The Elbert County tribune., 1907-02-14
NEAR LYN HING.
FOR MURDER OF CONSTABLE RAG
LAND IN GRAND COUNTY.
SHERIFF STANDS OFF MOB

Desperate, While Under Arrest, shoots
Officer at Fraser-Now In Jail at
Sulphur springs-Wounded Man
Likely to Die.
Denver.-A Republican special from
Arrow Saturday night says:
The fear OF a mob of determined cit
liens that they might do harm to Sher-
iff Jones alone prevented the lynching
to-day of Dago Frank, who last night
at Fraser shot and mortally wounded
Constable Neal Ragland.
The prisoner was brought here to-
day by the sheriff, who is highly popu-
lar.
Hardly had the officer reached town
when he became aware that hostile
demonstration would be made against
the prisoner.
He hastened to nearby Justice,
where he had Dago Frank bound over
to the District Court on the charge OF
murder This done, the sheriff went to
the train with his man.
There he met crowd of fifty men,
who demanded the life OF the consta
ble's assailant
The mob had rope and was ready
to mete out summary justice, but this
was prevented by the sheriff, who man
aged to get his prisoner into the bag
gage car of the train and shut the door.
The officer then stood guard and, as
no one wanted to injure the sheriff, 1t
was finally concluded better to let the
man go than to hurt the officer, who
stated that he was determined to take
his prisoner to Sulphur Springs. The
mob disbanded and the prisoner was
lodged in Jail tonight at Sulphur
springs.
Dago Mike, notorious character.
implicated In several killing and shoot
ing ARRAYS, was arrested in Fraser last
night by Neal Ragland. charged with
holding up George Brosseau two days
before. Dago Mike, the only name by
which he is known here, confessed to
the robbery and named two hoboes,
Dutch" and "Dick," as accomplices.
The evidence was not sufficient to hold
the two men and they were asked by a
committee of citizens to leave the
town. This they did.
Last evening Constable Ragland of
Fraser started to bring Dago Mike to
this place. When the two men were
opposite Dan Kinney's saloon, Rag
land turned his back for a second. and
as he did SO, Dago Mike shot him in
the back, the bullet penetrating the
constable's body Just below the
left shoulder and coming out on the
other side just above the heart.
Wounded though he was, Ragland
ran into the saloon and asked Kinney
for a revolver, which was refused, Kin
ney saying that he did not want to
help out at a killing. The wound be-
gan to weaken the constable, who sank
to the floor of the saloon and became
unconscious. Ragland did not have a
weapon with him when he was at
tempting to bring his prisoner to this
place, believing that he could handle
Dago Mike without the use Of wea-
pom. Dago Mike had been searched
for weapons and when last noticed by
the officer he carried none. 1t is the
theory of the officers that a gun was
secretly given the man by his friends.
o. H. Barber, q bystander, seeing
the turn of affairs, arrested Dago Mike
and held him until the arrival of Sher-
If Jones and District Attorney ]. c.
Labrie from Sulphur Springs. The
sheriff brought his man here, where
the lynching was narrowly averted, as
above related.
Dago Nike, in his confession to the
hold-up, admitted that 1t had been his
intention to hold up Mayor Frank r.
Ross and VOLTS saloon, had he not
been interrupted by the officers.
Dago Mike has long been known as
a desperate character. Two years ago
he killed man named Preston in
Boulder park, but because OF an ele-
ment of self-defense shown at the trial,
his punishment was not severe.
Six months later he shot man
named Daley, who recovered, and not
more than three months ago he was
connected with a shooting ARRAY at
Kremmling.
Ragland is an efficient officer and
has many friends here. His condition
is precarious.