Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1906-02-01


the house doing the cooking until the
girl came, the 18th or 10th, and then
went to work in the field. l wrote to
Bella Davis after | went to Bryant's
place. Bryant told me to write it and
he read it. There was no money
enclosed in the letter. The old man
was going to shoot me on the night of
the oath | wanted to quit because I
had a felon on my hand and could not
work. Bryant came into the house and
Bella Davis was sitting on my lap, and
he was going to shoot me. Do not
know whether it was loaded on not"
He described the revolver. Bryant
pointed revolver at him and the girl
got between us. Bryant said, I'm
going to shoot you, you - -
- The girl tried to get the gun
away from him and he said, IF | ever
wanted to kill a man it is that He
told me to either go up stairs and go to
bed or to leave. The next morning l
took the ten dollar check he left for me
and went to Pierpont where l bought
this gun and fifteen cartridges then
went TO Andover and remained at a
restaurant. Went u to Bryant's
place about a week before the shooting
and again on September 10, rode out
with a thresher, went out to collect my
wages. Got to Bryant's place about
l o'clock that day. Went. into the
house after they left. Firts hid in the
grove until l saw them drive away.
After | went into the house | got some
thing to eat and stayed there until 6
o'clock and then went down cellar
because the old man was coming and
stayed until about Z o'clock and then
went out where the old man was milk
ing. Said, Hello, old man. lie said,
who is it?' | said, It's me aud then
he threw the milk stool at me and then
he reached for a club. / then shot at
him, shot at him three times. He said
he would pay me then and that he was
shot all to pieces. We went up to the
house and | thought he was going to
pay me but he didn't say anything
about it. This was the first time | had
seen Bella Davis that day to speak to
her" Then he told practically the
same story as the girl about the towel,
hitching up the team, etc. "He asked
Mrs. Davis to go with him and she said
she felt so i'll that she couldn't go.
Bryant said she would have to go and ]
said she wouldn't. Went from there
to Pierpont, saw the sheriff there about
4 o'clock. Told him I was the man
that shot the old man, that l hit him
three time"
Cross examination of Alberts.
"After leaving Bryant's place went
back to Bryant's place nj before the
shooting, made two visits hat day.
Went put more for exercise than any.
thing else. l don't think anything OF
Bella. Don't know whether she
thinks anything of me or not. She was
sitting on my lap rubbing my arm.
don't know why she was sitting down
on my lap. She never sat on my LAP
before that / know of, never sat on my
lap after that to my knowledge. The
old man said he was going to shoot me
because | was running the reputation OF
the whole family. l went up stairs and
went to bed. I left Andover about IL
o'clock a. m. on September 18th, rode
out to within one and one-half miles OF
Bryant's and walked the rest of the
way. Stopped beside a hay stack until
driven away by the ants and then went
mp to the tree claim right across the
road from Bryant's house, got there
about ] o'clock, laid down and sat down
on the grass. Heard Bryant ask her
if she was going with him. / saw her
60 down the road with him. / then
went to the house got something to eat
and took some af his tobacco. When /
saw him coming back / went into the
cellar. Had the revolver and nine
shells with me. Six loads were in the
revolver. Don't know who came into
the house first. / remained in the Gel.
lar about an hour. When / heard the
dishes rattle I was going up stairs but
the stairs made such a racket l couldn't.
I had the guu in one hand and could
not raise the cellar door with one hand.
I intended to 90 up and ask him for my
money and IL he pulled a gun on me ]
was going to shoot him. Went out OF
Of the cellar through a window, went
out where l saw the old man milking.