The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-08-31
GEO. A. zANT MUIR.
DERED At HOME 2
MILES FROM TOWN

Geo. A. Iant. who with his Snmily
came to Tucumcar the first of June,
was shot and killed in hi, home two
mile southeast of toGn Weduc 'ddy
morning about i:30 o'clock 10y party
or parties yet unknown To the public.
The first report reached here to the
effect that Mr.. Xant had committed
suicide 10y shooting himself with shot
gun. but it was afterwards decided by
those who witnessed this situations
and took into consideration the man
ner in which the wound was inflicted,
that the gun was held i'm other hands
than those of Mr. Xant
Mrs. Iant's brother, Mr. Anderson
who came here about u month ago,
was staying with the family and he
slept on the south porch ON II cot. He
said he heard the shot hut thought it
was someone blasting as the report
was not very loud Mrs. Iant and two
small children were sleeping in the
room where the man was killed. lit
tie i-ycar-old boy being in he'd with
the father. the mother and baby iu a
bed about four feet away Mrs. Iant
came out on the porch aud told her
brother that her husband had shot
himself and the brother Immediately
went To the bed The comfort WAS on
fire and he cXtnguished the iirc ana
put the cover back like 1t was. He
then went to the home of Il u"ighuur,
Mr. Dodson. who occupies the Tate
place near Tucumcan mountain. lie
told Mr.. DOdSOn, George has shot
himself, but | don't know whether he
is dead or not" Mr. Dodson, who is
an old friend of the family. coming
here with them last June, accompa-
MED the brother back home and went
into the room The whole family was
greatly excited but he did not examine
Mr.. Zant TO see whether he was dead
or not, but went to the home of Mr..
Standley. who lives on the Donohoo
place and got him to return with him
to the Zant home. They made an eX-
animation and found that Iant was
dead.
Sheriff Ward was notified of the
tragedy and in company with the News
editor was soon on the scene. a glance
at the situation proved the fact that
II coroner's jury and preliminary cX-
animation was necessary, so Mr.. Ward
hurried back to town and took Judge
McElroy, DR., Leming, and jury to
the home where the remains were
iewed and members of the family
questioned. Nothing of importance
developed AT the inquest except the
jury was fully convinced that Mr..
Xant came to his death by gun shot
wound inflicted 10y some party UNI
known to them. This disprovcd the
assertion that Xant shot himself with
a shotgun. thus committing suicide,
As it appeared to those who saw
the surroundings Mr.. Iant was sleep
ing in bed with his back to the pass
age way between the bed in which he
slept and that in which his wife and
little baby slept. He was lying on his
left side, with his arms and body com
pletely covered with the comfort. The
comfort was evidently nearly touching
his right ear and then doubled back.
The gun, single barrelcd shot gun,
was pointed downward with the end
nearly against his neck at the base of
the skull, here il was discharged and
caught the covers on ire. When the
cover was Strengthened up it appcard
like his head was completely coverd
and the shot was through the cover
thence into Zunt's head, but more thor
Ough investigation revealed the hole
caused by fire instead of the discharge
passing through same. After enter
ing the head the shot were scattered
in all directions, hole being torn out
ward over the left eye. The neck and
face were badly powder burned. The
gun, so the family said, was in the mid
die of the bed, on top of the cover, in
front of the dead man. This was an
other evidence that 1t was not suicide.
Each member of the family was ques-
toned before the jury and those who
should have known just about how the
tragedy was committed, said he shot
himself They were willing to testify
and readily answered every question
propounded to them. There being no
evidence against any certain person
no arrests were made and there will
likely be none until something more
definite occurs. Murder will out and
the guilty party will sooner or later
he apprehcnded.
Mr., and Mrs. Xant had made many
friends during their short residence
in this locality. They were both about
80 years of age and the parents of 7
children, the two oldest being boys
less than twenty years Of age, and
range down to baby, Mr., Dodson
speaks in the highest terms of the fam
lily. He said since the accident which
happened last June when they were
coming TO New Mexico from Texas,
when the w.ndstorm passed through
the county near Dripping Springs, and
the wagon IN which Mrs. Zant and the
smnll children were riding. Wns blown