The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-02-21
ARRESTED FOR SHOOTING WIFE
AND DOCTOR IN DIES MONIES.
is WELL KNOWN HERE
Bought Section Of Land Near Hesper
Farm Last December and Recently
Completed Building House on His
Ranch.

-
paper gives an account Of NJ. q. Davis,
a prominent Des Moines druggist.
who recently purchased a farm near
Billings, shooting his wife and q Des
Moines doctor who had been called to
atteno her.
Davis bought q section of land two
miles west Of the Hesper farm, and
about l2 miles from Billings, last De-
cember through one OF the local real
estate firms.
He and his father came out to this
section Of the state to look at the
land in January and built a t1ve-room
house on their farm. They left for
Des Moines Just a week ago yester-
day intending to oring out a car
load Of household furniture and some
stock for their farm. Both men made
many improvements on the land and
were preparing to start farming in
the spring on a big scale.
Account Of Shooting.
Following is the account OF Davis
crime in the Minneapolis paper:
Des Moines. Iowa, Feb. 16.-M. E.
Davis. a druggist, last night attempted
to murder his wife and later fatally
shot. City Physician James 3. Miller,
who went with the police to the Dar
Wis home to attend the injured
woman.
Mrs. Davis was shot in the leg and
the wound is not serious. DR.. Miller
was shot with a rifle ball through the
lungs and the chances for his recov-
cry are small. Davis had been drink
ing heavily.
The first shooting occurred at. a
neighbours house. The second shot
was fired from the window Of Davis
home. Police who answered a call
broke into the house and found Davis
standing in his night clothes at the
top Of the stairs, with his hands
raised, pleading for mercy.
Davis and his wife quarreled in the
presence Of a neighbor, Mrs. Banks,
who had invited them to supper, and
the husband picked up a .22-caliber
rifle and aimed It at his wife.
Mrs. Banks interfered, and Selling
Davis from behind p~inioned his arms
and spoiled his aim, so that the bullet
struck Mrs. Davis in the leg. She was
at once removed from the house and
the man went home.
DR.. Miller, who was sent for to treat
the injured woman, approached the
Davis house with two officers. when
Davis, who was seated az the window
Of a darkened OF the second
floor, fred at them. The bullet pierced
Dr.. Miller's right lung. taking q down.
ward course. He was at once taken
to Mercy hospital, and a special police
alarm brought four more omcers t.
the scene. They stormed the house
and found Davis, who went with them
without trouble.
He told the omcers that he had In,
tended to do some more shooting, but
changed his mind. After the airing
the shot which wounded Or. Miller he
undressed and went to bed. The rine
was found hidden between two mat
tresses..
Davis is about 80 years old. He wa.
madly in love with his wife, and
Joined the Catholic church in order Il
get her consent to marry him. Thei
wedding took place only a short tim,
ago. Davis Is a son Of wealthy par
ents.
DR.. Miller, at the hospital, assiste.
the surgeons in diagnosing his ow1
condition and locating the bullet, re
fusing an anesthetic for the operation
]. DR.. Miller himself expressed the opin
ion that 1t would be impossible 10
him to live and did 1t with profes
sional calmness that little suggeste'
that he was pronouncing his owl
: death sentence.
MOSlER RELEASED
FROM COUNTY jail