The Springfield herald., 1908-03-13
KILLED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO
ARREST MEN BREAKING
INTO PosToFFicE.
MURDERER ESCAPES
LARGE REWARDS OFFERED FOR
CAPTURE OF THE GUILTY
PARTIES.


night says: Made target by an un-
known man concealed behind an ash
pit, while attempting to arrest two
other men in the act of breaking into
the postoffce, J. Del Ellis, night mar
shall of Brighton. was fatally shot at
2:30 O'Clock this morning and died Two
hours later on train while being
taken to Denver to be placed in nos
pital.
Posses have keen searching the sur
rounding country all day and several
parties are out tonight.
The Jail at Brighton tonight con-
tains no less than two dozen suspects
who have been arrested throughout
this section of the country today and
tonight by various searching parties
and detectives, and officers are at work
trying to secure any information that
may lead to the finding of the guilty
parties.
Several of those apprehended were
examined by Deputy District Attorney
c. A. Garard tonight with the result
that two men are being closely guarded
and will be held for further examina-
ton.
Not in years has this community
been stirred to such pitch of excite
ment as at present and nearly Sl,OOo
was raised by the town and residents
today as n reward for the arrest and
conviction of the guilty parties. In
addition to this there is 5000 stand
ing government reward for parties
guilty of burglarzing or breaking into
postoffice.
Every power possible is being used
to bring the guilty parties to Justice.
The assistance of the Denver police
and detective force has been enlisted
and every town in this section of the
state and Wyoming towns have been
notified.
The shooting took place in the rear
of the postofflce building and the
Farmers & Merchants State bank.
Night Marshal Ellis was on one of his
usual rounds of inspection and entered
the alley at the rear of the buildings
when he came upon two men trying
to break into the rear door of the post
Office.
He was seen by them first. however,
and one of them, dropping the tools
with which he was working. said to
Ellis:
Throw up your hands, you!" at the
same time reaching for his revolver.
In reply, Ellis flashed his lantern In
the direction of the two men and with
his right hand reached for his revolver
which he carried in his right hip
pocket.
Just at this moment, the third man.
who was concealed to Ellis side and
rear behind an ashpit, opened fire, one
of the bullets striking Ellis in the
groin and passing upward.
Ellis, although wounded, turned his
revolver IN the direction from which
the shots came and fired four times
in quick succession before he sank to
the ground weakened by his wound.
He retained consciousness. however,
and saw the two men near the office
door. run toward the railroad track,
joined by the third man. 1t was SO
dark that they were soon out OF sight.
Ellis managed to drag himself to the
door of the telephone exchange build
ing, about twenty yards away. knocked
on the door and asked to be let in.
Miss Roberts, the telephone operator.
had heard the shots and was too much
frightened to open the door, but she
called DR.. Godfrey and DIR. Moore and
also notified the sheriff and on their
arrival the wounded man was taken
into the telephone office where his
wounds were cared for.
Ellis was still conscious and was
able to tell of all that had taken place,
but he was unable to give good de-
scription of the three men.
Ellis did not lose consciousness until
a few minutes before his death. The
bullet lodged between the seventh and
eighth ribs. 1t is believed to be of .3S
caliber. the same caliber as the re-
volver with which Ellis returned the
fire.
Ellis was thirty-five years of age.
had lived in this vicinity for number
of years and was highly respected. He
had held the position Of night watch
man about two weeks,