The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-02-23
On the Streets of Belle Centre
By James Pergrin.
WITH THREE BAD WOUNDS
In His Body, His Chances for Living
Are Very Slim.
Pergrin Came to BelIefOntaine, and
Gave Himself Up to the Sheriff.

| Sheriff Shaw was telephoned Tues
day evening, to come to Belle Centre,
that Bob Young had been shot by Jas.
Pergrin, and would probably die.
The Sheriff, with deputies, drove at
once to the scene of the tragedy, and
searched the town and surroundings,
for Pergrin, but could find no trace of
him, for he had gone to Bellefon-
taine, and delivered himself up at the
Jail. He was bleeding from a wound in
his leg, and sent for Doctors Deemey
and Wilson, who dressed his wound.
He said he was the Belle Center man
wanted for shooting Young, and was
placed in the cell in the woman's de-
partment.
lCThe story of the shooting is confused
and contradictory, but after careful in
quiry and consideration, the truth, as
near as it can be found without judi
cial investigation is about as follows:
The shooting occurred about $40 in
the evening, in front of the Valentine
/
doors south of the Opera house. There
were four or five reports of revolver
or revolvers, and people running out of
their houses and stores, saw Young ly-
ing in the gutter, and James Pergrin
walking away, his storeroom being ad-
Joining the drug store. A few people
were on the street, near enough to see
the shooting. Several ran to Young's
relief as he lay in the snow. To them
he said, Jimmy Pergrin had shot him:
and he asked for preacher, saying
send for Mr.. Huston. Being informed
that Mr.. Huston was not in town, he
said, "Send for some preacher-for the
Presbyterian preacher. Send for some
good preacher to pray for my soul. :"
He was then picked up and carried into
the drug store, where he asked his
friends to telegraph for his three chill
dren, who are going to school in Lon
don, England. Mr.. Valentine was asked
if he had something to give Young to
deaden his pain, and prepared some
thing, but Young did not want it, and
refused to take it, saying he wanted to
be in his right mind. He asked for
Pergrin, saying, "Tell Jimmy to come
in, l want to forgive him before die.'
From the Valentine drug store,
Young was taken to the Big Four Ho-
tel where Drs. Phillips and Thompson
examined the wounds. After seeing
the character of the wounds, DR.. Phil
lips suggested that DIR. Baldwin OF
columbus, an expert on gunshot
wounds, be sent for, and he was tele.
lgraphed. He came on a special tC
IKenton, and thence by buggy as fast as
a horse could be driven, to Belle Cen
ter.
An examination showed that Young
had been shot twice in the bowels, an6
once in the thigh-or as other accounts
state-once in the groin, once in the
abdomen, and once in the thigh-ani
the intestines had been pnnctured five
times. The Doctors dressed the
wounds, and Young has since restet
fairly well, but his critical time will
come either today or tomorrow, ant
the doctors say his chances of living
are very slim.
Public opinion and public sympath.
are divided in Belle Center, as to th'
l shooting and the cause of it. Young
: friends say that Pergrin and Youn.
had had controversy in the Afternoon
about some stoves that Young had ha'
stored at Pergrin's, and that as Youn,
passed Pergrin's store in the evening
Pergrin ran out, called out to Young
: and as Young came up, shot fv,
: times, three of the shots enterin
: his body.
Others say that there were, judgid
/ from the difference in sound, report
y of two pistols, and that two of the shot
/. were fired SO close together, that the
/ could not have been fred from tn
same weapon. One who witnessed tn
u affair from near stand point said ths
two men were firing.
There is difference also as to th
number of people who saw the affai
Ie and the most probable story is that
l. very few witnessed it from a nes
If standpoint.
ID Pergrin simply says it was a fight fl
m life, and that he shot in self defens
ID He refuses to talk further, on the a
m vice of his attorneys, and lies in bed {
the Jail, suffering considerable pa
ty from the wound in his leg, which
he just above the knee in his left linn
r. The ball was taken out about fo
IS inches from the place where it entere
d. A good deal has been publish
,'s about Pergrin being a leader of t
n dries in Belle Center, and dry mel
90 Der of the Council, much of which
rs not true. Pergrin was never a lead
is. of the "dries." He was elected to t
ht Council as ''wet," and voted wi
ire the vets. When Mayor Cline die
the Council could not elect Mayor
I'll succeed him, because it stood dry a
vas 3 wet-Pergrin being one of the thr
Ir. vets.
Early last Fall, Young was charg