Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-20
h. GREENE
Tells OF SHOOTING
Young Mining Operator Shot by
A Bully in Nevada
Mining Camp.
DESERT SHARKS c0WARDIcE.
Injured Man Goes East to New York
On the Noon Train Today
After n Rest.

Ernest II. Greene. who was shot and
almost fatally wounded by T. ].
Fitzpatrick near Nipton. California, on
Dec 3. arrived in Salt Lake City with
his wife. formerly Jack" McCune,
Friday afternoon and left for New
York at HAS today.
Mr.. Greene has a marvellous recov-
cry from what might easily have
been fatal wound He is now able
to walk about but Is still somewhat
weak from the effects of the shot.
After being made a target Mr.. Greene
was taken to the camp at Nipton.
where two mountain physicians eX-
tractcd the bullet. and he then con-
tinued on to Los Angeles, where he
spent several weeks in the California
hospital.
Fitzpatrick is known through the
mountains as a coward and bully"
said Mr.. Greene this morning He
shot me without provocation, while
1 was unarmed and entirely unsus-
pecting any belligerent intentions on
his part. / had just arrived in the
camp and WAS making a tour of in
sPection. L had passed some of the
boys and spoke to them. Fitzpatrick
and his wife drove up and demanded
an audience with me. l talked with
them and invited them in the house.
Fitzpatrick said he wanted me to
settle his bill. He had been working
MS a teamster for my foreman. Mr..
Dodge, and l told him he hs/ better
settle with Dodge. Mrs Fitzpatrick
then took hand. and if she did not
give Dodge q tongue lashing, no one
ever did had heard men curse and
swear before, but no man ever Swore
as Mrs. Fitzpatrick did at my foreman.
1 demonstrated with her. saying that
that was no place to give voice to
such talk, and she said he was all
of that 1 said perhaps so. but ] do
not care to hear you use such lam
guage here. I told her ] would call
Mr.. Dodge in and at that Fitzpatrick
came up and said: L want you to set
tie with me, right here said, I can
not settle with you. 1 don't know any
thing about It,
STORY OF THE SHOOTING.
'Fitzpatrick then whipped out
big revolver and said, We'll, I'll take
Il out of you and with that he fired
The ball struck me in the abdomen,
and lodged in the thick part of my
back. / fell. and suppose Fitzpatrick
was going to shoot me again, when 1
heard Mrs. Fitzpatrick say, You've
killed him, you don't need to shoot
him again I asked them to get me
some help. but they left without pay
Ing any attention to me. 1 dragged
myself up to the mill. 200 yards away.
and finally got help from the men.
They at once took me to Nipton, "a
miles away, where two doctors cut into
my back for the bullet. They admin
istered cocaine, but did not wait until
1t had taken effect. and when they cut
into my back it WAS just like cutting
into raw flesh 1t hurt some. but the
got the bullet, and I was sent on to the
hospital at Los Angeles.
'"That man Fitzpatrick Is a bad one.
He Is desert shark. a high grader
and one Of the class which infests eve
~ mining camp, with the object of liv-
ing without work. He is the descend
ant of the old Australian criminal ex-
lies, and is absolutely unscrupulous.
His wife has a worse reputation among
the hills than he has. Fitzpatrick Is
in the San Bernardino Jail. charged
with assault with intent to commit
murder. His preliminary hearing will
be held in few days, when he will be
held for trial. 1 shall appear at the
main trial, when notified by the Call
fornia courts.
NEVER STRUCK WOMAN.
kirkpatrick and his wife have been
stories about the affair. one
of which Is that struck the woman.
II Is absolutely false. 1 did not strike
the woman, unless 1t was that after |
had shot me, 1 reached out |
my hand to reach some support to help
myself up. and may have placed my |
hand on her shoulder In an attempt to |
hold myself up. did not strike her.
and had no struggle with tho man. The
rufIlan simply shot me, and fell.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Greene and her |
mother. Mrs. A. w. McCune and my |
self are on our way now TO New York, |
where we VIII meet Mr.. McCune and |
the other members OF the family. and !
whero we shall spend the holidays. |
Yes. I'm glad to be alive, and have |
had a pretty close CALL"