The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1920-06-04
FATAL SHOOTING
AT KELLER

Iaot WCCh VAAASVAS See
the lay for bootleggers shot and killed
a man at Keller who was under sus.
picion of peddling whisky. There has
been much smuggling of whisky from
across the line through Ferry and
Okanogan counties and officers have
been distributed along the border in
an effort to apprehend the guilty par
ties. A number of bootleggers have
been captured, and in more than one
instance these criminals have been
found to be heavily armed, as though
prepared to do battle against the Of
ficers of the law. Under those circum-
stances it is necessary for the officers
to be circumspect and prepared to
shoot in self defense. In this Keller
case, if the stories of the tragedy are
correct, it is evident that the officers
displayed too much zeal and very lit
tie discretion. 1t is such cases as these
that is crystalizing public sentiment
against the prohibition law as it now
stands. The Keller case is especially
unfortunate, if the facts are as stated,
and the officers who did the killing
are liable to sentence to the peniten-
tiary The Keller Eagle has the fol-
lowing account of the shooting:
Another tragedy with fatal results
occurred in Keller Sunday night, May
23rd. Ernest E. Emley, aged 27, of
Nespelem, formerly of Reardan, was
the victim, and the U. S. prohibition
enforcement officers were the assail-
ants.
1t appears that on Friday an outing
party left Reardan, or Crescent, nine
miles north of Reardan, consisting Of
Milton Emley, wife and children.
Thomas Emley, wife and son, Otis En-
ley, James Carson and Weaver O'Hara,
and in autos drove to Nespelem, where
they were joined by Ernest E. Emley
and John Carson, wife and two child
rem, and drove to Salmon for the SAL
mon celebration. They were joined
here by Oscar Carson and daughter.
They camped on the river bank near
the Keller bridge, covering three autos
with canvas and using the fourth,
large Essex car for travelling about
town.
They were here at the time three
prohibition enforcement officers from
Tacoma and County Sheriff James L.
Moore.
The Essex car made numerous trips
up town and short excursions Sunday
with some Of. the women and children.
1t was sort of family reunion and
a jolly good time was being had, but
Sunday evening some one in the party
got some Canadian whisky from a
bootlegger and while none of the men
got drunk they were feeling jolly and
about II o'clock at night the car STOP
ped at the picture show hall, where a
dance was being given. There the
seven occupants of the car sang part
of a song after which four of the men
got out leaving Weaver O'Hara, James
Carson and Ernest Emely in the car.
Ernest was driving and started the car
south, at the same time a prohibition
officer stepped behind the car and fir
ed two shots in the air. The men in the
car thought it was the exhaust in an
other car and drove on. In the mean
time Sheriff Moore and two prohibi-
ton officers jumped into a car and
followed the Essex, about 200 yards
south of the picture show hall they
overlook it in the act of turning
around to come back. The Essix stood
by the side of the road and some one
in it said to the sheriff there is room
to pass, go by" They went by and the
Essex started back to town. Then the
prohibition men began shooting into
the rear of the car at short range.
Four bullets were fired through the
back curtain at just the proper height
to kill the occupants. James Carson
jumped and ran up the hill back of the
smelter, O'Hara got down in the bot
tom of the car, but when it stopped,
thirty yards away, Ernest E. Emily,
the driver, was found dead, shot
straight through from the back Of the
head, the bullet coming out under the
chin. Another struck him lower down
the left ear, showing that he was shot
after he had fallen over. The first shot
killed him instantly. Sheriff Moore
fired no shots at the car. he fired two
or three shots into the air over James
Carson as he was running up the hill
hoping thereby to stop him. O'Hara
was arrested and taken to Republic by
the sheriff as he went for the county
coroner, Dr. Bevis. But Mr.. O'Hara
was released and came back with the
sheriff to Keller.
lIMIIEn pIISH pAWED