The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-22
(Continued from Page One.l

CONTINUED from Page One.l
TO PROBE KILLING.
Blunt was shot but once, the bullet
evidently having entered from the back
near the left kidney, coming out DS
the right groin. The clothes bear no
marks of powder, as they would have
if the shot had been fired at close
range.
Not Shot by ConvictS.
The feeling is very bitter in this COM
munity over the killing of Blunt, ana
many of the eye witnesses are our
spoken in their denunciation of the ac
ton of the officers A number OF Incl
dents have come to light today winch
tend to place many of the pursuers IN
a rather unfavorable light. No Gre
dence is placed in the report that Blunt
was shot by the convicts. The story
that he jumped from the wagon ana
was then shot by Shorty" Gray Is
secuted by the fact that Blunt was
found dead in the wagon when the hrst
members of the posse reached it,
A dramatic narrative of the nght
and wild ride of Blunt and his muir
derer passengers through the roads OF
Sarpy county, by George Phelps a
farmer who lives near Roy Blunt 5
home, throws much light toward the
clearing up of the mystery surrounding
the identity of the man whose bullet
killed the young farmer. Phelps, VINO
followed the wagon on horseback all
morning, told the World-Herald cor
respondent this morning that 1t was
his firm belief that the first shot hreo
by the pursuers came from the spring
wagon in which were Chief Briggs or
South Omaha, Sheriff Grant Chase OF
Papillion and John c. Trouton of South
Omaha. Phelps said he saw Blunt
crumple in his seat and fall backward
after the first shot.
Briggs is known to have done the
first shooting from the wagon in which
he rode.
Story of the Chase.
Phelps, after following the wagon
for several hours on horseback turned
his horse over to Sheriff Flyers of Lin
coin and climbed into the buggy of a
friend. Phelps story follows:
Early in the morning 1 was inform
ed over the telephone that the bandits
had taken breakfast at the Blunt
farm and were then forcing Blunt to
hitch up and drive them north. Blunt
is a near neighbor of mine. saddled
a horse and took my rifle and follow
ed, coming up within 100 yards of the
wagon before it had gone two miles
from Blunt's home. 1 could see Blunt
driving from the seat and occasionally
caught glimpses of men in the wagon
box.
1.-The wagon was going in the gen
eral direction of Springfield and Blunt
was keeping the team at their best
clip. The roads were in bad shape. |
I did not attempt to close in and get
a better shot for fear of hitting Roy. |
when we were about four miles |
west of Springfield two teams drove |
out in front of the team. One was a
spring wagon and one was top bug /
gy. There were six men in the wagon, |
armed with rifles, and two in the bug
gv. 1 saw Blunt motion them aside !
and they let the outfit pass, falling in
with me in the rear. I knew several
of the men. They told me that Blunt |
had begged them not to shoot for fear
of hitting him.
Begged for Brothers Life.
when we were about four miles
northeast of Gretna, Briggs and his
party in a wagon came up, closely fol-
lowed by Hyers, in a top buggy There
were a number closely behind them
The convicts opened fire, but the bull
let's either fell short or went wild
Lloyd Blunt, Roy's brother, was be-
hind me. / heard him beg them not /
to shoot because it was his brother
He said the horses were
about run down. He begged them, II
they must shoot. to hit the horses.
s'They rode on and came UP to
where 1 was on horseback. We were
not travelling very fast at that time.
Briggs and his wagon got little
ahead of me. A man whom took to
be a United States marshal, but who
afterwards turned out to be Sheriff
Hyers, took my horse. 1 climbed into
the buggy of a friend and Hyers rode
beside me for a few seconds.
For Gods sake, men, don't shoot,
[ yelled at them.
None of them answered. l hardly
had spoken when the first shot was
fired. 1t came from the wagon Briggs
was in. His wagon was little ahead
Of me. Hyers was abreast of me near
the fence.
divers, or the man on my horse,
then and opened fire
Those in Briggs wagon were still mr.
ing. I saw one of the -conv1cts fan.
do not know which one.
FIFTY or sixty men had come up
BY this time and firing was general
rhe horses stopped of their own &C
cord a little farther on and Morley
Jumped down. I saw him give himself
Ip. 1t was my impr ession he gave
himself up to Briggs and was disarmed
DIV him. He was put in the spring
wagon and taken away"
No Excuse for Killing.
Omaha Neb, March 22-"I don't
xnow whether it was Briggs or Hy-
ers who shot Shorty Gray, but do
xnOw that Briggs was the closest man
% the wagon and seemed to be doing
most of the shooting" said Sher1n
McShane, who was less than zoo yaros
Iistant when the last shot was fired
t'It will all come out at the inquest,
because Briggs and Flyers useo rlnes
If different patterns
Sheriff McShane told of changing
.igs three times during the chase.
s'When we sighted the conv1cts
n ahead would shoot the horses None
# the convicts could have left the