Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-11-29
GIVE EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT
BEST SHOOTING WAS uELIBER-
ATE, NOT ACCIDENTAL.
DEFENDANT DENIED FIRING.
Saloon Keeper Identified by Wounded
Milwaukeean as Man Who Emptied
Gun Into Him.
DR.. MUNKWITZ ON THE STAND.

Inc state mafSlalled NUMBER OF strong
witnesses today to prove that the shoot
ing of Jacob Best, Jr., by William Dill
Ion was not an accident, but that the
saloon keeper had deliberately fired at
his victim.
Robert Hoffman, laundryman of the
Hotel Racine, was the first of the i'm
portant witnesses to be placed on the
stand. He said that he was passing the
Dillon saloon at o'clock in the after
noon on the day of the shooting and that
he saw man standing in the doorway
outside the saloon and another inside.
Ihe man on the outside was Best, the
other Clllon. He said that he saw shot
hreG. At that time Best was standing
o4tslde of the saloon door facing north
east. Dillon was facing Best with his
right hand raised to about right angle
with his body. He was standing erect.
Hoffman was positive regarding that
fact. The questioning of the witness
both by the state and the defense was
severe because Hoffmans testimony
tends to show the possibility or impossl-
blllty of a shot being fired accidentally
by person in the position Hoffman de-
scribed.
Best Identified Saloon Man.
According to Hoffman Dillon was
identified by Best as the Milwaukeean
was lying ON the floor of the nearby hard
ware store with Hoffman supporting his
head. When Dillon was brought in Best
replied: THAT is Billy Dillon, the man
who shot me-
The witness was cross-examined by At
torney Kearney ON his testimony before
a court commissioner at the preliminary
hearing a few days after the death of
Best. Many of the statements of the
witness today differed with those made
iminary examination.
Dillon Erect Upon Firing.
Another important witness was Will
liam Orth, who was in the back part of
the saloon at the time of the shooting.
Orth testified that he saw Dillon
through the glass partition, near the
cigar case and that Dillon was standing
erect when he fired the shot. After the
shooting Dillon came back to point
opposite the drawer from which he had
procured his revolver and placed the
gun under the bar after he had opened
the weapon to allow something, presum-
ably the empty shell, to tall to the floor.
He said that when Best said Il will
take it out of your hide" Dillon re-
of my hide" After Dillon had said that
he started back for the bar at quite a
rapid walk, procured revolver, re-
turned to the front of the partition.
Then came the shot. Dillon appeared
excited and angry at the time he came
in to get the gun, and was pale. He
said nothing after the shooting but took
a drink with the witness.
Ortiz testified that after the shooting
Charles Culbrandson entered the place.
Culbrandson said, u heard you shot, a
man" Dillon replied, You're crazy
On cross-eXamnation the witness said
that he was sitting at a table in the
saloon when the shot was fired and that
he could see through the glass partition
everything that occurred as far as Dill
lon was concerned. He did not see Best,
as Best must have been some distance
from the partition, and nearer the door.
DR.. Munkwitz on Stand
Another witness called was DR.. Frank
Munkwitz of Milwaukee. He testified
to being called to Racine to attend Best
up to the time of his death. He described
the wound and the direction the bullet
had taken. He was asked to stand up
and illustrate his points several times.
DR.. MunkwitZ was questioned regarding
the condition of the patient just previous
to his death and he testified that Best
was conscious until one hour before death
and that at Z o'clock in the evening be-
fore his death Best made a statement
to T. G. Wilcox, employed by the dis
trlct attorney Tor tnaC purpose. Inc doc
tor said that Best said that he expected
to die Just before making the statement.
H. Raymond, the owner of the store
into which Best went after the shooting,
said that Dillon denied he had shot Best.
Dillon Denied Shooting.
David S. Grswold, a newspaper man,
was examined and gave an account of
what he saw in Raymond's hardware
store. He had conversation with Best
as he was lying on the floor. Best told
him that Dillon had shot him during a
dispute about a bill. He said that Dill
lon kicked him as he was going out of
the saloon door and then shot him. Best
identified Dillon
Dillon, according to Griswold, denied
that he shot Best and said when &C.
cused of it: This is the worst l ever
heard. The man was never in my place
and l never had a quarrel with him."
To this Best replied: you know you
kicked me and then shot me-
Coroner Jonas Hoyle exhibited the bull
let which caused the death of Best and
it was allowed to enter as an exhibit in
the case without objection on the part
of the defense. The bullet was examined
by all of the jurors.
Jacob Best, ST., of Milwaukee was in
court and sat between the district at
torney and the jurors. He paid the
strictest attention to every word ut
tered by the witnesses
Des Moines Scheme Is Upheld.