Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1921-07-08
RIOT AT MOTLEY
One DEAD.IW0 HURT
THREE LAVOIE BROTHERS SHOT
IN STREET FIGHT WHEN THEY
'sS RESISTED ARREST

One man is dead and two are suffer
ing with gunshot wounds and bruises
as the result of a riot in the streets Of
Motley village Wednesday evening,
| which ensued when Constable Staple.
attempted to arrest two men on charges
Of transporting moonshine. The dead
man is Eugene Layoie, about 80 years
old, and the wounded men are his broth:
ers, George and Dave.
Sheriff Felix was notified of the
shooting affair at about 1880 O'Clock
Wednesday evening and he and Deputy
Fueger Immediately drove up there.
As near as could be learned, the trouble
started Tuesday when Constable Staph-
er attempted to arrest the Lavoie boys
and Leon Len) Thompson for viola
tions of the prohibition laws. They
resisted arrest, maintaining that the
had no authority outside of the village
limits. On Wednesday, two Of the
Lavoie boys went to Randall, and AZ
they arrived in Motley between i and
o'clock p. M, on their return, Staph-
cr again attempted to arrest them, it
is said. They attacked him and started
to beat him up. He yelled for help
and business men Of the village and
others soon appeared on the scene,
armed with rifles, revolvers, shotguns,
pieces of pipe, ETC., and free e-for-au
fight ensued.- One of the Lavoie boys
and Thompson, who, it is said, were not
present when the fight started, came to
the aid of their companions. Someone
in the crowd fired shot in the air and
soon more shots followed, this time di-
directed at the Lavoie boys. Thompson
is said to have escaped when the shoot
ing commenced. .-s..-
Eugene Lavoie was shot through the
! side by either rife or revolver, the
bullet entering the body just above the
left hip and passing out at the side Of
the abdomen. George and Dave Lavoie
were wounded by charges of small shot
from shotguns, the one getting the
charge in both legs and the. other in
the back. Dave also had bad cut on
the head, inflicted by some dull instru-
ment.
A doctor from Braineri was called,
after the battle and he dressed the
wounds of the three men and rushed
Eugene Lavoie to the Brainerd hospi-
tai, where he died at o'clock yester-
| day morning. An operation was per-
formed at o'clock Wednesday eve
ming in an effort to save him, but with
out avail Dave Lavoie was removed
to his home, in serious condition.
Constable Stapher was badly beaten up.
When Sheriff Felix and Deputy Sher-
iff Fueger arrived in Motley, they
found everything comparatively quiet.
They were unable to learn who the par
ties were who did the shooting, and
after arresting Thompson and George
Lavoie, they returned to Little Falls
with these two, lodging them in jail
over night. ;,-e -
Yesterday morning, Sheriff Felix and
County Attorney Cameron drove up to
Motley to- make an investigation Of the
whole affair. They had not returned
at press time and no further informa-
tion was available. There will likely
be number of arrests and possibly a
grand jury investigation, this depend.
ing on the findings of the sheriff and
county attorney yesterday.
Eugene Lavoie, who died, was
single man. He was raised near Motley
but lately lived in North Dakota, where
he operated a restaurant. He was WIS.,
iting his parents at the time, as was
George, who lives in the northern part
| Of the state, Il!