Arizona republican., 1908-10-26

turned on his porch light and both MT. and Mrs. Spaulding went over to the Button house.
 THE NElGHBORS.
 As they reached the door Pierce was just coming out and Spaulding inquir- ed What does this mean?" Pierce replied, This man was beating his wife and I interferred, he struck me and I shot him."
 MT Spaulding said that Pierce was then almost in a state of collapse and threw his arms on Spaulding's shoul- der saying he would not have had it happen for ten thousand dollars as it would ruin him for the rest of his life. Let me have your gun" said MT. Spaulding and Pierce forthwith hand ed it over MT. Spaulding did not know what to do with the man at first He did not want to let go of him fearing he might conceive the notion of run ming away, nor was he an officer. Moreover the man seemed to be suf- fering the uttermost mental anguish, was almost in a state of collapse and would not let go of Mir. Spaulding. The latter therefore led him into his house and asked him to sit down. He was too much wrought up, not with pas sion but with suffering, to sit down but insisted on clinging to MT. Spauld- ing and asking him not to let them take him to jail. MT. Spaulding did the best he could to quiet him telling him he sympathized with any man in such a predicament, and continued to support him until Constable Murphy arrived and asked if he was in GUS. tody.> Mir Spaulding recognizing the officer said he was not and immedi- ately turned the man and the gun over to him. Some thOughtless person last night started the story that an effort was made to hide Pierce. On the con- trary the best possible effort was made to keep him from getting away, though he manifested no such inten- tion at any time.
 While all this was going on Mrs. Spaulding was at the telephone sum- moning pr Hughes.
 MT. Spaulding said that he had been told that Mrs. Button had just return ed from a little store in the neighbOr- hood where she went to get something for the children, when the shooting took place. apparently without any previous quarrel The game brought by Button still lay on the floor where he had dropped it when he came in at one side of the room. So far as was discovered last night. however, Button had no weapon with him at the house.
 HOW BUTTON DIED.
 Button died with his boots on being attired in high laced hunting boots and the genarl working dress of a la borer He was for a long time em- ployed by the Lightning Delivery but it was stated last night that at the time of his death he was working at the Valley Lumber yard. His outer and upper dress was a striped jumper He lay with his head toward the east and his feet in the doorway of the next room the body being lengthwise with a sofa or couch on which. pre- sumably Pierce had been sitting
 There were three wounds in evil dence in the nasty examination made at the house One was about three inches above the navel and a little to the left of the center of the body. doubtless passing through the stom- ach. Another was about an inch above the navel and about three inches to the right of it. r The third was in the right side about even with the navel. There was no blood whatever in the room. apparently not a drop having left the body. There was an opinion at the time. that might or might not be substantiated by the post mortem examination, that the wound in the side was made by the exit of one of the bullets. Nor has it been demOn- strated certainly how many shots were fired. MT. Spaulding heard two while others are undecided whether there were two or three.
 THE CORONER.
 Coroner Johnstone impaneled a jury consisting of Clarence Barnett James Murphy. w M. Wilson, J. D. Adams, Lafe Brunson and Pete Sullivan. they were sworn. the local conditions noted and the inquest continued to o'clock this afternoon The body was turned over to Easterling & Whitney and pr. Hughes was requested to hold an au- topsy which he did at once. The re- suit of it was that four wounds were found instead of two. though two of theme were exit wounds, no bullet be- ing found in the body. The two front wounds. that at first appeared fatal proved to be quite harm less. The upper one on the left side was the entrance point of a glancing shot that made it's exit to the right and a little above the navel. The fourth wound discovered was under the left arm quite high up, ranging downward clear through the body, the liver among other organs. being cut. and emerged on the right side. It is clear therefore, that if three shots were fired, one did not take effect.
 Buttons fatal trip was undertaken without any apparent reconciliation of trouble. Returning from the hunt ing excursion he threw his game into the job wagon of J. K. Burnett and asked him to take him to the house MT Burnett did so and had only driv- en a short distance when he heard the shots.
 Mrs. Button is a daughter of John Hansford a well known rancher who lives northwest of Phoenix.
 At the county jail last night Pierce was very much distressed but OR the advice of friends said he preferred to make no statement Not that there was anything he refused to tell for the merits of the case must he known hut