Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1915-05-28
Intruder Killed Early This Morning
in Desperate Revolver Duel.
90 Coroner's Jury Give Verdict
Of Justified T Homocide.


Of Justified + Homocide.
By T. A. Canty
Leroy Pate aged twenty-five was shot and killed by Theo-
Schweitzer of the prominent business men of the
city, the basement of the Schwezer home o'clock
this morning The bullet which caused the mortal wound
was OF size 32 and penetrated Pae breast approximately
inch from the heart The shot which caused Pates
death took effect instantly.
he tragedy is the outcome of love affair which Mrs.
Alma Whitmore widowed sister of Mrs. Theodore Schwez-
who has resided in this city February the employ
OF Schvezer made the object of Pates attentions in
MITCHELL S. D., where the young lady formerly resided with
her parents and Beach, Pate following her here several
weeks The deceaseds former home is in Shirley Ind
For the past he has been several different places
working as farm hand His travels during that time have
Included Saskatchewan, South Dakota and Minnesota
While at work in Mitchell, S. D., he became enamoured
with his employers daughter Mrs. Alma Whitmore who re-
sented his attentions. Her parents as WELL objected to his
designs but his persistency occasoned her coming this
city to reside with her sister, short time ago Pate made
his in the city and renewed his overures with
Mrs. Whtmore and threatened that if she did not accede to
his wishes he would desperate remedies either of
them He promised finally that he would leave the city,
Last night however, he penned letter which he addressed
to Mrs Schwetzer which he said that his intention
TO kill her husband himself and Mrs. Whitmore He further
said that note book which has been found per-
son and in great explains his actions would
plain more fully his for acting About three clock
this morning noises heard in the Schvezer home
Mrs. Schweitzer called her husbands attention them but
he did not heed them. His wife, however, insisted that
there was in the house and with her sister
down to the parlo floor They discovered behind the
eoor who held gun his hand Mrs. Schweitzer screamed
and thinking that she about to be shot, made unge
tor the weapon The however, holding the gun in his
right hand hurriedy backed down the basement from
whence he Mrs. Whitmore, in the meantime had
hurried upstairs for her brother-nlaw ho hearing the
commoon grabbed the gun which he always had ready and
which lay the stand nearby, and hurried down stairs In
moment he told the circumstances and hurried down
into the basement He had hardly turned the electric
light switch than Pate fired the first shot, which struck the
where Schwetzer standing. Pate was standing in
dark of the basement behind the chimney Schwetz
Ter fired two shots in quick In probability the
first shot took effect for the second shot fired bv Pate went
wide he slowly sank the floor uttering the remark
You We got me- kid. Schwezer summoned Cor
oner Slough, Peputy Sheriff ohansen, Dr.. Museus and
States Attorney Wadron. Dr. Museus had pronounced
the noticed that Pate held revolver of ~
cabre which laid the floor inch from his right hand
From the appearance of Pates clothing would appear
that he workman He secured into the home
through basement window This ascertained after
ward by the discovery of coat which contained
books colored handkechefs and fifty cents in
change and shoes just outside of the home near where he
entered the basement 1t would from the many noa-
tons the book which resembled diary that Pate
had not only had love suit pending with Mrs. Whmore,
but that met with the M Of he! M relatives and that
Mr. Schwezer and himself He believed that Mr. Schweitz-
though they had met previous to the tragedy
in dscouragng his love affair." 1t appears that
on several occasions he planned make away with Mr..
Schwetzer for he calls attention three occasions when
because of unavorable circumstances he unable
get Scheezr into the right spot for the performance of
The deed On each OCCASION however, his failed him.
indicated by his actions when discovered in the paror
this morning by Mrs. Schweitzer and Mrs. Whmore After
beng pursued by Schweitzer down into the basement in
the face of danger himself he probably decided end
in tragedy.
At o'clock today coroners jury, consisting of J. R.
Naters O. c. Attetweed and w NJ Whitaker listened the
testimony which submitted States Attorney Waldron
examined the witnesses Attorney NJ H. Jefferson repre-
sented schweitzer evidence of each witness prac
CONTINUED to page eight) -.