The Bowbells tribune. [volume] (Bowbells, Ward Co., N.D.) 1899-1969, 1917-10-05
TRAGEDY FOLLOWS ARGUMENT
LAST EVENING AFTER
VEHICLES COLLIDE
Prisoner Admits He
Shot Sam Oaze||
VICTIM DIES ON WAY TO HOS
PITAL SOON AFTER BE-
ING WOUNDED

Mlnot. N. D., OCT. 4.-Following
the death last evening of Sam Da-
zell. % years old, driver for the J.
B. Reed Transfer line, Police Chief
Dan Dougherty of the Minot police
department, announced that
, charge of murder in the first degree
had been lodged against E. C. Cro-
we'll, 81 years old, driver of a par
eel post delivery here.
,Dazell was shot oown in the barn
owned by ]. B. Reed, proprietor OF
the transfer line for whom Dazell
worked. at 112 Third street south
west at GAS o'clock last night.
Crowell has confessed to the shoot
Ing, Chief Dougherty said, but the
prisoner protested that it was ac-
cidental.
Death was almost instantaneous,
the victim dyi6g on the way to The
hospital as he was being conveyed
In the j. B. Reed truck driven by
Mr.. Reed. He was shot three
times.
About 4:30 o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon the vehicles occupied by
Dazell and Crowell collided. 1t was
said that mail in the parcel post
wagon was scattered over the
| street. This led to a heated argu-
ment, with the men angry as they
separated. The participants in the
row kept their horses in the J. B.
Reed barn. At $3.50 o'clock they
again met face to face. Crowell
told Chief Dougherty that Dazell
slapped him across the face a couple
of times. following another argu-
ment and said that he fred the
shots toward the ground.
At the Reed residence it was said
that the men engaged in a fist fight
In the barn following a verbal bat
tie: Dazell. 1t was declared. got
the best of his opponent and then
started for the door. Crowelf
whipped out 32-calibre revolver.
and pulled the trigger three times.
A witness to the fight tried to pre-
vent Crowell from continuing the
fracas. declaring he had had enough
but Crowell discharged the weapon.
The first bullet lodged in Dazell's
leg and the other two took effect in
the abdomen. After he was shot
in the leg Dazell started to fall and
Crowell pressed the revolver against
his adversary's abdomen and fired.
J. B. Reed was called and rushed
the wounded man to a local hospi-
tai. The wounds in the abdomen.
however. were fatal and the truck
bearing the victim was headed to-
ward the Van Fleet undertaking
parlors, where the body will remain
until relatives arrive from 'Drayton
to make funeral arrangements.
After the shooting Crowell walked
to the police station and gave him
self up to the police He said he
had shot Sam Dazell. The police
locked him in a cell and left the
docket open for a charge. pending
an investigation Of the shooting and
the results Of the wounds. A short
time later 1t was announced that
Dazell was dead and the specific
charge of murder was written on
the police docket opposite Crowell's
name by Chief Dougherty,
That the shooting was intentional
was the belief Of Chief Dougherty
in statement to Daily News re-
porter last night, and to strengthen
his assertion the chief announced
the result of an investigation which
led to the discovery that Crowell
purchased the revolver at the Has
kell secondhand store soon after
the argument which took place be-
tween the two men on the street.
following tho collision OF the veh1-
cles they occupied. When Crowell
purchased the revolver he also
bought one round Of ammunition.
there being five chambers In the
I pistol. >-'
The Prisoners home is in Pulaski.
Virginia. He has been employed
here for about three months. He
was subject to call In the next draft
and is unmarried. In q letter from
his father in Virginia there is de-
cided tone of pro-Germanism. bpt
whether Crowell was actuated IL
the shooting by q desire to escaR1
the draft is only conjecture and the
police are not inclined to place any
motive for the shooting other than
to blame it to the dispute between
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