The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-23
Leon McCaull and Roy Browning
Call on Same Young Woman
and Battle Follows.
FIRE AT CLOSE RANGE
Enrsged Youths Open Fire on
Each Other While but Few
PAGES Apart.
HIT BY STRAY BULLET
Mrs. Gustavus Wurgler Receives
Possibly Fatal Wound While
Seeking Shelter.

Firing at another point blank. and in
deadly earnest. Ray Browning, OF ITO Mad
isc i avenue. and Leon McCaull OF i22 East
New York street, were the principals In
street duel at South Meridian and McCarty
streets at 7:S0 O'Clock last night. while Ruth
Reynolds. ~ South Meridian street. over
whom the trouble occurred. stood by In
terror, and an innocent spectator. Mrs.
Gustavus A. Wurgler jr.. standing with
her daughter Elsie directly the
street. was seriously and possibly fatally
wounded by one of the stray bullets.
The men backed away from another
as they emptied their 3S-caliber revolvers.
and the many pedestrians scampered for
their lives under the shower Of bullets
which went singing in all directions. Seven
shots are known TO have been fired. and
only the poor craftsmanship Of the COM
batants prevented the death of both OF
the duelists.
The innocent victim of the fusillade was
taken to the office of DR.. Calvin l. Fletcher.
where it was found that the bullet had en-
tered the thigh. striking downward. II was
extracted at the knee. The wound is an
extremely painful one. and ii is possible.
Dr.. Fletcher said. that blood poisoning or
locajaw may result.
JEALOUS RIVALS MEET.
The trouble started when McCaull. who
is the night telephone operator at the Clay
pool Hotel. according to an engagement
went to call on Miss Reynolds on whom he
had been in the habit of calling He discov-
cred Browning with his sweetheart near
Meridian and AIcCarty streets, and stopped
| to talk with them. 1t is stated that Brown
ing had been calling on Miss Reynolds's sis
ter and had had some trouble with her. Nc
Caull claims that the argument which fol-
lowed after he met the couple was caused
by his efforts to patch up the previous quar-
rel between Ruth's sister and Browning,
while Browning states that he had an en-
gagement 10 call on Ruth.
Each man denies firing the first shot, hut
it not long after the meeting on the
corner that the ring OF revolver shots filed
the air. -McCauI states that during the
heat of argument Browning made a sus-
picious movement toward his hip pocket. "I
just beat him to IL he said land flashed
a gun I'm his face"
The men. were standing within a few feet
of each other when the bullets began TO fly,
and as each man walked slowly backward
he discharged his revolver time and again
at his rival. Finally McCaun turned and
ran, and Browning hurried with Miss Rey
nods to her home. where he was afterwards
Duncan.
When the officers arrived at the house
Browning and Miss Reynolds We're calmly
discussing the AFFAIR and were trying 10 de-
termine who fired the first shot. Miss Rey-
nolds did not make a statement, and was
not in-ccned TO protect either one of the
men, She was not excited and saw Browning
| taken away to jail without any visible
sign of emotion.
DUELLIsTs IN JAIL
Browning has always borne a good repu-
/ tation and has been steadily employed at
the hominy mills He is twenty years of age
and was seemingly ashamed 10 be brought
into the police station and put behind the
! bars. He confessed to having shot three
times, but stated that McCaull fired the
| first shot. When he heard the charge upon
which he was slated he looked Up in sur
| prise. Me. Assault and battery with in
tent to kill? Why. | shot I'm seif-defeaser'
he exclaimed. McCauIl disappeared i'm
| mediately after the shooting. ana owing to
recent change in. his boarding place. was
not located until two hours later.
/ Officers Askins and Duncan found
him at 122 East New York street.
and relieved him of his revolver in
/ Caull is a Southerner coming TO this city
/ from Alabama. lie is of very dark coma
! piexion. and his appearance is prepossessl
/ ing. His duties at the Claypool begin 4
/ IL o'clock at night. and he had becn a
! tending TO his work regularly. Befo
going out to call on Miss Reynolds. N
dressed with evident care. and clad ia
the height of fashion while pumping lead
at his rival.
| 1t is considered miraculous that other
fatalities did not result from the shooting.
as the street Was well filled with pe0ple.
and there Tras no protection save in night.
Gustavus A. Wurgier. jr.. the husoand OF
| plumbing establishment on South Meridian
! street