Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-12-01
is STORY OF
LOVE AND CRIME
Two Black Hills Sisters Shoot Their
Lovers Under Similar
Circumstances.
BOTH MEN HIT IN The HEAD
Elder Girl Tried and Acquitted of Mufdei
sIx Years Ago=yictifn of tho
Younger Lies mt Point
Of death.

Rapid City. s. D., Nov. 23.--The
shooting at Keystone, a few days ago,
of James Gates by Bessie YanAuken re-
calls a similar tragedy, in which a Sis
ter OF the latter, named Minnie, was
implicated In May. 1894, at Lead. A
curious coincidence In connection with
the two tragedies is the fact that MINI
ME, at the time of the shooting in May,
1894, was is years Of age and her sister,
who Is now Under arrest for the recent
alleged shooting OF Gates, Is also Is.
Another curious feature OF both trag-
edies is hat both victims, in each case
admirers respectively of Minnie and
Bessie, were shot In the head. In the
case of Minnie self-defense vas claimed
as the reason for the taking OF q human
life, while Bessie stoutly maintains that
the shooting Of Gates was purely an
accident, and this will be the grounds
of her defense,
The crime for which Minnie VanAuken
was arrested the latter part OF May,
1894, was for months the chief topic Or
discussion In the entire western portion
of the state, and the trial % the case,
which resulted in her acquittal on the
grounds of self-defenSe, has become ia
nous In the criminal ma of South
Dakota. Thomas Z. Johnson and Min
ME VanAuken were s~weethearts. They
had been keeping company for some
time, when a short time before the
tragedy the latter learned something
detrimental to Johnson's character and
decided to no longer keep him company.
When she told him of her determine
ton, he begged, entreated and finally
threatened to kill her, protesting that
he would not see her go with any one
but him. Mrs. George Clark, at whose
| residence Johnson boarded, testified In
the trial OF the case that OF the even
ing preceding the murder a messenger
from Miss VanAuken arrived at the
house, and, finding Johnson absent, re-
quested Mrs. Clark to tell him OIL his
return that Miss VanAuken wished to
see him.
Johnson returned to the house later,
and upon being informed OF Miss Van
Adkins wish Immediately went down
town, where he met the girl, and the
two returned to J%ohnson's room, where
they remained until nearly IL o'clock
that night. During their stay In the
room Mrs. Clark heard loud talking, as
though the two were quarreling, but
could not distinguish what was said,
Shortly after this the two took lunch
in Mrs. Clark's kitchen.
During the evening several persons
testified to having heard Johnson re-
mark hat he wished the girl would not
bother him, as he did o care for her,
thus contradicting the girls subsequent
statements that the attentions of John
son were distasteful to her.
From Mrs. Clark's home the two
went to the home OF Miss Van Aukin,
What occurred there is best described
81 the words Of the young lady her
self, and 1T was the failure on the part
OF the prosecution to shake her testi-
mony In this particular in the slightest
degree that resulted I'm her acquittal OF
the charge OF murder.
when we entered the house the
family were asleep and the rooms were
dark. We entered the sitting room. ]
wanted to go for a light, but he pre-
vented me, saying that the electric
light which shone into the room was
light enough. He renewed his declar-
atoms Of love for me, and his protesta-
tions against our parting. But l re-
manned firm and told him we must
part.
He finally grew desperate when !
told him l must retire. He said W.
must settle this question now. He
asked me where his revolver was (she
had previously induced him to give her
the weapon) m | told him in my
trunk in the kitchen, and that II he
wanted it he might get 1t himself. He
went and got II and toyed with 1t In
! his hand, when he again resumed the
conversation
Finally, after repeated refusals on
my part to continue going with him,
he said.
II you don't continue to go with
me I'll kill you
He pointed his revolver at me and
was going to shoot, when / pushed him
causing him to fall. AS he was falling
he shot, the ball going through the
palm of my left hand. Before he struck
the floor the pistol dropped from his
hand to the floor beside me.
w both sprang for the gun, but
got 1t. / fired at him, the ball entering
his head, and as he was rising | fired
again. this ball entering his head also
shot blindly, not taking aim at any
part OF his body. After the shooting
my parents came down and took me vi
stairs. l did not fire but two Shots
BESSIE, who, If Gates succumbs to his
injuries, as II is feared he will, must
now stand trial on the charge OF muir.
ier or manslaughter, returned TO hel
nome at Lead from the state reform
school at Plankinton, OF which hei
younger sister is yet an inmate, only q
few months ago, and about a month
ago went to Keystone, a small mining
camp in Pennington county. She anc
Gates, who has lived at keystone fol
w or three years, were sweethearts
n the girl declares hat they were
to have been married on the 18th of the
present month.
Since being an occupant of the Pen.
nington county Jail she has constantly
worn a photo button with the picture
of Gates upon it, and processes to love
him still. The crime was committed
with a 3S-calibre, double-action revol-
yer. At about 10:45 on the night Of the
shooting as Emil Hesnard, u consta.
BILE, and Edward Davis, a friend, were
walking along the street they heard O
pistol shot and a woman's scream.
They fastened to the room whence
the sounds came, and, finding the
door locked, broke 1t open. Gates
was found with a bullet wound in the
right side of his head and apparently
In a dying condition. The girl gave
herself up, stating that the weapon
had been accidentally discharged. She
appeared to be greatly grieyed over
the affair, and before the officers left
keystone with her in custody she
begged to be permitted to see the in
iured man.
Her request was not granted, however
the officers doubtless fearing tina If the
shooting was intentional she might induce
Gates tor keep quiet about the matter
COUNTY SEAT CONTESTS.