Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-03-05
Back to the Wild and WOOlly Days
OF the Vigilance
Committee.
FIRST MURDER LAST WEEK
Considerable Excitement Follows An-
nounccmcnt by Forest Rangers That
Townsite People Have No Rights.

With one man dead. the bitterness OF
warning clements in the contention
for land sim rife, Jarbridge. the new
camp. reflects the scenes of the early
mining days and repeats the history
Of the frontier.
Robert Bearn. a miner. on the night
Of Feb. 26, fell victim 10 the FIRST
shooting" I'm Jarbridge. according to
stories just brought 10 Salt Lake. being
shot down by AL Miller. an officer OF
Rawhide. after he had given reality
To his threats Of trouble hy firing into
the tent occupied by Miller and a.
Nugent
The shooting followed contention
which has involved practically every
resident Of Jarbridge since 10 hinged
about the question of ownership or
right to occupancy Of the various
claims and sites, within the proposed
townsite
Almost since the settlement Of Jar
bridge. on the forest reserve. there has
been a clash between the forest re-
serve officials and the tOwusitp people
and miners. when on Feb % the Of
hcials announced that the townsite was
without property title and that the
land was open 10 any settler. there was
a wild scramble an cngcndcr.ng 500
feeling between the opposite sides
Then true 90 camp tradition began
the drinking bouts. with Bcarn. BE- is
said. as one Of the leaders Late on
the night Of his death potvalant he
had made his threats. and standing be-
hind a rock had thrown defiance at
everyone. Firing a shot 600 the dircc-
tion OF the tent occupied by Miller and
Nugcnt. he threatened Nugcnts life
when the latter attempted TO emerge
from the tent when Miller looked
out he. too was ordered back into the
tent by Bearn. Then. standing as "a
target in the bright moonlight, he fell
under the one shot fired by Miller.
Because of the fact that il would
take 10 days or more for the sheriff 20
reach Jarbrldge from Elko. the inhabi-
tants Of the new camp, turned from
the strife Of the wranEling by the traR-
edy. took the affair into their own
hands and formed court with
Judge Klein acting as magistrate. Dan
GrecnWalt as coroner, and with a jury
Miller was exonerated by this court
which took occasion, at the same time
TO recommend the dlscontinuance OF
the indiscriminate carrying. Of weap-
ons by residents OF this camp"
Bearns body was sent 70 Twin Falls.
his former home for interment
AN EYEWITNESS STORY.
81 never saw so many guns pulled
in an my life IN 50 short a period Of
time" said Judge Emmanuel Klein.
whose Office Is at 234 Broadway. New
York. The hills were swarming with
men. and clashing was seen on an
sides, and IL is marvellous that dozens
Of men were not Killed But the sun
went down without recording sim
gle death in camp. but before morning
blood started 20 flow. and 1 fear. un-
less something is done out there bad
blood has only started 70 show it.
self ] saw one man Jerk his gun and
poke Il into anOther's stomach. one
man showed a gun In Recorder Chas.
Smiths face. That evening, men
stood around in groups talking Of the
occurrences OF the day while
they kept an eye on their
properties near by. Everything
was at high tension, and we could
feel storm I'm the air. Nobody felt easy,
and few went 10 bed until late. most
Of the men crowding the saloons and
drinking heavily. Among them was
Robert Bearn. who got rather nasty
along toward 10 o'clock Chas Smith
and Joe Bearn tried TO get him 90 go
to his tent. He refused, and getting
gun and going 10 a large rock I'm the
middle Of the canyon road. concealed
himself behind IL and began yelling
for a fight lie was within 60 PAGES
Of tent occupied by Nugent and Al
Miller Nugent put his head out Of the
tent Get your head In there, or TIL
shoot it on" yelled Bearn. Nugents
head disappeared. A little later Mil
Ter nut his head out Of the same tent.
and he got the same salutation. al
the same time Bearn fred OF his gun.
Whether he shot az the tent or fired
into the air. is not known hut al any
rate when Bearn's head appeared above
the rock again. there was a rife crack
from the tent and he fell to the ground
dead, with ball through his temple"