The Alaska daily empire., 1923-07-05
REPUTED FIXING" OF RUM RUNNERS
 IS NEAR DEATH
Crowded Front Street Cafe Is Scene of Shooting Wed-
 nesday Evening.

William (Billy) Prentice, 36 yearsI of age, widely reported as the king of rumrunners' in Alaska, was shot and probably fatally wounded last night between II and 11:30 D. m. in a Front Street restaurant byl William Lott, local Negro barber. Lett was taken into custody a few minutes after the shooting by Night Patrolman V. l.. Tibbitts and is now confined in the local Federal jail charged with shooting with intent to kill.
 Prentice is at St. Ann Hospital where he was rushed last night. His condition was reported to be very grave late this afternoon with little hope entertained for his recovery. If death results from the wounds. 1t was stated by U. s. Attorney A. G. Shoup that the charge against Lott would be changed to murder. Lott had not been arraigned today.
 Dr. W. A. Borland, in attendance On Prentice today, said one of the bullets entered the chest penetrating a lung; two entered the abdomen and a fourth entered the back. There is very little chance for Prentice, he said.
 In Crowded Cafe.
 The shooting took place in Harry s Grill which was crowded with pat rons when the shots were fired. Lott, using .3S caliber. double action Smith & Wesson revolver, fired i've shots, four of which lodged in Prem tice's body, the fifth apparently missing and going into the counter. Eye witnesses to the affair told a representative of The Empire today that there was no warning quarrel preceding the shooting which took place with such suddenness that 1t was impossible to prevent or stop it after the first shot was fired.
 The shooting was caused by re- ports of certain remarks Lott was said to have made about Prentice to Winnie Swanberg, the woman whom Prentice refers to as his wife in a statement to the U. S.. Attorney after he was taken to the hospital last night. The statements made by both Lott and his victim agree on that point, although there is a difference in their accounts of the events i'm mediately preceding the shooting.
 Says No Warning.
 Prentice made formal statement accusing Lott of shooting him with out provocation He said he had heard Lott was talking about him
 Ia h tv. ha fa v1T asked him about it and that the negro fired on him without warning or quarrel.
 Lott's statement, according to the officers questioning him, was to the effect that after Prentice had ques- tioned him, he had cursed him and hit him (Lott) in the face, and thinking that Prentice was going to beat him up he shot. U. s. Attorney Shoup said that Lott's face showed no mark or sign of blow when he was questioned
 Lott also said he had been warn ed that Prentice was going to beat him up when he saw him. He de- nied, however, that when he heard of this threat, he had put the re- volver in his pocket and asserted he was only told of the threat during the afternoon and had carried the gun in his pocket all day. He de- nied he was accustomed to carry a gun, saying it was the first time he had done so. according to officials He is said to have offered no satis- factory explanation of why he was packing the weapon.
 Witnesses Tell Story.
 Roy Noland. Superintendent of the Juneau & Douglas Telephone Com pany. gave a comprehensive story of the shooting to The Empire. Ht said: T had stepped into the Grill for . light lunch about II p. m There were several people at ths counter and in the booths. Among the former were Prentice, Winnie Swanberg. 2 woman formerly resid ing at Douglas whom knew ther as Diva Dale. Prentice was talking
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