The Van Buren press., 1904-09-03
A FATAL AFFRAY.
Alma the Scene of an Affray last
Friday night that Meant
Death to Two Men.

! AS the result OF ngnt between young
men of Alma two of them lie dead and
| four others were more or less beaten up.
| The affray occurred about 800 p. N. last
| Friday and the first known here was
| telephone message TO Sheriff Pitcock
calling him TO come TO Alma at once
and giving him brief, and, as custom
AIRY in such cases, exaggerated. outline
of the trouble Mr.. Pitcock left at
once by conveyance and on his arrival
there telephoned the first reliable par
! ticulars.
1t seems Macy Rushing, the ls-year-
old son of Henry Rushing, formerly of
Van Buren, and Everett Thompson,
aged 81, were the parties whose actions
led up to the fight that resulted in the
death Of the elder brothers Of each Of
them.
Everett Thompson 80 it is claimed by
the Rnshing's :, during the absence Of
the operator from the telephone Office
called up a young lady over the phone
and impersonated Macy Rushing in the
conversation that ensued. He was
overheard by young man, who re-
ported it to Macy Rushing and he about
4 clock on the afternoon Of the tragedy
while young Thompson was standing
near Rushing s saloon called him to
task for doing SO. Thompson denied
that he WAS guilty and the matter was
dropped for the time. Later Macy
| Rushing learned that the conversation
had taken place and 1t is said his brother
James told him to whip Thompson
for doing so and telling lie about it.
Macy encountered young Thompson
about clock, both accompanied by
their brothers Macy by his brother
James and Everett by his brother Henry,
The meeting took place on a vacant
lot near the Thompson hotel, to the
east of the Iron Mountain tracks. The
two young men at once engaged in a
| fight and it is supposed one or the other
of the older ones coming TO the assist
snce of his younger brother drew the
other in and the younger and older
paired off fighting in opposite directions,
Henry Thompson had hrawn his pocket
knife and was using it on his adversary
cutting and stabbing him. One blow
from the knife penetrated James Rush
ing heart. 1t was then he drew his
pistol and fired twice on his opponent,
the last shot, supposedly, striking
Thompson near the top on the left side
of the head crushing the skull. Rush
ing walked about fifteen feet and then
sank down to the grass and expired in Il
few moments. Thompson walked away
in the opposite direction and WAS later
found sitting down with his head IN his
hands blood dripping through them from
the wound to the ground and his knife,
still open, lying beside him, as if in
momentary expectation Of another at.
tack. He was removed to his parents
hotel, where, after lingering until
Wednesday morning, he died
While the two elder brothers were en-.
gagged in mortal combat the younger
ones were using fists, clubs and knives
freely, John Pitcock seeing them fight
ing rushed up to separate them and WAS
knocked senseess and had bad cash
cut in his face. Leon Thompson, a bro.
ther to the other two, welded the club
that knocked Ptcock down, b, l.,
Thompson and his wife also appeared
on the scene, the later armed with n
pistol and some trouble was experienced
in disarming her,
Macy Rushing also was badly used mp
in the fight being beaten and cut, Ever
EFT was the only one not badly injured
and he made tracks 10 leave the scene
and for three days WAS In hiding, hunt
ed by friends Of the Rushing =. His re-
latives said he would surrender MS soon
MS things had Quilted down, and he did ,
appearing last Tuesday He was re-
leased under $500 bail, pending prelim'
mary hearing While he might be said
to have been the principal cause of the
trouble, yet no very serious charge can
be made against him, according to the
evidence now before us, M he was not
fighting with the two who met their
death,
James Rushing was the only one OF
those engaged who was married and
the announcement Of his death came M
q stunning blow to his young wife, and
for some time her reason was almost
despaired Of, His remains were Inferred
In Fairyiew cemetery last Sunday, Rev,
Bass conducting the services, They
were accompanied from Alma byH large
concourse of friends and many more
Joined at Shibley and here where he
formerly lived,
The skull Of Henry Thompson was
trepanned SUNDAY in the hopes OF Av'
ing his life and for n time he appeared to
grow better, The doctors hoperlormed
tho operation did not think pistol
bullet could have caused the wound, II
having more the appearance Of having
been caused by u blow with some heavy
instrument