The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-23
DESPERATE DUEL
IN HELPER SALOON
c. L. Maxwell, Former Bank
Robber, and L. c. ReidIe
Badly Wounded.
LATTER LIKELY WILL DIE
FIGHT RESULT OF AN OLD
GRUDGE.
LATTER LIKELY WILL DIE
Special to The Herald.l


and L. e. Reidle came together at Hell
per this morning about o'clock i'm a
shooting affray in a local saloon. with
the result that Reidle has two bullet
wounds, one through the right ling and
the other through the fleshv portion of
the LETT thumb Maxwell was shot through
the right shoulder, which is fractured and
sphntered, while the bullet lodged below
the right shoulder blade and may he cas-
lily felt from the exterior. ReidIe was
sent 10 st Marks hospital at Salt Lake
CITY, while Maxwell was taken to Price
ana is being guarded in the county jail,
ana MS wounds dressed by a local sur
Seon. For time there was threats OF
mob violence against Maxwell. and had
II not been for the timely action of Sher-
III Heiter ana Deputies NJ A. Ward and
r. II. Cotter, a mob would have lynched
Maxwell about 10 o'clock this morning.
He was hurriedly taken to Price, where
a strong guard is over him.
The shooting is the result of an old
grudge, as near as may be ascertained.
About two weeks ago Maxwell and a rail-
road man named Paddy" Mack had trou-
BILE at Helper, when Maxwell beat Mack
over the head with siX-shoOter. Bad
blood has existed ever since. This morn
ing Maxwell, Mack and Reidle met in
saloon at Helper. The trouble was re-
newed with the result that all three men
drew their guns and there was a general
fusilade- When Reidle and Maxwell were
through both guns were empty and the
results were as above stated. Reidle used
an automatic while Maxwelrs was 81
special.
Ordered Out of Town.
DIT r. r. Slopansky. local surgeon for
the Rio Grande Western, was called and
did what he could for both, but it was
at once decided to send Reidle in to the
hospital and a special train was char
tered for the purpose. The attending
physician hasn't much hopes of Reidles
recovery. He expresses the opinion that
Maxwell will be paralyZed on the right
side from his wound Feeling has run
high at Helper all day. but tonight is
cooled down somewhat. Friends of Max
well. who were with him recently when
the town of Price was logged up were
today ordered to leave Helper by O'Clock
have gone is not known. At any rate they
are not to be seen on the streets this
evening. They are Bill Davis. a fireman,
and Ole Davis. "A rOundHOuSe worker.
Tom +. Jackson, a grocery clerk, and
TO whose house Maxwell went for shelter
after he was shot. was also ordered to
leave with the pavises, but has not done
so. He is being protected by the sher-
ifs deputies. Jackson Is a lawabiding
ckitizen and is only unfortunate in hav-
ing the acquaintance of Maxwell. Maxwell
and Jackson were associated together
some time ago in some mining claims in
southeastern Utah. Until recently Max
well has been in Nevada doing guard
duty for the mine owners. he was a
time of the coal strike, and for this rea-
son and also because Of recent difficult
ties at Helper he is not liked by the rail-
road men
well robbed the Springville. Utah. bank,
serving a good portion of a long sentence,
but later being paroled or pardoned. lie
has been around Price and In carbon
county most of the time since with the
exception of his trip to Nevada. At SEQ
field he conducted hotel for time and
was at Cotton several months, where he
worked some OzOkerite claims He comes
from a good family in Boston, and his
right name is Bliss. Before the Spring
vile affair he conducted meat market
business at Price. When drinking he is
Reidie has been a fireman for the Rio
Grande Western at Helper for some time
and only recently came out OF the local
hospital there after being hurt by the
crown head of an engine blowing out
He is we'll spoken of by many, especially
his railroad associates. but others state
that he is of bad disposition when drink
ing He is a Boer and not AFRAID OF
circular saw as the saying goes, 1t Is
intimated by the seven or eight men IN
the saloon when the shooting began that
Reidle took up the fight for his friend,
Mack.
Maxwell was seen in the county jail
this afternoon and fully realizes that
had il not been for the protection given |
him by Sheriff Keller and his deputies
he would now be swinging from a IIno
of some convenient tree or dangling at
at the bottom end of a rope from rail-
road bridge. To your correspondent Max
well claims that he was tired on tlrst
by Reidle and Mack, and that both shot
simultaneously He maintains that he !
tried to evade trouble by leaving the |
saloon. but that because Of the front |
door being locked he had no egress. This !
afternoon several deputies were sworn |
-, I'd hpfnU
attempt at lynching may be made to-
night.
shooting occurred is unable to give any |
clear statement of how the affair start /
cd He SAYS he was in front of the bar i
taking a drink, Maxwell being among /
the crowd Mack and Reidle came in 1
about . o'clock the first thing he heard |
was Mack eXclaiming not to let Max |
well draw his gun. With this Maxwell |
ran behind the bar and jumped over a /
cigar case TO get to the door. Then all |
was confusion. some fifteen or eighteen |
shots being fired. After Maxwell had /
emptied his gun he jumped through the 1
glass window of the building i'm order
10 gain the street. He fired one or two /
shots with his left hand after his right /
had been placed to tho bad
After Maxwell had gone Reidle stood /
his ground though the blood from his /
A Larson the bartender, removed Rel
dies clothing, including his shirt and /
lOca ted the bullet wound in the right /
chest Later he threw a heavy coat |
about Reidle and walked with him to
ReidIes room. some two blocks distant
Neither Jerome nor Larsen is sure
whether Mack had a gun or that he
fired shot. The front Of the building
has practically no glass left in it, some
being broken by Maxwell when he
Jumped, and the balance being shot out
Inv Reidle's bullets. Reidle was facing
he front and Maxwell the rear of the
building
Crowd Ran for Cover.
When the fusillade began Woodruff and
eight or ten men al the bar ran for
cover and got behind a large ice box
al the end OF the bar Maxwell, in get
ting behind the bar and In an effort
70 gain the street, kept Larsen between
himself and Mack and Reidle. After ne