The copper era and Morenci leader., 1918-05-03
DEPUTIES FIGHT
 FATAL PISTOL DUEL
BOB o'NEAL SHOT THROUGH HEART, GEORGE HILL STOPS FOUR BULLETS, INNOCENT BY- STANDER WOUNDED IN NECK. DIES.


 ISLANDER WOUNDED IN NECK. DIES.
 A fatal gun fight was pulled off in New Town last Monday night, in which two deputy sheriff's partici- pated with fatal results.
 The news of the tragedy, which oc- cured about o'clock Monday even- ing, was phoned into the sheriff's of flee about 30 minutes afterwards. Un- dersheriff Sturgess, Jailer Smith and Deputy Young left for the scene i'm meditely, Chief Deputy Nix went out Tuesday to look into the causes that lead up to the fatal ending of per sonal affair.
 When arriving on the ground the officers found Bob O'Neal dead and Deputy George Hill mortally wounded. The usual innocent bystander was | the victom also. Dominic Vicenti, an Italian resident of that town, had received a serious wound in the neck, severing a blood vessel, caus- ed by a stray bullet which struck him as he was passing the door in | the room beyond which the shooting occurred.
 Both of the participants were depu- ty sheriffs, and the affair was a shock to all who knew them. The partici- pants were Deputy Sheriff George Hill of Morenci, and Deputy Sheriff R. A. O'Neal. The latter was recently em- ployed as guard at the convict camp, but left that place before the rupture that put the road camp in considerable confusion. He was one of the men selected by Sheriff Slaugh- I | L ls--- to take charge of the convicts when they first mutined several weeks ago.
 Sheriff Slaughter only recently dep utized O'Neal as deputy to keep the peace at New Town, to which place he had gone several days ago to be ready to go to work on the first day of May. Preparatory to taking up his duties there he had procured room. in which to lodge, mad it was in this room that the tragedy was er"' ed. A statement made by MT. Hill socn after the shooting was substan- tially as follows:
 | Hill, in company with Constable John B. Hoffman, went to New Town aate Monday evening from Morenci, and were with O'Neal on the streets prior to the shooting. Later Hill and | O'Neal went to the room of the latter and engaged in a conversation, both sitting on the bed, and after time the conversation became more or less personal and acrimonious. Some statement made by O'Neal caused Hill to call him a liar, and it was then that 1 O'Neal struck Hill, knocking him off the bed, at the same time drawing his six shooter. From his prostrate position Hill about the same time pulled his gun, and the duel commenc- ed. O'Neal was fatally shot, and after the shooting Hill struck him on the head one or more times with his six shooter.
 While passing the door, Dominic Vicenti, who was in another room of the house at the time the shooting began, was struck by a stray bullet in the neck, severing a blood vessel | Hill then left the scene and start ed away, and was overtaken by Gus Brutinel after walking some distance. To Brutinel he told that he was shot and asked to be taken to the Longfal- low hospital"
 Cause of the Quarrel Unknown.
 The nature of the conversation that lead up to the shooting was not re- vealed by Hill, and the exact cause of the tragedy is not known, as there i were no witnesses. The building in which the shooting occurred was a brick house, and none heard the shooting, Gus Brutinel did not know that Hill was wounded until he was told by that individual.
 Dr. Smith was immediately summon ed and gave the wounded man atten- tion. He was struck four times, but neither of the wounds are necessarily fatal stated Dr. Smith, O'Neal's shots found lodgment in Hills chin, one in the neck, one in his hand, while the most serious wound struck him be- low the ear and came out on the op- posite side of the neck.
 O'Neal was shot through the heart, which was the fatal wound, another ball struck him in the breast, one in his side and another in the shoulder. His skull was badly fractured, evi7 dently from the blow of Hills pis- tol with which he stated he struck o. Neal after he had shot him.
 Hill has been deputy at Morenci for some time past under Sheriff Slaughter, and held deputyship un- der a former sheriff of Greenlee coun- ty. He was married about one year ago to Mrs. Sleiger, who was at the rdncn OH EdSle at IHe IHne ol Iho tragedy. She was at once sent for, and reached her husband Tuesday morning, and remains with him at the hospital where he is still a pa tient.
 O'Neal was a widower, his wife hay ing died some time ago. One son, two years old, who lives with his ma ternal grand mother at Douglas, sur. wives him He would have been forty years of age on May g..
 Deceased came to Arizona from Texas, his father still lives in Erath county. A brother, William O'Neal who is employed as one of the guards at the road camp, arrived Tues day afternoon. Wm. had left the camp trailing the convicts who es naned Eriadu night and mord rannh