Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-29
j. L. Billings, of McCallsburg,
Dangerously Wounded by
One A. d. Lee
SHOOTING CAUSES EXCITEMENT
Presence Of Mind and couraa. of the
Wounded Mans Son, Howard, Pre-
vents Worse Trasedy-Lee Taken
to the County Jail at Nevada--DetaiIs
of the ARRAY.
Special to Times Republican.

Il
courage and humanity of 1S-year-old
Howard Billings prevented one Of the
worst tragedies that has taken place
/ in this vicinity for years at the Iowa
i & Dakota mine two miles south OF
town yesterday forenoon. AS it is ia
son L. Billings lies in a critical con-
EDITION, suffering from two bullet
wounds inflicted by A. d. Lee. The
1 details of the affair are thrilling, for
latter the shots had been fired the two
men grappled in struggle to the death
that lasted for some time and had 1t
| not been for the presence of mind OF
young Billings. one, if not both, of the
men must have. been killed before 1t
Tended. Howard himself was in gravest
danger.
The affair was the outcome Of lit
| tie difficulty over money matters that
had for some time engendered i'll feel
ing between the elder Lee and Billings.
1t appears Lee owed Billings sum of
money, and Lee having had some In
terest in the mine of the Iowa q Da-
kota Mining and Improvement Com
Ipany Billings took charge of the mine
with the idea of getting what was due
him. Saturday evening Billings paid
the miners their wages, and Lee, who
was about at the time was suspected
OF having taken 50 which disappeared
from table in the room where the
men were paid while Billings was tem-
porarily absent. Lee hearing that Bill
-, a VIZ to hof
became angry and Wednesday morning
he and his son, armed with a shotgun
and revolver, started for the mine with
the avowed intention of killing Billings
and his son. On arriving at the mine
Lee Immediately opened fire on Bill
lings, firing two shots, one of which
took effect in the knee, breaking the
bones and the other took effect in the
region Of the pelvis. The shots We're
fired from close range and altho badly
wounded Billings grappled with Lee,
who is minus one arm, and soon bore
him to the ground. In some manner
Billings got hold of a rock and would
have crushed the skull of his antagon-
list had it not been for the son, How
ard Billings, who showed his heroism
and humanity by interfering to save
the life of his fathers would be
slayer. In the meantime Lee had called
on his son to take the. shotgun and
finish him." The son started to obey,
but young Billings seized the gun
from young Lee and threw 1t down
the mine shaft. Still struggling to
free himself from the elder Billings
grasp Lee directed his son to take the
revolver and complete the work his
father had begun, but he had not reck
oned with Howard who promptly
knocked young Lee down and placed
the revolver where 1t would do no
harm. BY this time the miners, who
had heard the shots came to the res
cue and Lee was captured and later
placed under arrest by Marshal w. j.
Hendrickson, Of this place. Lee was
taken to the county jail at Nevada.
where he will be held awaiting the out.
come Of Billings wounds.
The greatest excitement prevailed
here and in the vicinity OF the mine
when the news of the tragedy became
at the lookup when Lee was brought
to town. There is a good deal of feel
ing against Lee, who was regarded as
ia bad man generally and inclined to
be quarrelsome. AT the present writ
ing it is thought Billings will recover,
altho he is in precarious condition.
His wounds are very painful, but DR..
d. G. Mills, who attended the wounded
man says there are no. necessarily fatal.
Both bullets were recovered after
little probing.
T Great praise is given Howard Bill
ings for his cool and courageous action
in the affair. He not only saved his
fathers life, but that of his fathers
antagonist, for Billings could have
easily killed Lee with the Rock he had
secured when Lee went down under
the superior strength of his opponent
Lee attempted to fire third shot, but
the cartridga failed To axnlnde