The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-23
B0GDAN GIVES HIS
VERSION OF AFFAIR

This in a crude way is the history of
the affair up to date. Marked for
death, John Bogdan and his cousin Joe
Melich have for three months sur
Vived Il vendetta whose victims now
number one killed and three wounded.
Since they pointed the long finger at
him. two of Bogdan's enemies have
fallen badly wounded and one has gone
to his grave, bullet riddled corpse.
But the long finger still points at
BOgdan and the officers in Bingham
canyon expect any night the telephone
call which viii summon them to the
place where his body lies For these
officers and Justice George +. Lee know
the people of Little Austria and
know the vendetta which is the law of
these people.
And so the thing has come to a fight
with the officers .centering every effort
on breaking up the plotting faction,
while the members of this faction.
working every day in mines and
smelters, gather at night after they
have laid their dinner buckets to one
side. and talk over the prospective as
sination.
The strangest thing about it is the
matter of fact way in which all parties
concerned regard it. 1t is very evident
that man can get used to anything
and make it part of his every day life
Just like eating his dinner, even if it be
his own very probable murder.
John BOgdan doesn't worry over il.
An interview with him brought nothing
startling in the way of betrayal of emo
ton. Bogdan's cabin is in the heart of
Little Austria in one of the narrow
est parts of the defile. A woman was
washing on the porch when the ponies
stopped before the door. She was the
only living thing about the premises.
AS soon as the visitors reached the
steps they were the center of a crowd of
hfty-and the crowd was growing fast.
The production of the camera seemed
to act like the dragons teeth the old
Greek sowed-men began to spring up
from the stony ground.
Bogdan appeared from somewhere
among them. He greeted John Forbes
cordially Forbes. by the way. knows
about One-fOurth of the colony by their
first mares. He took his visitors into
his cellar and brought out the custom
airy bottles of beer He was a very
proper host-dignifed, self-possessed
and he carried the idea that he was
welcoming you to his house. just as fit
tingly as any one could do il in a dress
suit in Brigham street mansion.
Describes the Shooting.
The subject in hand was preached.
Bogdan looked at Forbes and then told
his story. 1t didn't take long. 1t was
gestures for the most part. Devic had
gotten mad. Damn mad" He had
into Bogdan's house. The bullets went
so clapping his hands.
Then Mister Chichester he come. An
he go TO ia door, an he knock So
striking the tub on which he sat three
times.
Den he go in. an bang, bang. dey
begin a shoot. Mr.. Chichester say. My
God, I'm shot an den Tony Starcevic
he geta shot"
He didn't dwell on the shooting of
StarceYic.
He didn't know any causes, he said.
And when he was asked about the
threats made against him he expressed
fear that they would burn his house or
stables.
Il gotta five cows an bull, an dozain
turkey he said.
He switched to this subject every
time his own prospective death was
preached. Yet Forbes, Williams, Jus
tice Lee and all the rest of them in
Bingham say they expect any day to
hear of John Bogdan's death. Evident
ly John Bogdan pays some heed to the
matter. His jumper bulged out where
the revolver beneath it had shifted
Story of Wounded Deputy.
Down the canyon half mile from
the scene of the vendetta is a tent. the
home of Lafayette Chichester and his
family. Inside they have finished il
and papered it, so that it looks snug
as any frame house. Vines climb over
a little frame porch and trees shade the
doorway. Here Chichester was lying the
afternoon of the Bogdan interview He
mas been forty days on that bed, after
seventy-four in the hospital His leg
Is still in bad shape-only the other day
the doctors had to make another in
cision for drainage Danger is not al
together past yet.
Its mending slowly he said. He
a a hon ha
They're a treacherous lot" said he
but they're towards. I could take
twenty OF thern-any white man could"
he went on and told of the struggle