Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-07-07

John Guernan was killed Saturday
night by John Grebhles in the Ant
lcrs saloon The two men had been
playing cards and got into "A quarrel
and came to blows. It is said that
.rebbles got somewhat the worst OF
the scrap. They were separated by
bystanders and finally declared their
friendship for each other again and
went to the bar and had a drink to.
gether. Grebbles went out and came
back in few minutes when he pull.
| ed gun and commenced pounding
Guernan over the head with il. One
| shot was fired. but whether 1t was
! fired at Guernan or the gun was ac.
cidentally discharged while striking
| with 1t Is not known.
| After the shot was fired Guernan
sank to the floor and Grebbles ran
| out at the back door Guernan raj
| lied Immediately and walked out TO
| the street where he entered a car.
| riagc and was driven 10 his home, a
physician being summoned there
| and his wounds dressed His con
| dition was not believed to be serl-
| Gus. for he walked around town for
some time afterward. but in about
| two hours after the shooting he be.
gan TO grow worse. and at / 55 three
hours after the shooting, he died.
Grebbes In the meantime had run
towards the railroad trach and was
followed by Constable Butler, who
happened along just as Grebbles was
making his escape. Butler was un-
armed. and all he could do was to fol
/ low and keep the man in sight. He
J called ON him several times to sur
render but Grebbles threatened sew
| eral times TO shoot him II he followed,
Butler kept him in sight, however.
] until he met some railroad men near
| the section house. and they surround
ed the man and caught him under u
| box car lie was brought up town and
4 turned over to the police and was
placed in jail.
Guernan was taken to Hoods under
! taking rooms after his death. II was
impossible to tell without holding a
post mOrtem examination whether the
man had been shot through the head
! or whether death resulted from the
beating There were several ugly
cuts on the head. and one wound a
little above the forehead and another
on the back OF the head made 1t looh
like ball had gone through the mans
skull.
The above Is substantially the story
as told by witnesses. Grebbles, how
!
that he and Guernan met first Satur
day night in lsgar's saloon; that Gner
nan had 1t in for him" for loni
time without any reason; that Guer
nan called him vile names, and no
desiring any trouble he (Grebblea
I walked cut and left him. They me
again at the Antlers when, CREDIBLE
declares, Guernan attacked him wit
"a pair OF "knucks.' and In self dc
fense he pulled his gun and beat Guel
nan over the head with H. The we'
; pom was IL calibre. Credible
claims he was struck a number q
times with the "knucks" on the heat
3 He says he did not Intend to shoo
? | and that the gun was discharged a.
cidentally when striking with H.
: claims they had not been playin
$ cards together and says they did n'
d have a scrap prior to the one in whic
e he beat Guernan with the gun. II
X says the statements that they dram
i together are all mistake.
Grebbles claims to be 80 years I
d age and works more at sawmillln
l. than anything else. The last work
:, did before coming to town was pu
ting In crop on the j. w Sit
e ranch on Florida mesa In answer
e the question II he had ever kill
IS anybody before or had been inyoiy'
y. In any serious scraps he replied
d, had never killed anyone before Al
'e had had only one serious dificul
" and tAAA vaa = cutting sc1aRa.