Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-04-08
The Arizona Kicker
Editor Hellso Meets With a Misfortune. Owing to a Dispute With
 Colonel Thompson.

Kicker on a salary of SIP per week, with bullet holes thrown in.
 His style is somewhat jerky. This is because he has to jerk out a gun so often.
 Jim Hellso, the editor and owner, is lying in bed with bullet in his shoul- der, and it falls to the lot of the horse editor to write the particulars of a lamentable occurrence.
 Mr. Hellso desires us to observe at an early stage that three months ago, when his fourteenth victim was laid away in the Kicker editorial graveyard, there was every hope that no further shooting would have to be done for years.
 Despite this hope, fifteenth has fallen.
 The horse editor could ring in sey- eral Scriptural quotations at this juno, ture to point moral. but the small ness of his salary forbids extra exer- ton.
 The name of the fifteenth man was Colonel Thompson, late owner of Gray Wolf ranch and a person widely known in this section of Arizona as an impulsive, hot tempered man. On four different occasions he pulled gun on the writer of this, and his record was that of shooter.
 In addition to knowing the cattle business from A to z the colonel was man of considerable education and student of history. It is believed that he had a history of America about ready for the press when the misfor- tune occurred.
 Some five years ago the Kicker pub lislled an article in which Nero was not mentioned in the most hattering terms Colonel Thompson at once took exception to the article, claiming that Nero was man of shining character who had been maliciously vilified. The paper apologized in it's next issue, but the incident ranked in the colonels mind.
 There was another scene. The Kick CT had published brief article about Cain, who is popularly supposed to have killed his brother Abel. Accord ing to Colonel Thompson, it was ma lfcious islander on Cain, and he didn't propose to stand by and see a good mans memory smirched After some discussion, in which pistols were drawn, the Kicker agreed to apologize, and it's next issue contained the fol lowing
 An Apo1ogy.-In the hurry of going to press last week we inadvertently admitted an article refiecting on the character of Cain of Biblical memory We exceedingly regret that the Kicker should have given circulation to the report that Cain killed his brother Abel and trust that neither of | tssem will suffer any inconvenience from the publication.
 The apology did not entirely satisfy ! Colonel Thompson, but he had to make the best of it and wait for another op- | portunity.
 That opportunity came last Weanes- day. On that day the Kicker pub lished an article that Diogenes, the l philosopher, didn't pay his debts. Two | hours after the paper was mailed Colo mel Thompson came stormfng in to claim that he was direct descendant of Diogenes, and that the article was I gross slander.
 1 The horse editor was in the editorial l sanctum to borrow $2 and saw and heard everything.
 Mir. Heiiso expressed regret that he had injured the reputation of anybody and promised that the usual apology should appear the next week. He add ed, however, his desire to secure list of Biblical and historical things object I ed to by the colonel in order to prevent future mistakes, and the colonel didn't 1 take 1t as joke.
 On the contrary, he emphatically de nounced MT. Hellso as slanderer of the dead and man who ought to have { been brought to book long ago. Sever l al remarks were made in an effort to soften him, but he would not accept the 1 olive branch He was about to leave the office when he was asked if the Kicker could publish anything about l Jonah and the whale without being forced to apologize for it. 1 The remark was made in the greatest good nature and was accompanied by laugh, but Colonel Thompson uttered l an oath and pulled a gun and began shooting.
 The horse editor at once lay flat l down on the floor The horse editor, it may be remarked, knows his gait k Colonel Thompson had fired three shots before MT. Hellso reached for his 1 gun and replied. Indeed, he was all 1 ready wounded. At his first fire the colonel fell, and he never spoke again
 The horse editor notified the police and the coroner and got a dray to take MT. Hellso to the hospital. The coro- I ner's inquest held that same evening acquitted the editor of any blame what ever.
 Tn rendering their verdict the jury added, we also find that the man 1 [horse editorl who lay down is good deal of lilac"
 Colonel Thompson was buried in the editorial graveyard yesterday in as good shape as possible, and MT Hellso ! deeply regretted his inability to be 1 present The horse editor had full l charge of things.
 I MT Hellso desires it to be under stood that he deeply deplores the mis- fortune that has come so early in the I new year, but the affair was forced