coberly was put to bed
and his relatives were notified of the af-
fair. The man has but small chance to live,
as peritonitis is expected to set in within
the course of two or three days.
Coberly made a statement of the affair
while on the operating table. He said that
Martin had had 1t in for him for some
time past, because he had testified In
court against Martin, who, he claimed
had struck a man named Mulvaney. Co.
berly claimed that he did not offer any
violence to Martin yesterday, but had
merely followed him to try to get him to
explain why he would not talk with him.
Eugene Saum, a bright lad, IA years. of
age, living on Glover street, East Los An
geles, saw the shooting and related the cir
cumstances substantially as told. He said
that Coberly seemed to- hold something in
his hand, but he could not swear whether
it was a knife or not
Martin stated that he had been in part
nershp with Coberly short time ago in
the horse-trading business, and that the
latter had not acted as he considered right,
so he had left him. Coberly had ever since
been trying to pick a quarrel, and on two
occasions had beaten him. Martin, who is a
cripple, finally determined to stand the
abuse no longer, so armed himself. He
claims that Mulvaney, a friend of Cober-
ly, held onto him while he had been trying
to pass the tannery yesterday, and then
Coberly came up and advanced upon him.
He had not shot the man without previous
~ giving him warning.