Fergus County argus., 1904-02-17
HERDER'S AIM
WAS UNERRING
Joe Wander, Of Stanford, Killed Mon.
day Afternoon by Harry Cook,
a Sheepherder.
MURDER A MOST BRUTAL ONE
Killing Was Done With the Utmost
Deliberation and Without Any
Apparent Provoestion.

Harry Cook, sheepherder, who
has lately been in the employ of
Waite & Elliot on their ranch below
Deerfeld. shot and almost instantly
killed Joe Wander Monday afternoon
about $3.50 o'clock. Judging from the
particulars which were telephoned to
the Argus by Justice Korell who con.
Quoted the coroners inquest. the kill
ing was of a most cold-blooded nature
and utterly lacking in any provoca-
tion.
Lou Seguin. Joe Wander and Harry
Cook were playing seven up" in the
bar room of Vander's saloon when
Cook bet twenty dollars certain
hand would make a certain number
of points. He lost. Getting up he
said that he was "jobbed' and that
he was going to clean out the place.
He went across the street to the ho-
tel of Andy Matthews. and, in a few
moments. was seen coming towards
the saloon with his rifle. The men
all left the place by the back way.
A few seconds after Cook entered the
room with his gun. Wander put his
head inside the door, apparently for
the purpose of seeing what the man
intended to do. Without a word Of
warning Cook raised the gun and fired.
Wander sank back on an oil can at the
end of the building.
Cook then turned and walked to the
saloon OF Morrison & simpson. He
was still In a belligerent mood and
fired one shot into the ceiling of the
building, but before he was able to do
any further damage Morrison struck
him over the head with billet and
Simpson secured his gun. A crowd
had gathered by this time and he was
taken charge of by some of the men.
II was two or three minutes after
the shooting before anyone got to
Wander. He was found sitting on the
oil can and was just dying as his
friends reached his side. The bullet
struck him about three inches above
the left eye brow and plowed its way
through the skull. turning TO the right
and coming out slightly back and
above the right ear. The wound was
from one and a quarter to one and
a half inches wide and about five
inches long. The brains of the dead
man were splashed over the adjoining
wall. The rife which Cook used was
25-35 Winchester and the bullet was
of the soft nose variety.
AS soon as possible the sheriff and
county attorney in this city were not.
flied of the killing and Deputy Sher-
iff Ed. Silverthorne left that night for
Stanford. He found Cook tied up and
closely guarded by citizens of that
community. Soon after the shooting
there was. strong talk of lynching, but
cooler counsel prevailed and no at
tempt at violence was made.
DR.. o. +. David. of Utica, coroner
of this county. was sick and sent ovei
Justice p. w. Korell to hold the cor
oner's inquest. AS soon as he arriv-
ed, the justice gave the friends of the
dead man permission to remove his
body to his home.
At o'clock yesterday afternoon a
coroner's jury composed Of A. j.
Slough. Frank Mitchell. Robert Skel.
ton, Alec. Tuttle. Dan Driscoll and
John Simpson, was empanneled
There were thirteen witnesses exam
ined at the hearing, all of them agree.
ing as to the principal facts of the
tragedy. The inquest was concluded
at $3.50 O'Clock last night when the
jury brought in the following verdict:
I'VE, the jury, find that Joe Wander
came TO his death from a gunshot
wound inflicted by gun in the hands
of Harry Cook, and that the manner
and means of said killing was felon-
ious."
Officer Silverthorne decided not to
start to Lewistown with his man un-
I'll this morning and will arrive this
afternoon some time. Cook Is con-
siderably injured himself by the blow
on the head inflicted by Morrison.
He Is a man of about as years OF
age, and. as stated above. has been
herding sheep. He went to Stanford
but few days before the shooting
and had been loafing around the sa.
looms of the village. He appeared TO
be In full possession OF all of his
faculties at the time of the shooting
and had not been drinking very much
on that day. Since the tragedy he has
refused to talk concerning the motives
which induced him to commit the ter
rible deed and has expressed no re-
gret for his crime. SO far as known
he Is unmarried.
A man who was In this city this
morning said that Cook came from
Eureka, Neb. and that the name Cook
is an alias. His brother is said 10
be sheriff Of that county and some
difficulty caused this man to leave
there. This is not verified, however
and may not be true.
The murdered man, Joe Wander, is
about SO years Of age and leaves a
wife, who lives in Stanford. He has
been a resident Of this county for sew.
eral years and held the good will and
esteem of all with whom he came in
contact either in business or social
way. He was buried in the cemetery
near stanford this afternoon at two
o'clock.