The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-03-10
TOM SOLOMON COURTS TROUBLE
WITH BAD RESULT.
BULLET PIERCES HIS LIVER
Becomes Involved in Row With Frank
Renie and Receives Ugly
Pistol Wound.
From Mondays Daily Gazette.

From Mondays Daily Gazette.
Tom Solomon is at st. Vincent's
hospital with an ugly wound in the
side, while Frank Renie is a prisoner
in the county Jail, charged with hav-
ing inflicted the wound. The trou-
BILE between the two had it's origin in
q drunken quarrel, for both men had
been drinking freely up to the time
of it's occurrence, shortly after mid
night last night.
Earlier in the evening Solomon and
q woman known as Vic Kirk entered
Fogg & Watkins saloon IN Mime
sofa avenue between Twenty-seventh
and Twenty-eighth streets, and began
drinking wine. Renie, who has been
tending bar in the place, Joined them
he having been relieved for the day.
Finally Solomon and the woman asked
Mr.. Fogg, one Of the proprietors, to
treat, but he declined, saying he made
it a practice never to buy drinks in
his own house, but il they would join
he would go to JEFF Brewers place, a
few doors east, and buy a bottle of
wine The party repaired to the Brew
Ell saloon and Fogg "stood treat"
Had the treating ended here the
shooting would probably not have
occurred. But drinking was continu-
ed and finally Renie and Solomon be-
came involved in a quarrel, owe the
woman it is said. The bartender or
dered them to stop, but as they kept
on q%uarreling he elected both, put
ting them out of the back door.
What occurred between them after
ward is not known, but it is evident
that the quarrel ended in a fight, for
about 1890 o'clock a shot was heard
in the alley Immediately in the rear
of the saloon and soon thereafter Sol
u1nvn upr~~r~a ana eaid Rania had
shot him. He made light of his
wound and said it would amount to
nothing. When it was suggested to
him that he would better cause the ar
rest of Renie he refused to do so, but
the woman insisted that he should
DO SO and finally t%elephoned to Sheriff
Hubbard that a man had been shot
and that he was wanted in Minnesota
avenue. The sheriff responded and
went to the place indicated. 1t was
now about 8 o'clock. He was Joined
by Policeman Walker and the two
made a search for Renie, who disap-
reared Immediately after the shoot
ing. The officers were told that he
was in his room over the saloon where
he was employed and thither they
went. They found the door locked
and after repeatedly calling on Renie
to open it without receiving any re-
Spouse, Mr.. Hubbard forced it open
and Renie was found in bed asleep.
Some difficulty was experienced In
waking him, but he was finally routed
out of bed and made to dress, after
which he was taken to Jail.
In the meantime Doctor Rinehart
had been summoned and under his di-
rections Solomon was removed to the
hospital, where the doctor, assisted by
Doctor Lindsay, examined the wound.
1t was found that the bullet had en-
tered the back ear the right side and
ranged upward, coming out in front.
In it's course it %punctured the lower
lobe of the liver, but only slightly.
This morning the physicians said that
il their opinion the man was in no
danger, unless blood poisoning inter-
yened, something they did not consid-
er likely.
The revolver used in shooting is a
3S-calibre Smith & Wesson and is in
possession of the sheriff, he having
found it in Renie's DON at the time
he arrested him.
Renie has been in the city only a
short time, having come here recent
ly from Glendive. Before removing
to the latter place he was engaged in
the saloon business at Bozeman,
where he failed and was closed u
Before that he was employed at the
hot springs.
Solomon is we'll known here, having
made his home in Billings for a num-
Der of years. He is a "sport' and, it
is said, the friend" of the woman
over whom the shooting is alleged to
have occurred.
Among the lawyers of the state
who were rendered a place on the