Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1912-09-05
KILLED IN TGnOA
SHOOTING SCRAPE
EARNEST GARDNER, SALOON
MAN, AFTER KILLING TWO,
Committed suicide,
Trouble Started Over Game of Cards
in Saloon, When "Pat" Collins Was
After-Officers of the Law Were
investigating When Shooting Began.


Tekoa, Wash.-Angered because the
city council of Tekoa had revoked the
saloon license of the Gardner brothers
following an assault on Patrick Col
Inns with the butt of {. revolver, early
August 20, by Milton Gardner, better
known as Curly" from the effects of
which Collins died same day, his broth
er Earnest shot and killed two men
late Saturday afternoon and then
blew the top of his head off with a
bullet fired from a 30-30 rifle. Gard
ner made threats before the killing
that he would get" Prosecuting At
torney Paul Pattison, who vas inves-
tigating the killing of Collins by
Curly" Gardner.
Shot While Drinking.
While on his way to the saloon
owned by the Gardner brothers Patti
son stopped at a confectionery store
for a soft drink and while seated at
the soda fountain the shooting &C.
Cured.
Curly" Gardner was taken to the
county Jail at Colfax. He seemed un-
wife and two children.
Collins in Road Yard.
"Pat" Collins was found in the rail
road yards at APO a. m. with a wound
behind his ear. He died at 1882 p. m.
Prosecuting Attorney Paul Pattison
and Deputy Sheriff John Estep ar
rived at 1910 from Colfax to investi-
gate the matter. After gathering evil
, dence of the death and presenting it
to Mayor Isaac S. Woods, a special
meeting of the council was called and
the saloon license revoked.
According to testimony of Charles
; E. Lewis, a harvest hand, of Enter
prise, Ore, who met Collins the day
f before, and Tom Hooper, whose home
=, is east of Spokane, trouble occurred
over a card game about l o'clock Fri
day morning in the saloon of Milford
Gardner.
!, now DIT FOkeT 0dTHcs
Collins, Gardner and his bartender
= Riley Ruby, were in a game of poker
according to reports. Lewis aske'
Collins to go to bed and as Collin
c raised up is said to have struck CARD
o ner. Gardner her clinched and raI
behind the counter, securing a re
d volver and struck Collins over tn
+ head. Gardner was arrested, place
in Jail and bonds placed at $4,000.
! After leaving the council room tn
marshal, deputy sheriff, prosecutin
attorney, mayor and a portion of tn
business.
The marshal notified Ernest Gar,
ner (brother of Milford) that the /
sence was revoked, and Ernest DIRE
r.. a 5000 automatic rifle on Mayo
Woods.
e The hammer snapped and then b
shot Deputy Sheriff John Este
" through the head, instantly KILN
10 him.
It. He then shot Marshal Grant
TX Dickinson through the head.
Gardner next shot at Councilman
cd Snyder, the bullet grazing the SIX
r. over the left eye.
e, He shot at Councilman Perry
of Culp through the front window, II
bullet just grazing a finger on Il
of right hand. He then shot himse
p through the head.
Oh Bartender Arrested.
ok Riley Ruby, bartender, was later g
IL rested.
Grant L. Dickinson was 80 yea
old, and leaves a widow.
Ernest Gardner vas % years Of
and leaves a wife, Florence Gardnt
They had no children.
IN, Dickinson Fires Twice.
as Dickinson, who served two years
&C. deputy sheriff of Whitman coun
IL under Sheriff F. S. Ratliff, got t'
on shots at Gardner, but missed his ma
both times.
Estep, who is a pioneer of Colfs
- having run a blacksmith shop the
for several years before. becom1
deputy sheriff, is survived by his W
and several grown sons and daut
tiers.
IS Collins body was taken to Golf;
His sister lives in Portland.