The San Francisco call., 1898-06-07
Four Shots Exchan ged
 at Short Range.
A WOMAN IN THE CASE.
J. J. SHE'LL OF SEATTLE AS THE
 AVENGING HUSBAND.
Charles Hammersmith Charged With Being the Destroyer of Once Happy
 Home.

A bloodless duel was fought in the lodging house at PAP Post street yesterday between John Joseph Sehl, the husband or the landlady, and Charles Hammer smith, a brother of the senior member of the firm of Hammersmith & Field, the jewellers.
 Sehl is a furniture dealer in Seattle and vancouver, and he and his wife have been
 living apart for about a year. He has been jealous of Hammersmith's atten- tions to his wife, and while Hammersmith was in the house yesterday shortly after the noon hour waiting for R. H. Winston. real estate agent, to negotiate for Mrs. Sehl the sale of the house, Sehl made his appearance. He first went into his wife's bedroom, she being confined to her bed, and asked her where he could find Ham, mersmith. She did not reply, and Sehl, on leaving her room, saw Hammersmith standing at the bay-window of the front room.
 Sehl pulled revolver out of his pocket and some one yelled Look out, Charley" Just then Sehl fired, the bullet missing Hammersmith and lodging in the frame work of the window. Hammersmith promptly fired shot at Sehl, and four shots were altogether exchanged, none taking effect. Sehl then turned and left the house and Hammersmith slipped out of the rear door.
 The report first reached police head quarters that a man had committed sui eide at 240 Post street, and Detectives Egan and T. B. Gibson were detailed on the case. Sergeant Harper had mean time learned the facts of the shooting and saw Mrs. Sehl. When Egan and Gib- son arrived they found Sehl, who had re- turned to surrender himself. He was taken to the City Prison and locked up in the tanks. The detectives went in search of Hammersmith and found him about o'clock. Both were charged at the prison with assault with a deadly weapon.
 Sehl positively refused to talk, but to the detectives he blamed Hammersmith for breaking up his home and with being on too intimate terms with his wife. He said he arrived from Seattle yesterday morning, but his wife said he had been hanging around the house since Saturday. When searched at the prison he had $2l0 in cash, a gold watch and chain, diamond ring and bank draft for $l750 on him.
 Hammersmth said he simply acted in self-defense. He had known Mrs; Sehl for some time and it was through him she bought the Post street house. He was in the house yesterday to help her in negotiating the sale of the house when Sehl fired at him. He denied that Sehl had any cause for jealousy so far as he or anyone else was concerned.
 It was reported that Sehl had employed
 private detective i to watch h his 1s wife boIs and It was the detective's report that brought Sehl to the city.
 MrS. Senl was very TeClCenl, ana claimed to know nothing whatever of the cause of the shooting. 'I have been con fined to my. bed for the past week with tration," she said My husband has been up north for year, conducting business in Vancouver, which, I believe, has been prosperous. I have been trying to dispose of my lease on this house through R. H. Winston, real estate agent, and MT. Hammersmith has been acting for me He had an appointment to meet Winston and the lady who thinks of buying out the place this morning While Hammersmith was waiting in the parlor my husband came in and com menced firing at him. Hammersmith in turn drew a revolver and exchanged shots with my husband. I heard the noise and ran out into the hall to stop the fracas, and as 1 did so the police rushed upstairs. So far as I know there was no quarreling between the men, and 1 don't know why my husband tried to kill MT. Hammersmith, who has simply been an acquaintance of mine He only came back from Vancouver Saturday, but 1 suppose that some malicious person has been telling him stories'
 Winston knows very little about the case, he having arrived just after the shooting was over. He corroborates Mrs. Sehls story that Hammersmith was her agent In the negotiations for the sale of the property. He says, however, that Sehl accuses Hammersmith of having broken up his home.
 Both men were released last night. Schel on cash bail and Hammersmith on bonds accepted by Judge Low.