The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1908-06-26
FATAL SHOOTING
NEAR KEYSTONE
FRANK COX ALLEGED no HAVE
KILLED JAMES SHEPHERD
LAST SUNDAY.
Feud Had Long Existed Between the
Men Cox Placed in Jail in
Custer,

"a HaSSoa6o Hos !etS1fSu t!Out hey =
stone Monday, stating that F. M.
Cox, who lives near Spokane, had
fatally wounded James Shepherd,
Later the report was verified, and
the following from the Pioneer
Times regarding the alleged murder,
is as nearly as can be learned an &C
curate account OF the unfortunate
affair.
A feud OF severa: years standing
over mining claim, resulted in the
death of James Shepherd at Spokane
in Custer county. at O'Clock Sun
day evening. In consequence, Frank
Cox, and his wife and son are in
jail at Hermosa and will be taken
today ts the county Jail at Custer:
The Shepherds and 6oxes have
'een neighbors for fifteen years past
at Spokane which is a mining camp
oeated five miles south of keystone
nd 1H7t ever the Tine in Custer ceun-
ty. They lived but two hundred
yards arart and their meetings and
uarIe,s over the disputed ground
ere frequent and bitter: Last sun
day morning Shepherd posted 10
cation notice on the disputed claim
and Mrs. Cox discovered him in the
9. ani drove him off the premises
It'll shot gun. She then tore
down the notice. In the afternoon
Shepherd returned and posted an
other notice, taking his departure
before any of the Cox family found
that the act was being repeated.
Later ip the evening and about
6 o'clock, Shepherd was returning to
his place after having rounded up
his COWS and as he passed the Gex
home, the husband, wife and sen,
who is about sixteen years of age,
came out, The four at once got in
to an argument over the posting Of
the notice which had been discovered
late in the afternoon by the Coxes.
The boy had the shot gun in his
hands when he and his parents left
the house and carried it with him to
the point where the argument was in
progress. In the heat Of the dispute
Cox grabbed the gun from his sons
hands and shot Shepherd in the alb
domen, Kidding his iptestines with
charge of buckshot. He was TAX
en- to his home where he died at
3 o'clock Monday morning.
Shortly before his death, Shep-
herd made an ante-portem statement
in which he detailed the indictments
leading up to the shooting substan-
TALLY as given here:
"A eororer's inquest was held at
Hermosa yesterday and the facts
found to be according to the ante
mortem statement of the deceased.
Cox was arraisned before a Justice
of the peace at Hermosa yesterday
and waived examination, He was
bound over to await the action of the
grand jury and will be taken to the
county Jail at Custer today. Mrs.
Cox and the son are also being held
as accomplices in the killing and
VIII probably be taken to Custer with
Cox.
Frank Cox is we'll known in Dead
wood. and was here on visit of
several days less than week ago.
He has been engaged in mining p
erations in the Spokane district "or
some years and held an interest in
the Spokane Mining company, tie
owners of one of the best prospee IS
in that locality For year past he
has been employed In the ideal mine
about four miles from Spokane.
James Shepherd, the victim. of
the shooting, was a man of about
fifty years of age and has been q
resident of that section for about
fifteen years. He has also been en-.
gagged in mining operations. He
leaves a wife and child.