The daily sentinel., 1906-12-26

/ made n brief announcement OF the
murderous assault made by Morgan
/ Williams, the prize fighter, upon Bert
Yonts, the horse trainer, on one of the
streets of Fruita at a late hour on
Monday afternoon.
From all accounts the affair was
one of the most disgraceful ever en-
acted in that little city and caused
considerable excitement.
Bert Yonts is at the Fruita hospital
suffering from concrssIon of the
brain. 1t is very probable that he will
recover. Morgan Williams and hisI
companion in the assault, John James
are in the county jail in this city
awaiting a preliminary hearing.
AS far as the Sentinel can learn
Bert Yonts and Morgan Williams
have been enemies for some time, al
though for long time they had been
warm personal friends.
Williams and his friend James
went to Fruita last week and were
working on a ranch of Williams mo-
ther some miles out of Fruita.
/ Saturday afternoon about four o.
clock Williams and James met Yonts,
the horse trainer and fellow named
Nearing, on the street and the row en-
sued williams knocked Yonts down
and it is claimed by some witnesses
that Williams and his companion
kicked and beat Yonts terribly. A
crowd quickly gathered. Yonts was
taken to a physician and Williams
and his partner made their get away.
The two men went to the Groves
ranch three and one-half miles north
of Fruita and from there Williams
telephoned to Frulta to Justice of the
peace c. ]. Nugent and told him that
if he would deputize two men to come
out to the ranch that he and his COM
panion would give themselves up
and come to Fruita.
In the meantime Sheriff Struthers
in this city had been notified and he
left at once for Fruita. Sheriff Stru-
theirs after reaching Fruita rode out
toward the Groves ranch and he stat
es that about one mile out of Fruita
he met the two special deputies with
the prisoners. He took the two men
in chanrge and brought them to
Grand junction and placed them in
jail.
Il Morgan Williams tells the follow
ing story of the affair He declared
that he and his friend had been baling
hay at the williams ranch and that
on Monday afternoon they ran out of
wire and thought that they would
clean up and go to town to enjoy
Christmas. Williams states that he
and James met Yonts and Nearing
on the street. II had understood
from several people that Yonts was
carrying a gun for me-" said Will
liams. to Sheriff Struthers "and when
l met him l said: Hello Yonts, have
you got that gun for me" Williams
states that Yonts replied in the af-
firmative and made a move to pull
the gun out of his pocket. Williams
states that he then hit Yonts and at
the same time Yonts pulled the revol-
yer and Nearing stepped forward to
take Yonts' part. Williams and jam
es then both attacked Yonts in an ef-
fort to get the gun away from him.
Williams states. that he had to beat
Yonts up pretty badly to keep him
from shooting him and to get the gun
away from him. He admits that he
knocked Yonts down but does not say
whether or not he kicked him. VIII
liams declares that as crowd was
gothering quickly he was afraid that
violence might be done him and
James so they left at once for the
Groves ranch and telephoned in for
officers. They made no effort to leave
the country.
When Yonts was picked up in the
streets he was in an unconscious con-
dition and it was believed for n time
that he would die. He had been dealt
a terrible blow on the head and the
concussion of the brain had been sus-
tanned. He was in precarious con-
ditlon all Monday night but yester-
day became better and today is stint
improving.
There are several stories advanced
as to the cause of the trouble be-
tween Yonts and Williams. One re-
port has it that Yonts accused Will
liams of poisoning n race horse some
time ago in this city and Williams
had heard of these charges and had
Il in for Yonts. Another store has It
that when Yonts and Williams came
back some time ago from a trip to
Texas that Williams got mad at Yonts
because he would not pay his railroad
fare from Pueblo to this city. There
is still another story to the effect
that a woman of the half world with
whom Williams had been thick ac-
| cused him of stealing fine diamond
brooch and Williams believed that
Yonts started this story, How much (