Amador ledger., 1904-08-19
IAN ALLEGED.
5 SHOOTING SCRAPE
Charles Dickerman, Union Picket at FIRE.
mont, Shot at Near Amador City.
Three Shots Fired, One Taking
Effect in the Leg. = Three
Non-Union Men Under
Arrest.

| EuCCL IL L0c 4cS' 4HIo6
Non-Union Men Under
| Arrest.
Amador City has furnished sensa-
tional news item this week in the shape
OF shooting affair that occurred near
that town on Wednesday night. The
victim is Charles Dickerman, aged
about 38 years, one of the Dickerman
family of Quartz Mountain. Dicker-
man is member of Amador City
Miners Union. When the strike oc-
Cured at the Fremont he was employ
cd as union picket to watch In the
interest OF the strikers. For several
weeks, however, he had been off duty.
He had been drinking some, and
temporarily off guard. Wednesday
evening, as the story goes, he was on
his way to AmadOr City on horseback
He passed the saloon of Shealor &
Winram, quarter of mile beyond
Amador City, about o'clock. A
short distance from this place he met
three men-nou-union employees of the
Fremont-who we're proceeding toward
the saloon. One version Is that Dick
erman made remark for the men to
look out, as he had an unruly horse.
| When Dicker,nan reached Amador he
reported that he had been shot. 1t is
reported that two shots were fired at
him, one OF which took effect in the
calf of the left leg. Another bullet
passed through his hat. A doctor was
called and examined the wound. 1t is
thought that the ball lodged between
the two bones. The wound is not con-
sidered serious. The three men whom
| Dickerman met were J. II. Hinckly,
James Forbes and F. Sexton. They
went on to the saloon in question, and
stayed there for half an hour, after
which they proceeded to the Fremont
boarding house, near the mine. They
were arrested on the road by deputy
sheriff D. S. Gray, charged with being
concerned in the shooting. They we're
brought to Jackson the same night
and lodged in Jail.
The deputy sheriff heard the men
talking before he made the arrest
They were referring to the rough con-
dition of the road, and said they would
not venture away again at night time.
There was nothing to indicate in their
talk that they had been in any trouble.
| al .~,t.
ev vening to look up fellow workman
at New Chicago; not finding him there
they proceeded to Amador. They ad-
mitted meeting Dickerman on the road,
and after passing him they heard two
shots; further than this they knew
nothing. Superintendent Goodall
takes the position that if his men get
into trouble outside the premises he
wants the law to be vindieated; and as
soon as he heard they were suspected
| the mems own protection il innocent,
guilty. The feeling was strong, as
three men had npthing to do with it.
Dickerman himself said they were not
mixed up with it; he was inclined to
Ohluh 0Hdo ~. u. N4Idy, OhC
sheriff, did the shooting. This idea
was still wide of the mark, as Gray was
at the Fremont when the shooting took
place.
Thursday night man named John
Torto, an Italian employed at the
Bunker Hill mine, was arrested by
deputy sheriff Gray on suspicion Of
committing the crime. He was on the
road at the time, with a heavy pack on
his back, and making his way out Of
the county. He soon made full con-
fession, admitting that he did the
shooting. He shot TWICE at picker-
man. His explanation Is that he was
sitting on the roadside when Dicker-
man rode up; Torto is nom union
man; that he had been much annoyed
by the efforts OF the union men to get
him to join the union; that Dickerman
had appealed to him in this behalf.
When Dickerman saw him by the road
he stopped and addressed him, and
proceeded to dismount. He pleaded to
be let alone; he was frightened, and in
his terror he drew his gym and fired
twice. Torto was lodged In the coun-
ty jail. The other three men were
liberated last night, and proceeded
back to the mine.
The mystery OF the affair is fully
cleared up by this confession, and con-
siderable agitation in the vicinity of
Amador has been thereby allayed.