Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-11
KILLING JUSTIFIED
Steamboat Mate Dan Breen is
Exonerated by Coroner's
Jury.
HE SHOOTS IN SELF DEFENSE
Stories of Eye Witnesses of Eester-
days Tragedy on
Dubuque.

L ne coroner jury InaI 1llNeSIl-
gated the shooting of Christopher
Leonidas and his son yesterday
aboard the steamer Dubuque found
that Mate Dan Breen acted in self
defense and ordered him released
from custody.
Coroner Lambach presided at the
inquest, which was held at Daven-
port. The first witness was Capt.
John Simmons, of St. Louis. the com
mander Of the Dubuque. He said
the two medicine men got aboard at
Rock Island at about 1890, that af-
ter the crossing of the river and
when he had returned to the boat
from the office of the company. he
heard the two men, afterward killed,
making great deal of noise on the
boiler deck. that he told them such
talk did not sound well, that he then
walked forward with the mate and
went to the hurricane roof, where it
was his duty to be when the boat
was pulling out. The witness said
the steamer had gone half way across
the river and was making for the
draw in the government bridge, when
he heard the report of shots, that he
rushed down upon the boiler deck,
found the two men had been shot,
and went back above to give the pilot
orders to return to the Davenport
landing.
Capt Simmons described the medi-
cine men and the way in which they
were equipped with revolvers. knives
and whips. He said he understood
the trouble was over some freight
Al. e 81.
men was swearing and that he, the cap
tain. told him his baggage would he
handled just the same as that of any
other person. The place of the mate
was on the forecastle and the boiler
deck. and that officer had charge of
the freight carried upon the boat.
The witness had known Mate Breen
during the present season and had
found him to be a qniet. peaceable
man. He had not heard him swear
during the discussion with the medi-
cine men. The obstreperous passen-
gers had tickets to MacGregor, Iowa.
Story OF the Clerk.
Morris Killeen. of Dubuque, Iowa,
the clerk of the steamer, was the
next witness called by the state. He
said he was about Is feet from the
mate at the time the latter did the
shooting. and that he, saw part of,
the affair. although he made haste TO
get out of range when he found the
bullets were flying. He thought the
mate was 10 feet from the older of
the medicine men and Is feet from
the younger. The older man, he no.
ticed, was trying to get out his re-
IL -,
line with the direction in which this
person would shoot. got ont of the
way as quickly as he could. He was
present at the firing of the first shot
by the mate. however, and saw that
il took effect on the older man.
Mr.. Killeen said he had been clerk
of the Dubuque for six years and had
known Mate Breen for about the
same length of time. He had not
heard any threats before the shoot
ing. The revolver used by the mate
was the property of the witness.
from whom Mr.. Breen had secured ii
few minutes before the shooting.
The mate had come upon the upper
deck to the office of the clerk and
asked for the revolver, just as he had
done dozens of times before. The
pistol was in the cash drawer and
was handed tO the mate, who was
laughing and made no explanation of
why he wished TO have the weapon.
After Mr.. Breen went below again.
the witness heard some one remark
there was going to be trouble, and
he accordingly followed the stairs
and arrived in time to see the begin
ming of the shooting. He did not see
the mate draw the revolver, but saw
that the medicine men had their
hands on their revOlvers, both being
in the act of reaching for their guns
before the first shot was fired.
What a Doctor Saw.
DR.. j. III. Swats, a practicing ply
stefan of st. Louis, aged 2S and pas
senger on board the Dubuque, was
the third witness. He was sitting
upon the steps leading from the boil
er deck to the upper deck just be-
fore the shooting happened, and
while sitting there was addressed by
the mate. who told him of stomach
trouble he had had ever since he re-
turned from the Klondike. The wit
ness said the mate walked away, that
there was the sound of voices in the |
rear of the stairway, and he heard
one of the medicine men say that, If
the mate tried to run his bluff, they, |
the medicine men, would fix him. DIR. |
Swats said he heard the first shot. |
but did not look at the scene of the
killing. being occupied with seeking |
place of safety on the upper deck.
Porter's Version.
Inhr Ca1aCfrnan n enlnra6 rt1nr liv- |
ing in st. Louis and serving on the
Dubuque as porter, was the next |
witness. He said the young man
I'll