Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-05-16
THOROUGHLY RlDDLED.
Eakin's Saloon at Tucumcari Was
Shot to Pieces.
A FULL DESCRIPTION.
From a Special Correspondent.

From a Special Correspondent.
Tucumcari, NJ M, May 13.-Your
telegram received this mornin. Was
going to write you yesterday in regard
to the matter, but was busy right up to
train time. and could not get it off.
1t was a very lamentable affair all
the way through. but | think there is
no doubt but what the boys will get off
all right. particularly if they can get
h trial transferred.
When | came over here, Eakin got
on the train at Glorieta and | came
through with him to Tucumcari. stop
ping W. with him at his place in
Santa Rosa and we went hunting to-
gether. They have a wholesale place
in Santa Rosa. and had opened one
here at Tucumcari. but the retail deal
ers here had been giving them the
go by" in favor of the Gross & Rich
ards company, who also handled liu-
uors at wholesale. Consequently Mr..
Eakin decided to open a retail place. l
had several talks with him about it,
and he said he thought a retail place.
with all drinks at 10 cents, would be a
paying proposition, and he therefore
made arrangements TO open up last
SATURDAY night and had big signs post
ed to The effect that there would BIZ a
hot lunch and all drinks would be 10
cents. OF course, the other dealers
realized that this would cut off one-
third of their profits. and consequently
were not very friendly to the deal.
Street Abused Him.
On Saturday afternoon before the
opening, Mir. Street. a saloonkeeper.
and a partner of the man Smith Zone
of the fellows killed) met Eakln on the
street and abused him in the worst
way and remarked: You s. of a b.,
I'll bet you 81 900 that you don't open
up" etc. Later in the afternoon | was
In the saloon and one of the boys
around town came in with q woman
and said he wanted some of that 10
cent beer. Mr.. Eakin told him that
there was a law in the territory
against women drinking over the bar,
and that If he would step in front in
h wholesale department he would
bring the drinks out to them. They
did SO and then went out.
In h evening they had music, and
naturally there was a large crowd out
and business was booming, when in
walked this man Smith Streets part
ner) and Stewart (the other man who
was killed. with two of the girls, and
Mr.. Eakin refused to give them drinks
over the bar. They came in a second
time n | do not know whether he
gave them drinks or not.
Looking for Trouble.
Shortly afterwards the two men
back alone, and it was evident
that they were looking for trouble.
They walked up to the center of the
bar and started an argument with
Eakin, but there, was so much of a hub
hub in the room from fellows shaking
dice for the drinks, the music and
some fellows dancing that it could not
be heard what they were arguing
about. Eakin was seen to step back
from the bar and start to take off his
apron and remarked that this was the
first time he had ever had anybody
come in from the outside and attempt
to run his business. His movements
were In plain sight, but Smith thought
ne was going after a gun n got the
drop on him, remarking: "You s. of a
b, I've got the drop on you" but
when he saw that Eakin was only TAX
ing of his apron, he put his gun back
into his holster. They had some more
argument and Smith was seen to reach
across the bar and slap Eakin in the
face. letting his hand go on down to
his gun, but before he could pull it.
Eakin pulled his gun from beneath the
bar and let him have ii. The bullet
took him in the upper lip, cutting a
small hole and sprinkling his face with
powder marks. He dropped in a heap
on the floor and never moved.
1t is supposed that Louis, the bar
tender, grabbed a shotgun from the
other end of the bar and covered the
crowd. and upon seeing Smiths part
ner make a move for his gun (Which it
afterwards ascertained he did not
haye) let him nave a charge of buck
shot in the side. 1t hit him right over
the watch on the left side and tore his
whole side out. He lived until the fol
lowing evening.
The Crowd Scattered.
Of course, the crowd Immediately
scattered, leaving the two men lying
on the floor. They Immediately shot
the lights u and Eakin. Louis and
DOC" Burdick threw themselves fat
on the floor in the back part of the
room and covered the front door with
Winchesters and shotguns and the
crowd began shooting into the front
door but did rot hit any of them. OF
course, this was done by Smiths
friends. The boys would not let any
body in the place and kept them off by
shooting high ove their heads, as the
bullet holes through the windows and
door castings will show, they having
shot from the floor, as they did not
necessarily want to hit anyone.
The fellow who was shot in the side
wanted to crawl to the door and let
his friends look after him. as he said
he had not long to live. hut Eakin
would not let him, as he knew ii would
only excite the crowd. and they would
have burned the building. notwith-
standing the fact that the whole town
would have gone with it. They finally
allowed the justice OF the peace TO
come in with his hands above his head,
and told him that they would not allow
anybody else to enter except the sher-
in or jim Witt Good & Co.'S special
officer, who is here in the car with me
now. who is a deputy sheriff in this
county, but he was not at that time.
Jim is a great tall fellow, an eX-cow-