Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1912-06-19
RANCHMAN SLAIN BY
NEAREST NEIGHBOR
Particulars of the Shooting of
George Anstey.
Murdered Man Was Unarmed and Could
Not Defend Himself Assassin
is in Jail

The Daily Record, published sc
Canon City, Colo, a copy of which
has reached the Herald desk. contains
the following particulars concerning
the murder of George Anstey, a Color
ado ranchman, son in law Of FL. L
Sprague and brother of John Anstey,
both of the town of Beetown, this
county;
AS the result of a dispute over
water rights George E. Anstey was
shot dead by J. W. Tuniston on
Gribbel park in the northwestern part
of the county about clock Tuesday
afternoon. The two men were neigh
bo1s and had lived on adjoining
properties for a number OF years, but
had not been on friendly terms for a
long time on account Of quarrels grow
out of water privileges in the creek
which flowed through their resp ectives
ranches.
FUNSTON TAKEN INTO COSTODY
Information of the killing was
received at the eheriff's Office here IN
telephone message from the StiIrup
ranch about 4 O'Clock Tuesday after
noon and an hour and a half later
Sheriff Esser, and coroner Stevenson
of Florence left here in the county
commissioners automobile for the
scene of the crime with f. r. Alfred
driving the car. They reached
GrjbbIo ,,orlz oeEo~ /, rr1 oe obo~4
forty five miles shortly after o'clock
and took Tuniston into custody, but
did not bring him to town until this
morning as it was desired to visit the
locality where the crime took place
and make some investigation there to
be Submitted in evidence at the trial
of the defendant in the district court.
The party returned to Canon City at
10 o'clock this morning with the
prisoner. who was locked up pending
the arrangement by the district at
torney for preliminary hearing OF
the case.
STORY OF MURDER.
The story of the affair as cleaned
from the authorities is substantially
as follows: Anstey accompanied by
his son, boy about twelve or thirteen
years of age, and neighbor by the
name of Thompson, drove down the
creek in a one horse wagon onto the
property Of funston shortly after
dinner for the purpose of building a
temporary dam across its bed in order
to raise the water high enough to get
it into the ditch that would irrigate
a field of grain belonging 80 Anstey.
They had not been at work there very
long until Funston and a man n his
employ by the name of Stage drove
up in two horse wagon. A quarrel
ensued between Tuniston and Anstey,
which ended in their coming to
blows. They were separated by the
spectators of the fight, after which
Tuniston and Stage got into the
wagon and drove back to a fence
within about seventy five yards of
the house when Tuniston got out and
walked across a field to his place
Of residence to get his rife; Stage
holding the horses during his absence.
On Tuniston 8 returning to the wagon
with the gun Stagg asked him to re-
main in the wagon and hold che team
while he went back to the house after
Gus Bottom, whom, he said. he want
ed as witness if there was going to
be any trouble funston consented
to the proposition and Bottom was
taken along.
SHOT NAN AND HORSE.
Funston then drove back in the
direction Of the place where Anstey
and his companions were engaged in
damnimg up the creek. Reaching q
point about fifty yards from where the
men were at work Funston got out of
the wagon, giving the lines to Stage
to hold while he settled the difficulty
with Anstey. Calling Anstey vile
name he ordered him off the place and
almost Immediately began shooting at
him. The first shot broke one of the
front legs of Anstey's horse. behind
which Anstey had taken refuge, and
the second bullet pierced the animals
heart killing it instantly. There
being no longer any protection for
him Anstey ran off in the direction Of
his home, Tuniston shooting at him
as rapidly as possible. Several shots
missed their intended mark and
Anstey was somewhat like sixty yards
away from where the horse had been
killed when he fell from bullet
wound in the right ankle. Another
shot from Tuniston 3 rife entered his
side and passed out through his left
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