The Washington herald., 1921-08-19
Gun ARRAY Near Gath
ersburg Caused by
Brawl After Picnic.
TWO BROTHERS DIE
OF BULLET WOUNDS
Father and Son Arrested
And Held to Await
Inquest Verdict.

ROCKVILLE, Nd. Aug. 1S.-rwo
men are dead. fve persons are SUI
fering from injuries and three
others are IN the county prison
here, as the result Of a brawl and
shooting ARRAY which occurred near
Choppers, two miles north OF
Gaithersburg, shortly after 6 o'clock
tonight.
The dead are:
Eugene Pearson. - years old. OF
Poolesville. Nd Shot through the
neck.
John A. Pearson. Is years old. OF
Poolesville, Nd. Shot through the
right side Of chest
The slain men were sons Of Al
fred Pearson. q farmer. and were
employed on their fathers farm.
Both men died before medical as
sistance could be rendered.
Three Under Arrest.
Joseph d. Stang. 81 years old. OF
Choppers, who Is said to have hred
the shots which caused the death
OF the two men. and his son. Joseph
Stang, 30 years old, were placed
under arrest by Deputy Sheriff Stan
lev GinEen, of Rockville. They
were lodged in the county prison
pending the outcome OF the inquest
which will be held tomorrow morn
ing at 10 o'clock
Archie Pearson. 50 years DID,
third brother. who was a party In
the ARRAY, was placed under ar
rest on charges of assault and rob-
berry.
Mrs. Joseph D. Stang. her daugh-
GER and son, all of Choppers: Francis
CahilI. of Brunswick. and William
Butcher, Of Barnesville, are suffer-
ing from injuries alleged to have
been inflicted by the Pearson
brothers.
Near Picnic Grounds.
The assaults and shooting oe-
Cured a short distance from the
Choppers picnic grounds when the
annual outing of the st. Rose Cath
olic Church. Of that place. was be-
ing held. and attracted several hun
dred persons to the scene
DR.. William 7. Pratt. o. TINS
place, conducted an autopsy upon
the bodies Of the dead men AZ the
undertaking establishment OF w. X
Pumphrey and Sons last night.
The Pearson brothers. who, ac-
cording to the police, were intox-
icated, had caused considerable
trouble at the St. Rose picnic by
annoying the women and chlldren
and attempting to quarrel with the
men.
Leaving the picnic grounds short
ly after o'clock, they are alleged
to have waylaid William Butcher
who was walking along the pubic
highway in the vicinity Of the pic
mic. After severely beating him, i,
is alleged that they robbed him oi
a gold watch and $1l in cash.
A short time afterward, they
uuarrelled with Francis Cahill. and
during the fight which followed
the three men are alleged to have
struck him so severely about the
face that they fractured his jaw.
Breaking away from his assail-
ants, Cahin ran to the home OF
Joseph d. Stang, a short distance
away, with the Pearsons in pur-
suit. While the assailants were
attempting to gain admission to the
Stang home where Cahill had taken
refuge. Joseph Stang, the son,
stepped into the yard and attempt
ing to pacify the intruders. with
the result that he was dealt a blow
and knocked to the ground.
Woman Thrown Down.
Mrs. Stang and a daughter see
sng the plight OF the sNn and
brother, rushed to his assistance
by the three men.
Stang shoots Two.
At this point Joseph d. Stang,
seeing his wife and two children
lying upon the ground. rushed into
the house, procured a double barrel
shotgun and fired upon the in
truders, striking Eugene and John
Pearson. Archie, the third brother.
attacked him and. securing the gun.
ran from the place.
Deputy. Sheriff Gingell. Of this
place. rushed to the scene of the
shooting and Immediately took
Stang and his son into custody.
while Archie Pearson was arrested
by the authorities a short time ant
erward. All we're held at the coun-
ty Jail.
An inquest into the death Of the
two men will be held here by Po-
bice Justice w. E. viett tomorrow
morning at 10 o'clock.
Although all of the persons who
are alleged to have suffered injury
bt the hands Of the Pearsons are
suffering from painful wounds. Ca
hill Is the only one believed to be