Warren sheaf., 1910-11-17
DRINK CAUSES AWFUL TRAGEDY
IN kITTsoN COUNTY

Hallock, MINI, Nov. l4-Sherln An
derson and Coroner Muir left this
morning for Drayton, N. D., where
waiter Smith and Ben Simons, both
single and about "a are at the hospital
walter with NO hope OF recovery aud
Ben with small hope OF getting well,
after one of the worst shooting trace
dies in the history Of kittson county.
Smith and Simmons shot themselves
last Thursday evening while on their
way home to their camp on the Red
river, ten miles west Of Hallock, both
being wounded in identically the same
way and in a manner most mysteri-
GUS. They had been drinking heavily
and were drunk when met by a farm
er a little while before the shooting
and had stopped to offer him a drink,
Walter carrying a repeating shotgun.
They came to Ole Paulson's farm
about O'Clock in the evening and
nearly frightened the family by their
appearance. Ben carrying the gun
and both barely able to drag them
selves up to the house, their faces one
mass Of flesh.
Taken to Drayton Hospital.
DR.. Muir and Sheriff Anderson
were telephoned fer at once and Fri
day morning the wounded men were
taken across Red river on the ice and
to the Drayton hospital Upon being
asked by Coroner Muir as to the MAIL
ner of shooting, one managed to write
On a piece Of paper:
He Was drunk, and SO was |. He
shot himself and so did I. Purpose"
Neither was able to talk, Walters
jaw bone being broken in several
places and his tongue shot clean off.
Simmons was hurt almost as bad, al
though part Of his tongue was still
left. Smith will not recover and
though there is small hope that Sim
mons may, he will never be able to
municate his wishes by signs and
writing The theory was advanced
that they had auarreIed and that
Smith had shot Simmons and after
wards regretted his deed both being
eraZed with drink and had induced
Simmons To shoot him in return AS
far as could be gathered from SIM
mons writings, Smith had stopped
down to light his pipe and when he
stopped down to light a match against
his tronser ieg, had come in contact
with the trigger, the gun exploding,
and the full charge taking Simmons in
the jaw. Smith had then induCed
simmons 20 serve him the same way,
handing him the gun In cdse this
should be correct it would be a bad
! case for Simmons upon the death Of
Smith. 1t is announced that as far
as evidence can be gathered, the
shooting was a case or a suicide pact,
caused by drink, both having decided
to end their lives by shooting and hal
sat down. Smith pointing the barrel Of
the gun at his chin and reaching the
| trigger With whisky bottle he had,
shot himself and Simmons following
suit.
| They Came from Iowa.
Both are young men, of Scotch-Irish
| descent and came from Sioux City, Ia,
this fall, working west of Halloek IN
threshing and had been camping in an
old shack near the Red river awaiting
the trapping and hunting season Ie
| open, intending to go down the Red
river to Canada 4 letter arrived
yesterday from Smiths mother and
one from his sweetheart in Iowa
neither Of them having heard the
dreadful news. Smiths mother told sf
how they were all we'll, one OF his sis
tiers getting married, and all the local
news.
His sweetheart wrote a very nice
letter full of love and hopefulness, lit,
tie dreaming that he would never be
able to read or understand her writing
any more. Smith is yet alive, but
dying and Simmons is very low.