The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-03-11
ROUGH TIME AT JARBIDGE
Guns Are Flashed and Men Are Shot
in Disputes as to the Owner
ship of Claims

he SceueS WHICH are DelQS refill
acted at Jarbidge, the new Nevada
mining camp just south of the Idaho
Nevada line are reminders of the old
days of the west when might made
right and a showing of arms was
law 1t may be necessary to resort
to the old idea of vigilance commit
tees in order to restore peace and Or
der within the camp and settle the
claims, so states recently returned
visitor from the camp to Salt Lake,
in the Deseret News.
Robert Bearn, miner, on the
night of Feb. 26, fell victim to the
first shooting" in Jarbidge, accord
ing to stories just brought to Salt
Lake being shot down by AL Miller,
an officer of Rawhide, after he had
given reality to his threats of trouble
by firing into the tent occupied by
Miller and A. Nugent.
The shooting followed a contention
which has involved practically every
resident of Jarbidge, since it 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
bidge, on the forest reserve, there
has been a clash between the forest
reserve officials and the townsite peo-
pl and miners. When on Feb. rs the
officials announced that the townsite
was without property title and that
the land was open to any settler,
+ WILD 10 al
gendering i'll feeling between the OPP
posite sides.
Then true to camp tradition be-
gan the drinking bouts, with Beatl,
it is said, as one of the leaders. Late
on the night Of his death potvaliant
he had made his threats, and stand
ing behind rock had thrown def
ance at everyone. Firing shot in
the direction of the tent occupied by
Miller and Nugent, he threatened Nu-
gents life when the latter attempted
to emerge from the tent. When
Miller looked out he, too, was order
ed 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 it would
take 10 days or more for the sheriff
to reach Jarbidge from Elko, the in
habitants of the new camp, turned
from the strife of the wrangling by
the tragedy, took the affair into their
own hands and formed a court with
Judge Kline acting as magistrate, Dan
Greenwalt as coroner, and with
jury. Miller was eXOnerated by this
court, which took occasion, at the
same time, to recommend 1.-The dis
continuance of the indiscriminate car
rying of weapons by residents of this
camp"
Bearns body was sent to Twin
Falls, his former home, for inter-
ment.
An Eyewitness Story
II never saw so many guns pulled
in all my life in so short period of
time" said Judge Emmanuel Kline,
whose Office is at 234 Broadway, New
York. THE hills were swarming with
men, and clashing was seen on all
sides, and it is marvellous that doz-
ems of men were not killed. But the
sun went down without recording a
single death in camp, but before
morning blood started to flow, and |
fear, unless something is done out
there bad blood has only started to
show itself. l saw one man jerk his
gun and poke it into another's stom-
ach. One man showed a gun in Re-
corder Chas. Smiths face. That even
ing, men stood around in groups talk
ing of the occurrences of the day,
while they kept an eye on their prop
critics near by. Everything was at
high tension, and we could feel
storm in the air. Nobody felt easy,
and few went to 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
to go to his tent. He refused, and
getting a gun and going to large
rock in the middle of the canyon
road, concealed himself behind it and
began yelling for a fight. He 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 I'll shoot 1t off yell
ed Bearn. Nugent's head disappear