The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1922-06-29

Archer G. Poole, OF Delaware, u,
employed on the Seaplane device with
a carnival company that showed in
Minot last week, was shot and in
stantly killed by Officer J. Sharar,
,Minot policeman, after he had opened
fire on Sharar, wounding the officer
twice, one shot passing thru the
fleshy part Of his left leg midway be-
tween the knee and the thigh and the
other shot striking him in the right
leg, the bullet lodging near the bone,
just below the hip. The affair oc-
Cured at Ais o'clock Friday morning.
Poole was shot just above the left
temple and never uttered a word at
ter he fell. The tragedy occurred in
the West hotel, on First Ave. S. E. in
the hall and near the doorway OF
Room Z, on the second floor, which
was occupied by Poole and Mrs: l.. G.
Middleton, aged 19, the wife of To-
cal drayman.
Mrs. Middleton's elder sister, Miss
Nellie Sprague, aged 21, occupied a
room in the West hotel on the floor
below, with Jesse Gibson, 26, another
employe of the carnival. This couple
were sound asleep when the shooting
was going on, but were awakened by
the police and taken with Mrs. Mid
dleton to the city Jail. The trio now
occupy cells in the Ward county Jail,
facing a charge of immortality.
Mr.. Middleton, who is hardwork-
ing man and respected, complained to
the police, that his wife had been out
with someone connected with the car
nival during the previous night or
two. The police were on the watch,
and it was learned that the quartette
had gone to the West hotel where
Poole and the Middleton woman regis
tered as Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Poole.
Officers J. Sharar, S. P: NELSON
and M. D. Shockley were dispatched
on the job and they proceeded to the
West hotel. Sharar went to Room Z
on the second floor, the other officers
standing guard below. Sharar raped
on the door and aroused the couple,
informing Poole that he was an officer
and came for him. Poole got out OF
bed, put on his trousers and secured
his gun, .32 calibre German Erfurt;
Sharar heard him loading the gun and
pulled his own weapon, Smith q
Wesson, .32 high power gun: Poole
opened the door and started firing.
He had placed but two shells in his
gun and both Of these took effect in
the officers legs. Sharar fired twice,
the first bullet striking the door janb
and was deflected, passing into the
wall of the room. Altho he could
see but little of Poole's head stick
ing out from the edge of the door, he
aimed true and got his man thru the
left temple. Poole fell in a heap and
died almost instantly.
Mrs. Middleton, as soon as Poole
started shooting, cried: Don't shoot,
honey" but her partner paid no at
tention to her entreaties.
When Mrs. Middleton saw Poole ly-
ing on the floor dying, she displayed
more than ordinary nerve by getting
out of bed and wiping up the blood
with the bed sheets. When she was
taken to Jail she inquired: ''1s this all
over me?"
AS soon as the officers below heard
the shooting, they rushed up stairs to
aid Sharar, but the fearless officer
had done the trick without assistance.
He was taken to st. Joseph's hospital
where he is recovering nicely. The
bullet was taken from his leg the fol-
lowing morning One of the bullets
from Sharar's gun was found that
morning later at one end of the hall
where it had spent it's force.
The occupants of the hotel were
alarmed by the shooting and pande-
monium reigned for some little time
after the affair.
The quartette had been seen going
into the hotel at 1:25 that morning
and the shooting occurred at Ais
o'clock The west hotel is owned and
operated by A. M. Thompson.
Archer Poole, the dead man, had
been with the carnival company since
May, joining it in Washington, D. C.
His associates declare that he was a
very quiet sort of a chap and he w1j
we'll liked by his co-workers, none 81
whom suspected that he ever carried
a gun or would use one under such
circumstances. He was an overseas
man.
His body was taken to Van Fleets
undertaking parlors.
Sharar is given much credit for his
good work Saturday morning. Poole's
display of artillery and the shooting
of the officer was entirely uncalled
for. Sharar merely told Poole that
he was an officer and wanted to talk
with him. -.
It is said that Poole had been warn
ed CnaC MlQQleCOn was looking TOT
him with a gun, and it may be that
he feared that Sharar instead of be-
ing an officer, might have been the
woman's husband.
Mrs. Minnie Poole, mother Of the
dead man, wired the authorities from
Delaware, O., to ship the remains of
her son to Delaware, but it was de-
cided to hold the body until more
definite arrangements could be made.
It is said that Poole had assisted in
the support of his mother.
The coronor's inquest was held Sat-
urday afternoon at Van Fleets, the
jury, Bertel Jacobson, S. S. Boden and
C. E. Baker, deciding that Poole came
to his death from a gun shot wound,
from the hands of Jay Sharar, an Of
fcer who was performing his duties
and who shot in self defense.
A vary LARGO crowd atfandad fho