The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-08-14
GLENDINNING SHOT
BY HIS OWN PISTOL
An Interesting Phase of the
Stateline Tragedy.
HEDGES NEVER FIRED
BUT DIED TRYING TO DRAW
his GUN.

Additional particulars of the circum-
stance. connected with the killing of
James H. Hedges at the mining camp of
Stateline last Sunday reached this city
yesterday. Instead of James O. Glen
/ dining being shot in the arm by
Hedges, it develops that the first shot
was from Glendinning's gun. and that
Hedges never hred a shot. However.
aeoses hand was on his own gun TO
the death.
According to statements by persons
VINO were IN the camp at the time of
lne tragedy, Glendinning came over
[ from the Ophir mine with a number of
ms Fellow miners TO celebrate pay day
ana CHANGING to meet Hedges in the
saloon discussion arose as to which
was the better shot at any object
thrown into the air. Hedges offered to
Def three 10 one that he could OutshOOt
the miner and the latter promptly put
up MS money, but ne old Missourian
refused to cover il. As evidence that
/ there was no III feeling over Hedges
action the drinks were ordered up and
! drank. Then Hedges warmed up again
ana satd: IF it is gun fight you are
dIJef. u so and heel myself" and a
| that he walked over to his cabin, armed
[ himself and returned to the saloon. See
ing his adversary coming to fight, Glen
dining remarked that if trouble was
going 20 occur the others had better
stand aside.
At the screen door J. sdges announced
his readiness. his halsd being on the
/ handle of his pistol in his cartridge belt.
/ Glendinning jumped at Hedges and
grabbed aim by the arm before he could
draw his gun, saying to him: Don't
( do that: don't raise a finger" By this
time Glendinning had his own gun out
and N his right hand.
Glendinning Shot Himself.
In the struggle il is supposed that
Hedges caught Glendinning's hand, and
that it was while wrestling that Glen
dinning's gun was discharged, the ball
entering his left arm and shattering the
bone No sooner had the first shot from
Glendinning s gun been fired than Glen
dining, thinking he had been shot by |
Hedges, fired two shots into his oppO-
nent's breast at close range Hedges /
dropped. but still endeavOring in his ex- /
piring condition to draw his gun. Glen !
dlQning took fresh hold on the arm of B
the PROSTATE form to prevent him from
firing Hedges died with his right hand /
on his gun, but IL was apparent that he 1
could not draw it because the weapon 1
had caught in the scabbard.
Attorneys 5 A. King and J. w y. I
WhitecottOn Of Provo were at State 4
line examining some mining property
last Sunday and they were retained BY
Glendlnnlng to conduct his defense
The date of the preliminary hearing /
viii be fixed later.
Hedges Career.
Hedges was an oId-timer in south /
western Utah and in many respects I
his was a picturesque character. In /
the boom days of Frisco he was a res
ldent of that camp. He was from I
Missouri. and it is said he partici- /
pated IN the border warfare Of the 4
civil war as one Of QuantrePs raiders /
He priced his word Of honor as dear /
20 him as life itself, but he was quick 1
to resent a fancied wrong.
Hedges became in volved in many 1
lights, ans in one of these, at Beaver, :
he killed one Golding after the latter /
had shot MIN in the back. For this he 4
was generally conceded to have been !
justified Again, at Frisco, he beat a 1
man with a revolver so severely that !
ne subsequently died.
An incident illustrating how he met /
his equal and acknowledged the fact /
at Price is related by some of the dead /
mans old acquaintance. It devoIved [
upon him to help the nightwatch of /
the business part of the camp to SUD- I
press unruly conduct in the saloons, /
and while so acting he was called into I
Lammersdorfs saloon to quiet some I
noisy Cornish miners who were sing /
ing too loud. With a flourish of his /
gun Hedges declared to the men that /
they must stop their nilarity. The
command was unheeded and the biggest 4
Cornlshman in the bunch took Hedges /
pistol away from him and stood him /
on his head The terror of the camD !
at once acknowledged the Cornish |
mans superior prOwess and treated 1
the crowd, at the same time confessing
that there was no disturbance, and /
good-naturedly assuring the men that
he would see they were protected in |
enjoying themselves.
In later years Hedges is said to /
have become more resentful and more
frequent has been his resort to guns
and knives. His three sons live at
Stateline. and they seem to have in
herited some of the characteristics of
the father On July 4 the old man
and his Oldest son terrOried the people
of the camp by challenging them to
any kind of a fight. Since then the
feeling has become very much strained
between the Hedges and the Statelin- /
eTS.
Glendinning was resident of ATer-
cur for five years and for q time was
a peace officer there He arrived at
Stateline to work in the Ophir mine on
Trr1r- Of