Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1907-12-29
SHOTS
At A FRIEND
ON STREETS
Kelsal Whitecotton Takes a
Number of Shots at C. O.
Define on Crowded Street
No One Hurt.

time, was the shooting yesterday af-
ternoon on the plaza in front of the
fasnL fNf pishaa s-har4 UalsaI White
cotton, a well known carpenter of
the city. fired several shots at c. o.
Define, another carpenter. Fortunate
none of the bullets took effect. The
most wonderful part of the entire cpl
sode is the fact that no one else was
injured as at the time the affair took
place the street is usually crowded
with pedestrians and vehicles. Up
to the present time not the slightest
cause for the shooting can be learn
ed, as the man who did 6 merely
states that il was due to an old
grudge, and the intended victim states
that he can assign no reason.
Yesterday afternoon about 4 O'Clock
when there was a stream OF miners
coming down from tae various shafts
and number of women on the plaza
in front of the Bank of Bisbee, De
line, in company with two friends
walked down Main street. The two
left Define at Rinehart's drug store
crossing the street, while the latter
continued on his way. Just as he
reached the entrance to the Bank OF
Bisbee, he heard a shot and looking
around saw Whitecotton, whom he
knew well, standing in the middle OF
the street with a revolver held in
both hands. He seemed astonished
and and yelled:
What in - is the matter with
your"
Whitecotton never spoke a word
but continued emptying his revolver
His intended victim finally seemed to
recover from his amazement and tool
few hurried steps around the cor
ner of the bank.
At tae time of the shooting Sher'
if Jack White, Deputy Sheriff Bill
White, Constable Twomey, Deputy
United States Marshal Foster, and
Constable Wilmoth were in Justice
Hogan's court room only a few feet
away. With the first shot all of the
officers were on their feet and
scrambled out of the door, running
around the bank, which hid the scene
from them.
Foster and Twomey were the frs
to arrive on the scene, and the for
mer reached Whitecotton while he
was still in the same position from
which he had shot. The officer grab
bed the gun, and at the same in
slant Twomey also took hold of the
prisoner.
Within a few seconds, while the of
fcers were taking the man through
the crowd Define came up to them
but had no chance to speak because
of the fact that the events lad trans
pired SO quickly, everyone seemed
dazed and the officers were DESTROYS
of getting their prisoner out of tht
crowd and to jail SO they could in
vestigate.
While being taken to Jail Whitecot
ton seemed to be perfectly calm anC
would say nothing in answer to ques
lions of officers. When he was plac
ed in a cell the only statement tina
he would make was that the shoot
ing was the result of an old grudge
He did not show the slightest sigr
of being under the influence of liquor
aud inquiry disclosed the fact thai
he is a man of temperate habits
An investigation of Whitecotton'!
reputation in the city was made las
evening and the information obtalnet
was to the effect that he is a soUei
and industrious workman, and for
long time past has been supporting
his mother and sisters who are res
14 .:4is nitu What nrnmDteC
.he rash act his friends cannot say
seemingly being dumbfounded.
When asked about the affair auu Il
there was any cause he knew of fol
the shooting Define stated that there
was not, as he had often employed
Whitecotton and thought that thel
were good friends. He stated las
evening that he would make no com
plant against the man.
More than a hundred people saw
the affair, but the testimony as &
how many shots were fired differs
Some say that three bullets wer'
DISCHARGED; others say four, whil'
still others say FIVE. When the gun
which was a 3S-calibre liver johnson
pattern, was examined, 1t was Ioun'
| that all of the chambers had bec'
used. All OF the bullets struck tn
! front of the Bank of Bisbee, tw'
narrowly missing going through tn
doors.
| Whitecotton is man of about 3
years of age, while Define is past 81
| Define was asked as to whether o
not he had seen Whitecotton recon
| ", and whether he had been friendly
| He had seen him often, ne said, Du
that yesterday when he had aske
him (Whitecotton) to take a drink h
had refused. Define is unmarried an
lives in Brewery Gulch. He has bee
in Bisbee five or six years.
whitecotton came to this countr
from San Antonio, Texas, where NJ
father, a contracting carpenter, wa
once well off 1t is alleged tas
Whitecotton's father has been % II
asylum at one time. Whitecottol
himself, has been in Bisbee about 81
| years, and last worked for the ma
at whom he shot, last August, at Wa
rem