The Elbert County tribune., 1907-08-29
EDITOR OF WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
is KILLED IN HIS HOME
TOWN BY RANcHER.
TRAGEDY STIRS KERSEY
BUT FOR TIMELY INTERFERENCE
THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN
COMMON LAW HANGING.

a ranchman living at Kersey. Satur-
day night shot c. X. Lewis, editor OF
the kersey Enterprise, through the
heart Lewis fell dead on the spot
I've got you now" said Simonsen
with curse, and replaced the gun
In his pocket. Excited crowds gath
cred about him, some clamoring that
he be strung up. Disdainful of
threats, Simonsen stood with folded
arms until a constable arrived and
placed him under arrest.
The shooting was the result OF
publication in Lewis paper. in which
the name of Mrs. Simonsen. woman
OF striking beauty. was connected by
innuendo with that of ]. l.. Ewing,
wealthy ranchman. Simonsen,
though himself fairly well-to-do, is n
tenant on Ewing's ranch. and the two
men. as far as known, have been on
good terms.
The innuendo against Mrs. Simon
sen is said to have been repeated a
number Of times in various issues of
the Enterprise the last ten days ago.
and Simonsen had gone to the editor
and protested. Bitter feeling grew up
between the two men. and Simonsen
came TO Kersey with the purpose. ap-
parently, Of ending the affair through
procuring the arrest of Lewis.
II. P. Hill, the justice of the peace
at Kersey to whom Simonsen applied
for the warrant. insisted that the mat
ter be carried TO the prosecuting at
torney. Simonsen did not have pa
thence to await this action. He was
drinking and. arming himself with a
revolver started out on a man hunt
for Lewis.
Found Victim on Street.
Simonsen found his man on the
main street, at o'clock. an hour
when the thoroughfare was crowded
with townspeople and farmers doing
their Saturdays shopping. He walked
up to Lewis, without a word of warn
ing, and whisking out the revolver,
fired at close range.
I've got you now, You - -"
he exclaimed, the sound of his voice
half drowned by the pistol report.
Lewis, shot through the heart, threw
up his hands. whirled around to the
opposite direction. and fell, face down
ward, on the street.
Excited witnesses to the cold
blooded shooting came thronging from
all directions.
Hang himl hang HIM" shouted
some in the crowd. Bring a rope.
quick!"
NO you won't. That man got only
what he deserved. Don't touch him!"
cried others. forming a body guard
about Simonsen.
In the middle of two struggling and
about evenly matched mobs, one cry
ing for his life, the other determined
to defend him. Simonsen, the only
collected person in the crowd, was
pushed back and forth over the body
of his victim. The outcome of this
strife was doubtful and looked as
though 1t might end in trouble. when
Constable James Loustelet succeeded
in pushing his way through the crowd
TO where Simonsen was being buffeted
about The officer drew his revolver
and threatened the crowd. forcing
every one to withdraw to a distance
from his prisoner.
The constable stood his ground un-
til Under Sheriff Fred Williams. who
had been notified of the shooting by
phone message. arrived, after COW
ering the ten miles from Greeley in
record time. Under Sheriff Williams
took charge OF the prisoner and placed
MIN In the Greeley jail.
Two Factions In kersey.
The removal of Simonsen, however,
did not serve to allay excitement in
Kersey. The crowd instead collected
about the morgue where the body OF
Lewis lay, and fought the controversy
over anew.
The alleged slanderous publications,
In which the name of Mrs Simonsen
and Ewing we're connected in a man.
ner that left little to be inferred, be-
gan TO appear In the Enterprise some
time ago. Simonsen, each time, went
to Lewis, 1t is said. and protested,
but apparently without effect. The
publications continued to appear. and
they finally goaded Simonsen to the
point where he sought legal remedy.
Failing to procure warrant for
Lewis arrest, he went to his home to
secure his revolver, determined to
take the law into his own hands.
Mrs. Simonsen, a blonde, has never
failed to attract by her beauty She
is stylish in appearance, always well
dressed. and with fondness for jew
elry. Simonsen is thirty-seven years
old, native of Sweden, but has lived
in Kersey for the past ten years. The
couple have no children.
style Of journalism.
The style of journalism followed
by Lewis has aroused much adverse
criticism. On several occasions, It is
said. he was warned that his paper
would be refused transmission through
the malls unless its tone was changed.
He followed a policy of dealing with
tOuics usually disrqParded
Here are types of his utterances:
III certain old stiff from Greeley
doesn't keep away from certain
woman's house in Kersey, the citizens
will treat him to a coat of tar and
feathers" and III that son Of h
known as Brother -, who claims
to be worker in the Lords vineyard,
don't get out of town pretty quick
and mend his ways, rope and q tele-