Bonners Ferry herald., 1919-09-16
TRIES TO KILL
W. F. DUNNINC
COtNTf SHERIFF EXCHANGES
SHOTS WITH HOMER DAYTON
In DAYTON HOME, NAPLES
JAMMED SHELL In REVOLVER
Sheriff Able To Fire Only One Shot
Dayton Makes Escape

county road at Naples, was the scene
OF desperate revolver duel yesterday
afternoon between Sheriff Dunning
ana Homer Dayton, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. ID. +. Dayton, Homer DAYTON be-
ing wanted in this county on the
charge of Jail breaking while he was
Delng held federal prisoner, and also
being wanted in Colorado as an es-
capped convict, having escaped from
the state penitentiary at Canon CITY
Colo, on April 10, 1919.
Three or four shots were fired AZ
Sherln Dunning, at close range by
Dayton but none struck their mark
owing TO the fact that the sheriff was
under partial cover. Dunning fired
one shot and then a jammed shell
prevented further shooting. DAYTON
escaped from the rear of the house
and took to the woods and rough
country nearby. He was followed for
mile or so by Sheriff Dunning. Den
uty Bangs and Deputy McGlocklin.
Yesterday morning Sheriff Dunning
learned that Dayton had arrived in
this county and was in the vicinity of
his parents home at Naples. The
sheriff deputized Charles McGlocklin
TO look for the fugitive. Dunning
and McGlocklin secured the country
about the Dayton home and then
closed in on the house. Dunning
flrst came upon younger brother of
homer and ordered him to surrender
but when the lad faced him the sheriff
realized that he had the wrong man.
The younger brother told the sheriff
That Homer was about the barn and
offered to go with him to look for
Homer 1t seems that at this time
Homer was in tent in the rear of
the house and that McGlocklin had an
preached the house from another di-
rection. McGlockiin met Homer as
he was entering the house after leav-
ing the tent and ordered him to throw
up his hands but Dayton ducked into
the doorway.
Sheriff Dunning and McGlocklin
then entered the house and met Mrs.
Dayton and the youngest son, the
sheriff advising Mrs. Dayton that he
would have to search the house. Mrs
Dayton replied, You can search ii
from cellar to garrett" At this time
the officers were not sure whether
Homer was in the house or had passed
through and escaped the front way.
Dunning decided to search the up
stairs first and then Mrs. Dayton asked
him not to go up there. 81 am afraid
that someone will get hurt" she said
and asked permission to go up and talk
to her SON. This she was allowed tC
do and on coming back told the sheriff
that her son would surrender if the
sheriff had warrant for him. All
this juncture the sheriff sent McGlock-
lin to telephone to the office here for
help and someone to bring out the
warrant which had been asked for.
McGlocklin had been gone but a few
minutes and Sheriff Dunning was
standing talking to Mrs. Dayton and
her young son, when he heard a voice
from near the top of the stairway say,
&c . n you, I'll kill you" Dun
ming whirled and saw Dayton standing
on the stairs with a leveled revolver.
He jumped behind the partition Just
as Dayton fired and the bullet spent
itself passing through the wall after
having neatly creased the door panels.
Dunning pulled his revolver, a police
special Colts and fired at Dayton but
missed owing to the fact that Dayton
was protected by the balustrades of
the stairway. The shell became stuck
in his gun and Dunning was unable
to fire another shot Dayton kept
on shooting and the smoke in the hall
was so dense that Dunning was unable
to determine whether or not Dayton
was still in the house or had slipped
out the back way or through one of
the windows. When McGlocklin re-
turned Dunning had removed the stuck
shell from his gun and the two fol-
lowed Dayton's trail into the brush
for over a mile. The sheriff asked
men who had gathered to form a posse
and help him in the hunt but they
had no guns and did not appear to
want to take part in the man hunt as
Dayton is known to be a desperate
character.
When Dayton appeared on the stair.
way he had Al. automatic and g
Colts revolver, one in either hand and
a Savage rifle strapped to. his body
Deputy Sheriff Bangs arrived at Ma
pies after the shooting had taken place
and took part in the hunt for Daytor
in the rear of the Dayton home. He
was in another part of the county -r
official business when Dunning made
the trip to Naples after Dayton.
Dayton is reputed to be crack sho
and it is a miracle that Dunning es
capped being hit if not killed and bu
few men would have taken the chances
he took in an attempt to make an ar
rest When the shooting started Mrs
Dayton screamed and lodged in one
direction and her younger son in an
other. Homer covered the younger
brother at first, evidently mistakine
him for one of the officers. Sheriff
Dunning thinks that all that saved
him from the first shot in the open was
the fact that he stood close to Mrs
Dayton and that she was partially il
line of Homer's fire.
Homer Dayton has an unenviablt
record. He was arrested in this
county several years ago by Sheriff
Worley in connection with theft ot