The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-03-25

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CHESTER PURIFIER
and said that he set one there first
and that this fact gave him the eX-
elusive right to use the house for trap
ping. | replied that rs long as he had
trap there it only held the one
hole where it was placed and not the
whole cellar. He insisted that his
trap held the whole building for him,
and after few more words he called
me Il liar.
Struck BY Purrier.
"Purrier soon got ugly and came
toward me and said that | lied. and
/ told him that | didn't. He got an
CRY and started ut me, and | raised
my gun and told him 10 keep back,
and he grabbed it and struck me with
his fist on the left side of my face.
There isn't any mark there, though. |
pushed him away, and he went to the
creek to look at his traps there and
my brother called TO him, We'll, you
needn't look at your trap there, for
sprung it this morning with the
stick that was in my trap Wallace
had sprung all of Purifiers traps with
I the stick.
AT that, Purrier got angry and said,
lI'H fix YOU, You - - , and
started at me. | stood still and sad,
Keep back, l don't want To have any
trouble | also told him that would
shoot if he did not leave me alone,
and told him this four or five times,
but he kept coming, and so | shot
him. | aimed at his leg, and shot but
once lie did not grab the gun at
that time, and | did not aim ut his
head. | shot because | was afraid
o. him. He claims to be quite Il
scrapper, and | am not a whole man
Just at present, as | got hurt while in
/ Montana recently.
Sorry He Shot.
"Purrier stood still minute, and
then dropped. l stood and looked at
him, and was sorry then at what |
had done. He asked my brother to
telephone for a doctor, and kept calling
for Il doctor. He was by the side
of the road, and just then Charles
Loucks drove along and | told him
what | had done. Howard Cole came
along directly after Loucks. and | also
told him. Mr.. Loucks took Purrier
home and tclephoned to st. Peter from
George JOhnson's house.
across the prairie, north, and then
went home. Purrier married my
cousin, Mile johnson, and we were
always good friends. l came home last
night from working for his father.
have lived in Belgrade for fifteen
years, and never got into trouble be-
fore.
81 should say that | was standing
three or four, or not over five feet
at most from Purrier when | shot"
Injury An Ugly One.
Dir. Belland states that the charge
of shot injured the bone of Mr.. Pur-
rier's leg, and cut off the muscles of
the lower part Of the thigh. He con-
sders the wound dangerous and ugly
one. The shot came out at two open
ines on the inside of the leg. DR.. Bjel-
land sewed up the muscles and made
exterior drainage before having his pa
tient brought to the hospital. Mr.. Pur-
rier reached the hospital ut 7:3O p. m
He was doing finely today, but will
be laid up for several weeks Copious
hemOrrhage resulted from the wound
as some of the lesser blood vessels
were severed.
Mr.. Purrier is son of Reuben Pm-
rier, an old and respected resident of
Belgrade. and was born and raised
there. He is twentysiX years of age
and has Il wife and three children
Culp is twenty four, and they attend
cd school together and were raised
together from Doyhood, and have been
near neighbors. Culp worked for Reu-
ben Purrier from November until last
Saturday evening, and was to 90 to
Dakota today He told Mr.. Purrier
that Chester was his best friend,
Tells a Different Story.
Chester Purrier was seen at the hos
pital today by Il Free Press reporter
and spoke freely about the shooting
He said, i'm substance: Il never had
a word about the traps with Culp's
younger brothers, but they seemed
TO have been sore since year ago,
when | trapped a mink that they were
trying to get. had trap showed
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