The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-04-26
SHOT BY SETH DIX WHO
CLAIMS SELF Defense.
RESULT OF SALOON QUARREL
Occurred at Wells Road House
Twelve Miles South
Of Billings.
From Thursdays Daily Gazette.

From Thursdays Daily Gazette.
A shooting scrape, which was first
supposed to be a cold-blooded murder,
but which is likely to turn out as an
act of ~self-defense, occurred at the
road house owned by w. A. Wells, To-
Gated about IL miles south Of this city
on Blue creek, yesterday afternoon.
The affair was the result of a drunken
brawl, in which Ben Davis, the bar
tender, who manages the house for
Wells, was killed and seth Dix. a
ranch hand, occupies a cell in the
county JAIN, being held for the killing.
John Smith, who runs a read ranch
ABOUT 20 miles south of this city,
reached here last night at about 8
o'clock with Seth Dix, whom he turned
ove to the sheriff, stating that the
man had shot and killed Ben Davis.
at Wells road house. To a Gazette
reporter Smith, who was an eye-wit-
ness Of the affair, stated that the trou-
BILE occurred over a dispute about
some money which Dix claimed Davis
had cheated him out of. In the dis
pute one word led to another when
Davis remarked that he would give
Dix his change with this" drawing
his revolver), whereupon Dix drew
his gun and shot first, shooting Davis
Just over the right eye, killing him
almost instantly. AS soon as the
shooting occurred Dix left the house
before Smith could stop him, but he
was followed and overtaken by Smith,
who ordered him to throw away his
revolver and give himself up. This
the man did and Smith then brought
him to Outings and turned him over to
the authorities. Smith said that he did
not take time to notice whether Davis
was shot more than one time, nor
could he remember whether Davis
had shot at all. as the play came up
too fast.
Dix was see at the county Jail last
night by a Gazette reporter, to whom
he gave a review of the trouble that
led up to the shooting. He said that
together with Smith he had visited
the road house last Monday. Smith
had treated the crowd a couple of
times and afterwards he did the same.
Smith. he said, paid 81 for the drinks,
but when it came his time to pay,
Davis had charged him, Dix, $3.50 for
the same number of drinks. On the
way to Smiths place Dix had asked
him how it came that Davis had
charged him, Dix, $3.50 when he had
charged Smith only 81. Smith replied
that he did not know.
Yesterday afternoon the two men re-
turned to the road house, when the
men began drinking, during which
Dix bantered Davis about short
changing him, and asked him why he
had charged him $3.50 when Smith
had been made to pay only 81. Davis
told him that he did not know about
it, and one word led to another, when
Davis made the remark that he would
give Dix his change out Of this"
here pulling out a revolver and point
ing it at Dix. The latter believing
that Davis intended to shoot, whipped
out his W revolver and pointing it
at Davis, shot, the bullet entering the
forehead over the right eye. After
that Dix To- not remember what oc-
CURED, excep. coming to town with
Smith. When seen at the Jail it was
plainly evident that he was still under
the influence of liquor. He said he did
not remember whether there were
more people in the house at the time
of the shooting than himself, Davis
and Smith.
Dix has been in this country only
dDOuC IWO IlOl1GuS, COlllluS u0I0 liOu
his home in Indiana. He worked for
a time at the Forester ranch, south
of the city, but quit there Monday
morning and went to work for John
Smith, in whose company he was at
the time Of the shooting. He is a
man about % years of age, single, and
has a father and mother residing at
Terre Haute, Ind.
Davis was well known in Billings,
having worked around several of the
saloons, but for the past few months
had been managing the road house for
Wells.
AS soon as notified of the shooting,
coroner Chapple empaneled a jury
and left a. 10 o'clock last night for
the Gene of the trouble for the pur-
pose Of holding an inquest.