The Mankato free press., 1907-01-18
Without Any Cause Shoots
Henry POtZ.
But BULLET DID NOT KILL.
Victim Of Fellows Anger Would Not
Butt Into An, Argument, Hence
ihe Assault.
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
Murder was narrowly averted on
North Front street early Saturday even
ing, and one man lies in st. Joseph's
hospital suffering from serious bullet
wound while another is lodged in the
county jail, charged with a serious of
fense
The victim is Henry Patz, well
known farmer residing mile southwest
of Eagle Lake, and his assailant is
Fred Deef, also a farmer, living SIX oil
seven miles southeast of the city on the
Le Sueur river bottom, in Decoria. The
two men were but slightly acquainted
and the assault appears to have beer
almost without motive, premeditated
and particularly vicious.
Had Been Drinking.
Potz and Deef had been drinking i'll
+. J. Alettler's saloon on North Front
street late Saturday afternoon, but not
together. Potz had not taken enough
liquor to affect him but Deef was very
quarrelsome. The latter became engag-
ed in an alteration with James MeaSh
er about five o'clock in the afternoon
and then appealed to Potz to decide
which was right in his contention. Pot2
is man who- is very ino0fensive ant
who seeks to avoid trouble as much as
he can, according to those who are ac
quainted with him, and when Deef triec
to drag him into the controversy he de
clined to express an opinion either way
rcmarking that he didn't want to mi,
in, as he always sought to keep out o
trouble, and advised Deef TO do likewise
This seemed to have angered Deef, but
he persisted in conversing with Potz
although the latter tried to avoid him.
He ran around in front of Potz once
or twice i'm order to talk with him.
Elected From Saloon.
Then Deef renewed his alteration
with Meagher, and became SO obnoxious
that the latter pushed him away. Dee
recovered himself at the further side oil
the room, and then siezed cuspidol
with the evident intention of hurting
il at Meagher. The bartender, Charles
Iillman, had previously demonstrated
with Deef and urged him to keep still
or leave peaceably, but to no avail, anC
now he came from behind the counter
and elected Deef forcibly from the sa.
loon.
Buys a Revolver.
Deef at once went to Sebastian Zim
lperman's hardware store, which i
three or four doors north of the saloon
entering there at about Sis p. m. He
appeared to be pale and angry, and al
though a regular customer of the store
Mr.. Zimmerman's sons did not exactly
like his appearance. He asked to bt
shown the cheapest revolvers in stock
but when shown a 22-calibre revolver
said that it was too small. He ther
bought a 3S -calibre Young American five
chamber revolver and box. of Smitl
& Wesson cartridges. L. p Zimmerman
~ g
waited upon him and desired to sci
Only ten cents worth of cartridges. but
Deef insisted on having an entire box
He asked to be shown how to load the
weapon, and after Mr.. Zimmerman die
this the latter removed the shells ano
wrapped the revolver up in paper and
handcd lit to Deef This seemed to anger
The man and he tore off the wrapping
and loaded the revolver and placed it in
his right hand overcoat pocket.
George r. Zimmerman, who was in
the store at the time, jokingly asked
Deef whether he was going to commit
suicide or was going to shoot someone
else. Deef made no reply to this, bu,
did not seem to like the question As
he left the store he made some grim
remark about making good use of the
weapon, or words of similar character
He had no appearance of being under
the influence of liquor.
The Messrs. Zimmerman frequently
sell revolvers to excited people who
want to shoot dogs, but if they sus
pect that murder is intended they re-
fuse to make sale.
Laid for His Victim.
Deef returned in front of Mettler's
sa loon and waited there on the sidewalk
for Potz to come out. One of the bar.
tenders was about to enter when Deei
asked him not to tell those within that
he was waiting without.
1t was about 5:45 when Potz and Al
bert Tillman. brothe rof the bartender,
came out. Potz had a short time before
hired Tillman to work on his farm, and
Tillman was with him in the saloon
during the incident with Deef. When
they came out, Deef walked south to
~. (yoor.,o NU;adav,,or oorrar nj fhoy-