Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1918-03-07
Shooting Fray On
Streets Of Hazelton
Clarence White Kills Two
Prominent Hazelton Men
Monday Morning. Self
Defence Claimed.

Defence Claimed.
The people of Linton were shocked
yesterday to hear Of the killing Of
two prominent Hazelton men by Clar-
ence White, Of this city. White went
to Hazelton Saturday morning and
on Monday morning shot and killed
c. D. Sloan and fatally wounded R.
s. Pyatt, the Standard Oil man Of
that place, and it seems that White
shot in self f-defense.
There were several wild rulhors
around town as to the cause Of the
shooting, but in an interview that the
writer had with the prisoner the fact
came out that there is woman mixed
up in the case. 1t seems that Sloan
had connected Whites name with a
certain woman and naturally White
resented it as he claimed there was
no grounds for certain insinuations
that Sloan is alleged to have made.
We refrain from mentioning the wo-
mans name in the case as it seems
that she was always well thought Of
in the neighborhood where she lived.
and Mt present she is having enough
trouble withou giving her any pub
licity.
1t ID our desire to give a fair and
impartial view of the case, and we
are telling it as it was told to US by
interested parties.
There had been some hard feeling
between Sloan and White in regard
to remarks that Sloan was alleged to
have made, but no one ever thought
that things would reach the climax
that they did. White claims that he
is not in the habit Of packing gun,
but that after losing his left hand in
an insilage cutter that he did-not con.
slider himself capable of defending
himself in case Sloan should assault
him-as he had been told that Sloan
intended to beat him up. The story
goes that Sloan drove to town Mon
day morning and hailed White as he
was on his way to the barber shop,
and White turned around and walked
back to Sloan's. car, and Sloan told
him they had something to settle, and
White told Sloan that it was up to
him to do the settling, and White
could see that Sloan was very angry,
!. 30 he turned around and started to
walk away, and it is reported that
Sloan jumped out of the car and pull
ed his coat and told White that he was
going to trample him into the ground,
and then White whipped out his gun,
a % caliber pistol, and told Sloan to
stay where he was or he would
shoot; but evidently Sloan did not
heed the warning and as conse-
quence White started to shoot. White
shot Sloan four times before he fell /.
White then went to the constable and
gave himself up, but during the ex-
citement the constable neglected to
take the gun and started up the street
telling White that he would be back
in minute; and while White was
standing in front of the store waiting
for his return some one in the crowd
said: Look out, Clarence, here comes
Pyatt with a gun, and at the same
time Pyatt opened fire at long range
with a 41-caliber six-shooter and
White turned and ran into Michael.
sons store and told the crowd to stop
Pyatt as he did not want to have
any trouble with him, but Pyatt re.
fused to be stopped and followed
White into the store and White told
him to cut-it-out as he did not want
to shoot him. but Pyatt told White
] that he would get him and started te
T blaze away at him, and in the ex'
change of shots Pyatt was hit foul
times and White escaped without be.
ing hit. White then went outside
and gave himself up. Pyatt was ev'
identity acting the avenger for Sloan
as Sloan and Pyatt were hnlf-brothers
This all took place about $3.50 in ths
morning, about train time, and Pyat
was Immediately rushed to Bis
r,arck hospital on the train. Psat
died the hospjtal Monday NIGHT.
Sentiment in Hazelton is divided a.
all three men were favorably though
Of by those who knew them Whit,
is a southerner. being born in Tenn