The Glenwood post., 1906-12-29
SHOOTING
IN PLATEAU
Attempt Of Drunken Allen Thompson
TO Hill Family Resulted in His
Own Death Early Christ
mas Morning
SLAYER ACQUITTED AT INQUEST

The Christmas happiness of the
people of that splendid and usually
peaceful section of Mesa county, the
Plateau Valley, was rudely marred
near the dawn of the Christmas day
by an awful tragedy that occurred at
a ranch a short distance from Coll
bran, says the Grand Junotio Senti
mel.
Allen C. Thompson, a man of 32
has resided in the Plateau Valley for
several years From all accounts he
has borne anything but a good reputa
tion and on numerous occasions has
been in trouble. He was aIraigned
in district court here about year ago
charged with contempt of court as a
result of refusing to answer a sum
mons. About eight yeas ago he was
united in marriage to "A daughter of
Riley Pattion, ranchman residing
three miles from. Collbran, an old
farmer who has borne very good re
utatiou. Owing to Thompson S bad
habits, love for drink and quarrel
some disposition he and his wife had
not gotten along together. and also
he and his father in law had numer-
GUS difficulties and more than one
personal encounter. Christmas eve
Thompson was in Collbran drinking
pretty heavily and his conduct was
rather boisterous. About one o clock
he left Collbran in company with
another young man named JACK Bark
er. They were headed for the Pat
tion ranch. Barker testi Ted that on
the way Thompson repeatedly stated
that he had it in for "old man Pat
ton and declared that 81 am going
to fix him tonight and | have got the
gun to do it with. - Barker lett
Thompson at the Pattion home.
Without any ceremony whatever it
seems that Thompson entered the Pat.
tion home. He found that his young
wife and her two children were spend
ing the night there.
He lighted a match as he entered
the house and at once went into the
room where his wife was in bed with
two younger sisters The testimony
brought out at the inquest shows
that Thompson began at once to abuse
and denounce his wife, using the
vilest of language. He made all
kinds of threats. He demanded that
his wife get up at that unseemly hour
and walk to their home several miles
distant This she refused to do and
he then declared that she would either
go or he would kill her.
For about thirty minutes the quar-
reling continued. Thompson was
not to be pacifed. In the meantime
Patton had arisen and went over to
neighbor's just across the road from
the Patton home, TO see if he could
not get someone to place the man un
der arrest. Failing in this he re-
turned home. 1t seems that when
Patton returned Thompson was sit
ting on the foot of the bed on which
were laying his wife and her two sis
ters. He had revolver in his hand
still declaring that he was going to
kill mis- wife.
Thompson little girl was standing
at his side crying and begging her
father not to kill her mother, saying
please don t kill mamma. 1t was
stated by Mrs. Thompson and her SIS
ters that Thompson declared, Il am
going to kill you all. When | leave
here there is going to be four dead,
In the room with Thompson was his
wife and her two sisters, Misses Alice
and Martha Patton and the little
girl. Miss Alice left the room before
the shooting The Patton farm house
has three rooms, each opening into the
other Mr.. Patron was standing in
one of the rooms alone, watching
Thompson, he had armed himself with
a large Bull rifle. 45 10 calibIe. He
had view of Thompson and the bed
through the open door. Patton S
wife was in bed in the third room,
and she testified that she did not rise
until after the shooting.
1t was stated that Thompson, refus-
} ing to listen to any reasoning and
declaring that he would not leave,
finally pointed his revolver at his
J wife aiming at her face. just at this
moment shot from Patron rifle
rang out. Thompson uttered groan,
} slowly rose to his feet from his posi-
J tion at the foot of the bed, staggered
} toward the head OF the bed and then
] fell backward, dying almost instant