The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-03-25
QUARREL OVER TRAPS; SHOOTING
FOLLOWS; ONE MAN IN HOSPITAL;
OTHER IN JAIL; REJECTS HIS ACT
From Mondays Daily.

five miles northwest of this city, at
about ten o'clock yesterday forenoon
and as result Chester Purrer, q
young farmer living in that neighbor-
hood, is in st. Joseph's hospital and
William H. Culp. his neighbor, and re
lated to him by marriage, is in the
county Jail at st. Peter. Both young
men are about thirty years OF age,
and have resided in Belgrade for many
years.
The shooting occurred at an old.
Eb. Fletcher farm, now owned by
Charles Loucks. Culp's younger broth
cr, about twelve years old, and Pnr-
rier have both been doing some trap
ping during the winter, and both have
had traps in the cellar of the old house
for skunks. Young Cup claims that
he always found his traps sprung, and
laid it to Purrier. Yesterday the two
Culps and Pmrer met at the house,
and a quarrel ensued over their traps,
and the older Culp brother shot Pur-
rier in the left leg with a shotgun,
nflicting bad wound. The muZzle
of the gun was not over foot from
Purifiers leg when the shot was fired,
and the charge of shot entered the
front of the leg, two inches above the
knee, and passed through the leg and
came out at the back side. 1t struck
the bone and glanced around it, with
out breaking it. Purrier fell to the
ground at the roadside near the house
and bled profusey.
Arrested BY Chief Pond.
Charles loucks came by soon with a
team, closely followed by Howard Cole.
and LOucks took Purricr home TO the
latter's home and telephoned to the
authorities at st. Peter from
George .Johnsoi's residence. Cup
it was feared that he was about
10 leave the country, and there
fore Sheriff August Olson of st. Peter
telephoned TO Chief of Police Pond and
asked him to go out at once and ar
rest Culp. Mr. Pond took Officer Bal
linger with him and drove to Cnlp's
home, and found him there soon after
noon. Culp made no objection to be-
ing placed I'm custody, and was brought
Ia this city ut three o'clock yesterday
afternoon. Officer Ballinger was placed
in charge of him while Chief Pond
went To Purifiers To render assistance
and get evidence.
I'm the meantime Sheriff Olson and
Thomas Dempsey of st. Peter drove
out on one road and Chief of Police
Philip Peterson, County Attorney Olson
and Deputy County Attorney Norman
drove out on another road, expecting
TO have Il chase, but they heard of
Culps arrest at George JOhnsOn's,
where they met at two o'clock, and
after going to Culp's house they came
to this city, and Chief Pond turned
his prisoner over TO Sheriff Olson. The
Omaha train from the south was an
hour and forty minutes late, and
therefore the sheriff drove to st. Peter,
leaving at 400 o'clock.
Not Dangerously Shot
The place where the shooting took
place is this side of Kcrns. Cup is
single man, and Purrer is married
TO Cups cousin. The gun used to
do the shooting with is Il twelve
grage shotgun, and Chief Pond took
it, to Use as evidence. When the shoot
ing was done, Culp and Purrier were
standing about four feet apart. The
wound made by the shot in entering
was a little larger than fifty cent
piece, and in leaving the LEG it made
much larger wound. DR.. a. o. Bel
land of this city was summoned, and
arrived just before Chief Pond did.
and the latter assisted him in dressing
the wound, and last evening Purricr
was brought to this city and placed
in the hospital. The injury will not
necessitate the loss of the leg, al
though Mr.. Pnrrier may be somewhat
crippled for life.
The stories told by the two men
differ materially Purrier claims that
Culp aimed at his head. and that he
grabbed the gun barrel and lowered
it in time to avoid being shot in the
head or body. Culp denied this and
says that he only intended to shoot
Purrer in the leg. He claims that he
acted in self defense, to prevent Pur-
rier making an assault upon him, and
after warning him several times. Pur-
rier had gun and knife with him,
but seems to have laid these down
when the quarrel began and did not
evimce any intention to make use of
them, even according to Culp's state
ment 1t is said that there has been
bad blood over the traps for some time.
Culp Claims Self Defense.
Culp was interviewed about the
shooting by Free Press reporter at
the police station inst before he was
taken to st. Peter yesterday afternoon
and said, substantially:
THE trouble was all over couple
of traps that belong to my twelve
year old brother, Wallace, and which
he had in the old house for the pur-
pose of trapping skunks. Purrier had
three traps in the same cellar, and had
been springing my brothers traps all
winter. We went to the old house
yesterday forenoon and found Wal
lace's traps. sprung again, a stick being
in one. Wallace then took the stick
and sprung Purifiers traps with it.