The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-25
WOUNDED MAN
TELLS HIS STORY
Reidel Sought to Warn Another
Party When Maxwell
Shot Him.
VICTIM MAKES STATEMENT
MAxWELL's VERSION GIVEN OUT
BY UTAH FUEL CO. ATTORNEY.

The story Of the bloody gun fight in a
saloon at Helper in which /. T. Reidei
was dangerously wounded by the notori-
Gus "Gunplay" Maxwell. was told in de-
tail last night to County Attorney Levi
\. Harmon of Carbon county and a Her
aid reporter by the victim of the shoot
ing, as he lay on his cot at St Marks
hospital. The wounded man graphically
| described the encounter to his visitors
He told his story in a straightforward
manner, and in a way that impressed one
with its frankness.
ReideI is still i'm a critical condition.
and may not survive his wounds, one Of
which is a bullet wound through the
right lung While it is thought that in
themselves his wounds are not fatal. yet
his condition is such that fatal complica-
tons may ensue. Viewed I'm this light,
the statement made by Reidel last night.
was in the nature of that of a dying man
which would probably lend to it more
credence than it otherwise might have.
In his story he places the entire blame
of the affair on Maxwell. giving minute
| ly the actions of Maxwell prior TO the
shooting and Immediately thereafter.
Utah Fuel Flavor.
The Maxwell version of the fight was
made public last night by Mark p. Brat
felt, general counsel for the Utah Fuel
company, and Attorney Samuel King,
who has been retained by Maxwell This
story differs decidedly from the first story
of Maxwell. and from the stories pub
lished after the shooting Both or these
attorneys say they are convinced from
their Investigations that Maxwell did not
fire at all until after he himself had been
wounded They declare that the gun
| fight resulted from a prearranged con-
spiracy between Reidel and neveral others
| to assassinate Maxwell, who is a gun
! fighter. said to be in the employ OF the
| Utah Fuel company.
A complaint charging Maxwell with as
sault with deadly weapon with intent
/ to commit murder was filed yesterday
morning in the Carbon county justice
court by County Attorney Harmon Max
/ well was arTaigned before Justice OF the
| Peace Mathis and a preliminary hearing
| set for Oct. IA. Bail was fixed at 500
which was promptly furnished by Nj r
! Braffet, the attorney for the Utah Fuel
company, and Club Melbourne res
/ ident OF Price. Maxwell came to Salt
/ Lake last night with Attorneys Braffet
and King and viii remain here for some
/ time. The sheriff advised the attorneys
/ for Maxwell to keep him away from Help
/ er as much as possible, as It was feared
/ that the citizens might take il upon
! themselves to infict summary punish
County Attorney Holman also came TO
| Salt Lake last evening to look up the
| evidence in the case. Arrangements we're
| made for an interview with ReideL The
county attorney and a Herald reporter
/ went to the hospital shortly before II
/ O'Clock last evening and called on the
patient Reidel was feeling somewhat
| better last evening than he has at any
/ time since the shooting although at times
| he seemed in considerable pain He IS
| a young man of good physique ana IN
| appearance a typical railroad man.
Wounded Mans Recital.
! In response to the questioning Of Mr..
Holman, Reidel told this story Of the
affair:
There were a number of US who had
| been attending a dance who went INTO
| the saloon to get a glass Of beer PADDY
| Mack was with me When we Went IN
/ [ saw Maxwell standing at the end or
the bar. I think this was the first time
| had ever seen him, although l mad
heard a lot about his being a bad man
and a gun fighter While i was order
| ing my drink I heard Paddy Mack and
| Maxwell having some words Maxwell
| called Paddy a name and PADDY SAID
If you'll come at me clean, Ike q
man, I'll clean up the floor with you
Il looked at Maxwell and saw that
| he was lingering his gun. which was IN
| his left hand side pocket shouted;
Look out, Paddy! He's drawing his
gun
behind the bar and fired at me. One
| shot struck me in the right breast and
the other went by me within half an inch
of my ear. He crouched down behind the
bar and ran toward the front OF the
room. AS he ran he fired four more
shots at me One of them struck me in
| the left hand. / followed him and shot
| four times at him. 1 don't know which
| shot struck him. He was crOuching be-
/ hind the bar as he ran. / tried to lean
over the bar to shoot him. 1 wanted to
kill him before he got a chance to kill
me- As there were a lot of people be-
| tween me and him I had to pick my
shots for fear of hitting some one else.
l was out in the open and it IS wonder
he didn't kill me. After he had emptied
his gun ne jumped through the window.
| l had q 50 Colts automatic. When the
shooting started there were four bullets
in the magazine. After 1 had shot them
I reloaded the magazine, but before I had
! the shells in the gun Maxwell was gone.
Wasn't Looking for Trouble.
'I seldom carry a revolver except when
I am out late at night. Down near the
railroad tracks there have been a lot OF
! hoboes lately and l put the gun in my
/ pocket because / was afraid I might meet
| some of them who would try to hold me
up. / never had any trouble with Max
well and wasn't looking for any. Paddy
| Mack and several other fellows had told
me that Maxwell was a gun man and a
/ bad actor, but I never expected TO get
| into a mix with him. 7 was at the dance
/ having a good time and never thought OF
meeting Maxwell that night"
The story Of the other side fixes the
| blame entirely upon Reidel and Mack.
/ Attorneys Braffet and King assert that
/ Maxwell is not nearly so black
as he is painted, that he is in
offensive naturally. but that he
has been aroused by slanderous
Continued on Pace 2.