The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1911-12-07
SHOT PARTNER
in OWN DEFENSE
S. F. Pruitt, Trapper and
Miner, Surrenders Himself
to Law for Investigation.

s. +. Pruitt, trapper and miner,
from the upper Salmon river,
walked in before Sheriff j. /.
Overman and Deputy Quinlan at
the sheriff IS office last Saturday
morning and announced: - want
to surrender to you for killing
that man on the Salmon river. =
No news of a tragedy anywhere
in the county having reached the
sheriff s office, Mr.. Overman SO
stated, when the man, after givins
his name as S. +. Pruitt, pro-
ceeded to relate the details OF
the death of his partner, Il. G.
Rucker, ON the morning of New.
5, at their camp ON the Salmon
river some eighty miles above
Eakin's placer mines, and some-
thing like 200 miles from Grange
vile.
Pruitt and Rucker went into
the fastnesses of the Salmon riv-
er country last May for the pur-
pose of trapping and mining. GO
ing away up into the remote dis
tricts. Everything had gone well
between them until on the MORN
/ ing of Nov. 5, when Rucker arose
at about o'clock from his bunk
at the opposite side of the cabin,
and begun cursing and abusing
him, and starting for the cabin
door declared that he would kill
him. Pruitt jumped up and ran
to the door, stepping outside to
see what the crazy man intended
doing. The moon being at its
full, his movements were plainly
distinguishable, and Pruitt seeing
Rucker coming at him with the.
axe which he had secured at the
wood pile, ran around the cabin
to where he had left his gun
standing the night before. Secur-
ing the weapon, he shouted to
Rucker to stop. The mad man
came rapidly toward him, and had
raised the axe to deal him a
death blow, when Pruitt discharg-
ed the gum point blank at him at
1 close range, the bullet entering
the left side under the upraiseed
arm, producing instant death.
4 Pruitt says he cannot tell what
possessed him, but seeing the bods
lying there, he was seized with
an irresistible feeling that he
must get it out of sight, and he
took IA seamless sack and after
partially filling it with stones,
tied it about the middle of the
body and sunk it in the river.
He then took his boat and start
ed down the river to Oscar Eak-
in S place, some eighteen miles
below to report the case and seek
counsel.
Two men returned with him
and they searched the liver for
the body, but in vain. Pruitt and
the men rowed back down the
] river some distance below Eakin I
/ place, where they landed him
, and he came on down the river
until he struck the stage line, ar.
| irving in Grangeville Friday
! night.
Prultt is a large man. about
, 45 years of age, and of prepos
sesslng appearance. He tells q
{ straight forward story, never try
| ing to shield himself or cover an,
thing up, and his very demeanol
shows deep regret over the sac
. occurrence. He thinks Ruckel
{ was temporarily insane at ths
! time of his attack. The officers
give full credence to Pruitt S yer
sion of the tragedy.
Deputy Sheriff Charlie Thomp
, son left Wednesday morning fol
Dixie provided with drag hooks
and will make thorough searcl
! for the body of the dead man
j He will get assistance at Dixie
) to help make the search.
Henry A. Randall left last
Friday morning for Rockford