Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1908-07-10
Rupert Man Shoots His
NeighbOr in Chest
With Rifle.
Result of Old Trouble, Bad Blood
Between Them for More
Than a Year

Frank Langford was shot and killed
by David Flemming, the evening of
July g. between and 7 O'Clock, on the
road about seven and one-half miles
west of Rupert. Langford, at the time,
was driving home in his wagon from a
milling trip and was without weapons
of any kind. The evidence at the in
onest showed that Flemming had laid
in wait for him concealed by the sage
brush, the tracks in the dust showing
that his position was often changed as
he crouched in waiting, and that he
shot at distance of about forty yards,
the bullet striking the center of the
breast from a 1920 Winchester.
The shot from in front evidently
scared the team and shying out of the
road the body of the wounded man fell
out before the wagon regained the road.
Flemming went to Rupert and gave
himself up and an inquest was held over
the body of the dead man by Justice
Hannaford on July 9th, Sheriff Jones
being in attendance.
Sheriff Jones went to the residence
of Flemming and asked for the gun
which was handed him by Mrs. Flem-
ming with the remark that one of the
men had to be killed, and making no eff
fort to deny the shooting.
DR.. Kenagy extracted the bullet from
the dead body and it exactly fitted the
gun obtained by Sheriff Jones. Many
witnesses testified at the inquest and
many more were on hand whose test
mony was not required. Sheriff Jones
accused Flemming of shooting his
enemy from ambush, but he declared
that he shot standing. The Sheriff
brought the prisoner to Shoshone last
evening for safe keeping, and the pre-
liminary trial will probably be held at
Rupert next Tuesday, July 18th, Pros
ecuting Attorney Disney being in Ru-
pert today to draw up the necessary
papers and to make all necessary ar
rangements for the hearing.
The verdict of the coroner's jury was
to the effect that Langford came to his
death by rifle ball shot by the hands
of Flemming.
The two men lived about mile apart
and the tronble arose about a year ago
over joint work on an irrigating ditch.
In controversy at that time Flemming
stabbed Langford slightly in the should
er and the latter Immediately knocked
him down with his fist and as he arose
to his feet with the knife in hand he
struck rundown again and repeated the
operation several times till Flemming
gave up for the time being, but later
he followed Langford across the field
with gun but did not shoot.
Langford was about thirty or thirty
five years old and leaves wife and
three or four children. He was de-
termined man of powerful build but
there seems to be no evidence that he
ever carried a weapon.
Flemming is a Kentuckian, So years
old with wife but no children, at least
none at home. He is of Irish and Dutch
ancestry His plea is, no doubt, self
defense. AS his wife states the case
he evidently believed that he would be
killed unless he killed his enemy first.
He has retained John PEBBLES of Rupert
and Judge Rogers of Burley as his at
torneys.
The shooting occurred near Flem-
ming's farm which Langford had to
pass to reach home, and the latter evil |
IDENTIFY knew his enemy was coming, as
he had passed by earlier in the day on
his outward trip.