Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1908-04-02
Johnson 'Sanderson, a Farmer Near
Broken Bow, Feared by Many,
Killed Last Saturday
Evening.
ALWAYS LOOKING FOR TROUBLE.
An Old Feud Between He and James
Carlan Terminated by the
Latter Shooting Him
to Death.

tragedies tnat nave occurred III
Custer county caused more ex-
element or produced more of
sensation than the shooting to
death of John Sanderson, by
James Carlan, on the street in
Broken Bow last Saturday even
ing, March 28th, at 6:15 O'clock.
This because of the fact that the
man who was killed had
been resident of the county for
twenty-five years and through a
number of escapades and legal
entanglements became we'll
known by name,i if not personally.
AN OLD FRIEND.
There seems to have been
feud of one or two years standing
between the participants to the
tragedy, although prior to that
time they had been close friends,
as we'll as neighbors, for many
years. The cause for their diff
ference is stated to be in the
nature of a family difficulty, and
it is expected that when the case
is tried before a jury, evidence
will be presented to the effect
that each had openly threatened
the life of the other.
UNDER INFLUENCE OF LIQUOR.
Carlan has been in the city all
winter and Sanderson came to
town Saturday lorenzo n.
Whether they met during the day
previous to the encounter has not
been learned, but that both had
been drinking to excess was noted
by all who saw them.
FIVE SHOTS FIRED.
The men met on the east side
of the Broken Bow state bank
building, and may have talked a
few minutes before the attention
of anyone was attracted to them,
which was occasioned by the loud
talk and oaths of Carlan, follow
ed quickly with the report from a
revolver and in quick succession
four more shots. The shots were
| fired so rapidly, from Colts
Automatic revolver, that some of
the witnesses, at the coroners
inquest, testified there were only
four, while as &. matter of fact
there were five.
TWO SHOTS TOOK EFFECT.
Those who were near state
that the first shot missed, the
bullet being imbedded in the cas-
ing to the doorway leading to the
second story of the building.
The second bullet struck the
watch in Sanderson's vest pocket
and with such force that the
skin was bruised. One of the
three following shots was miss
the bullet striking and hattening
against the stone steps to the
bank. Those who saw the affair
do not agree to the order in which
this shot was fired. Either one
of the two that took effect would
perhaps have caused death,
especially one, which severed the
artery from the heart, the other
breaking the neck.
| CARLAN SURRENDERED.
Sanderson fell without utter.
ing a word and breathed but a
few times after persons who saw
the shooting reached him. Car.
Ian, with hands uplifted, in one
of which he still held the revol.
yer, walked toward DR.. w. r.
Pennington, who stood at the
bank corner and said: "I'll sur
render to you doctor, here's my
gum" and he was taken to the
county Jail by DR.. Pennington.
The body OF Sanderson wa:
soon thereafter removed to un
dertaking rooms and Coroner
Cole swore in jury composed o.
Jules Haumont, George w. Ap
pie, E. II. Mcclure, Geo. Will
ing, Ii. H. Squires and L. d
George. After hearing the ties
timony of such persons as were
known to have witnessed thu
shooting, the jury returned I
verdict as follows: