The Glasgow courier., 1915-09-10
SHOT OVER l
ROAD DISPUTE
Kenneth We'll and E. c. Passche
Shot by ''M00nshine" Smith
WOUNDS ARE NOT SERIOUS
Refusal to Stop Work on Road Cause
of Shooting. Wounded Men are
Brought to Glasgow.

Kenneth We'll and E. c. Passche OF
Oswego were brought here on Train
No. Wednesday night, suffering from
gunshot wounds, and were taken to
the Deaconess Hospital.
Beth men are tna victims Of rath-
e.. unfortunate shooting affair that
occ ,rred south Of Oswego last week,
when "Moonshine" Smith ok shot
at them while they were repairing
a load that crossed his land.
The trouble started when Otto
Smith, known in that vicinity as
"Moonshine" Smith, objected to We'll
and Passche laying out a road through
his land. The road was being con-
structed under the supervision Of and
with funds supplied by the CONNER
cial Club of Oswego, to enable set
tiers in the Prairie Elk country to
have a good road to market this fall.
Passche was working on the road but
when Smith objected to having it
where it was intended, word was sent
to Oswego, asking advice.
Kenneth We'll was sent out to try
to adjust the trouble but Smith was
obstinate and refused to let the work
continue, and when he saw that We'll
was determined to 60 ahead with the
work, he stopped them with bullets
from high power rifle. The bullets,
fired but few seconds apart, hit We'll
and Passche in the left legs. 1t was
evident that Smith did not shoot to
kill but only to cripple the men from
the fact that We'll was shot in the
knee and Passche trifle above the
knee.
Although Smith was accompanied
by one of his hired men, no attempt
was made to stop him from carrying
out his. purpose. Neighbors hearing
the shots ran to the scene and took
We'll and Passche to ranch house.
Smiths hired man was then sent to
Hamblin from where an automobile
was dispatched to Wolf Point for a
doctor, who arrived the next day and
dressed the wounds. A deputy sher-
if of Dawson county took Smith to
Glendive.
Passche's version of the affair, as
related to Courier reporter follows
"I had two teams and was working
on the road south of Oswego. Wher
we came to "Moonshine" Smiths place
we thought we would camp there 81
we would be able to have water han
DIV. l told Smith we were going t.
fix the road and he said that he didn'
want the road fixed, but wanted i
changed, because people using tn
road were constantly leaving gates op
en- and cattle got into his grain.
"I didn't want any trouble so
sent word to town informing then
of what Smith had said and Mr.. Wei
came out and tried to persuade Smit
to let them fix the road, but Smit7
would not give in, so We'll said W
should go ahead and fix the road.
1--WE went down there with tn
teams and scrapers and Smith fol
lowed US. We'll asked Smith what h
thought about it and Smith said, b
God, boys, I don't want the roa
there We'll said, Let me state tn
facts of the case to you. Any roa
that was not fenced before the frs
of March, 1915, is considered a pull
lie highway unless it has been chang
ed by written petition Smith sai'
All right, go ahead, fix it up, br
you will always be sorry for it, S
we went ahead and put in a culver
and then along came Smith with h
gun.
"I did not like the looks of thing
so 1 dropped out and went up on
bank and sat down. We'll tried
handle the team and scraper alor
but couldn't do it, so he asked me
help him. I went down and held tt
team for him and we had just file
the scraper, when "Bang, Bang
Smith winged both of US. He sh'
We'll first and then he got me in tt
left leg.
"Smith then walked back to tt
house. A fellow who had been he'll
ing Smith stack was along with hi
but he must have been too scared
interfere because Smith had revol
er on him besides the gun, and
was afraid that he might get hu
if he did anything"
Smith is married and has fami
of eight children and has lived the