Arizona republican., 1920-09-22
HOLD CORONER'S 5 INQUEST OVER DEATH IF GILL
M a II S au ghter Charge Against Assailant to Be Filed, Says County Attor- ney-Duermeyer Tells of Blow That Resulted In Death

Declaring that he struck J. H. Gill rancher and real estate agent in order to keep him from telling his wife about a pool game, George Duermyer, former employe of Gill, yesterday told at the coroner's inquest of the events which preceded the blow that resulted in GilPs death late Monday night in St. Joseph's hospital. Gill was struck down following a quarrel of the two men at 80 o'clock Monday afternoon m front of GilPs realty office at IT East Adams street.
 Duermeyer fled from the scene and was arrested about 6:30 o'clock on Monday evening at Beardsley, p miles northwest of Phoenix by Deputy Sher- TIT Al De Witt and Chief of Police
 Ieorge Brlsbois, on a warrant charg- Ing aggravated assault. Coroner Charles De Sales Wheeler called an inquest following the death of Gill at II o'clock Monday night
 The jury returned a verdict that neath was the result of being struck In the face by George Duermeyer and pelng Knocked down, bringing his head into violent contact with the sidewalk +. M- Laney, county attorney, stated last night that a complaint had been prepared charging Duermeyer with manslaughter, and would be filed to- day Duermeyer will be arraigned on the charge today before Justice Wheeler. He was returned to the county jail following the inquest yes terday. Witnesses at the inquest were examined by MT. Laney.
 Tells of Pool Game
 Duermeyer testified that he and his wife had been employed by Gill last June to work on the ranch near Desert Inn. On September 8, Duermeyer al legged, Gill insulted his wife. He said he threw Gill down and told him he should have killed him. Gill. he Ia fF11n Al ofr the facts from his wife, who was an invalid, Duermeyer said they re- fused the money and told Gill they would leave as soon as he could get some one to take their places on the ranch.
 Last Thursday, he said at the insti- gation of Gill, he became involved in a pool game and lost $5. Before play ing he told Gill his wife objected to his playing pool and Gill, he said, told him they would not mention the mat ter Gill, he said, loaned him s5 and agreed to stand half the loss. No one had been obtained by Gill, he said, to take their places and they stayed on at the ranch four days longer, al- though they had given notice they would leave on September 15. Sun day night, Duermeyer' said, he and Gill had agreed that all money matters, in cluding the four days additional pay Incurred by their remaining overtime and the loan made on the pool losses, would be squared up, if Gill would 1 nave ms effects to town on Monday. |
 Disagreed Over Money
 Monday, Duermeyer said, he accom- | panied Gill to town and received all | the pay due them up to September 15. | de then returned to the ranch after | buying some hog feed, got his wife and | son and returned to town. He went to l the Santa Fe, bought their tickets to ODl S17 office on Adams street. Deurmeyer said he presented Gill with a bill for S3.90 for the hog feed and Gill he said. asked him for the s2.50 he had loaned him at the pool room.
 Duermeyer said he told Gill he thought that was all squared up and Gill replied that it was not. They went outside of the office to the walk | he said. where Gill told him he was going to tell his wife. who was stand ing near, about the pool game. Duer- meyer said he did not want Gill to tell her and he struck him on the right cheek. When he saw Gill fall. he said. he and his wife and son went in search of a policeman. Not find ing one, Duermeyer said, they took a 1 taxi, drove to the station, then told the driver to drive them to the nearest 1 point on he Santa Fe. He was arrest 1 ed, they said. while waiting for the | train at Beardsley.
 Duermeyer said that as Gill came | through the office door he knocked | the ashes from his pipe and put it in | his pocket. Duermeyer said he was [ rolling cigarette just before he | struck Gill. He was unable to explain | how the pipe got out of GilTs pocket onto the sidewalk. He denied that Gill was knocking ashes from his pipe when he struck him.
 Duermeyer Admits Prison Term
 Duermeyer admitted that he had served two years and five months in the South Dakota state penitentiary at Sioux Falls on a larceny charge in connection with the taking Uf an au- tomobile for joy ride" Fe was re- leased from the prison in 1917 and had served about two weeks in the army He said he did not know why he did not stop and help Gill to his feet after he struck him. Duermeyer admitted that he had a grudge against Gill be cause of the alleged insult to his wife
 Mrs. Duermeyer told of their life on the ranch of Gill and of the night on which she alleges he insulted her. She said they came to Phoenix from Om- aha Neb., where her husband was a