The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-06-28
WOMAN KILLED IN
gEnID fEUD DUEL


Outside the fence Of the TOmp-
kins ranch, on the trail between the
Reiz and Tregaskis ranches, south
of DEMO, lying just as she had
fallen, crumpled in heap, arms
out-flung, the right hand being al
most concealed in a patch Of wild
sunflowers yet clutching, with the
grip of death, .32 1yer johnson
revolver, forefnger pressing trigger,
thumb against hammer, the body
of Mrs. Walter Tregaskis, % years
old, was discovered Wednesday
morning by Sheriff Geo. w. Brady.
An argument by the deceased
with Tim Tompkins, who lives near
the Tregaskis ranch, which devel-
oped into an exchange Of shots, was
the cause of the tragedy.
Mrs. Tregaskis, wearing a holster
containing the .32 pistol. was walk
ing near the dividing line fence Of
the Tompkins ranch. With her were
her three children, aged one year,
four years and six years, and her
mother, Mrs. Reiz. In the field in
side of his own fence was Tompkins,
bearing a 12-gauge, double-barreled
shotgun. As the Tregaskis party ar
rived opposite Tompkins, and only
about 75 feet from him, an argu-
ment strted which quickly devel-
oped into a shooting ARRAY. Mrs.
Tregaskis received charge of No.
4 shot in the breast and face which
resulted in her death. Tompkins
received a pistol wound in the right
hip and another bullet from Mrs.
Tregaskis' pistol went through his
shirt pocket and left sleeve, but
without wounding him. Three empty
shells were found in the pistol
clutched in the hands Of the dead
woman.
After the fatal wounding of Mrs.
Tregaskis, Mrs. Reiz fed with the
small children for safety. Tompkins
retired to his house to await the
arrival Of the officers.
The body laid as it fell from 4
o'clock Tuesday afternoon until ii
o'clock Wednesday morning, when
Sheriff Brady and Deputy Perry
Boyd arrived, they having left VIM
nemucca for the scene Of the trag-
edy early Wednesday morhing upon
receipt of telephone messages from
neighbors of the deceased.
After their discovery Of the body,
Sheriff Brady, accompanied by Dep
uty Boyd, proceeded to the home of
Tim Tompkins. Arriving there they
called to him and demanded that he
come out. Tompkins stuck his head
out Of the door to see who was call
ing him and Immediately Brady and
Boyd got the drop on him with
their guns. Without any further ar
gument, Tompkins came the rest of
the way out Of his doorway and
submitted to arrest. The officers
then searched the house and dis
covered the weapon with which the
killing was done, a 12-gauge shot
gun. Both barrels were loaded with
No. shells.
While Sheriff Brady removed the
prisoner from his home and placed
him in concealment in the high
brush in order to avoid any posi-
bility of violence, Deputy Sheriff
Perry Boyd empanelled coroner's
jury, which after viewing the body
where it lay on the trail proceeded
to the Reiz ranch for further dis
cussion of the ARRAY.
As soon as the coroner's jury had
viewed it the body was laced in
the care Of Lester Howard for
transportation to Winnemucca in his
auto. Meanwhile Sheriff Brady had
escorted the prisoner to his car and
with Boyd, who had returned from
the inquest at the Reiz ranch, also
started for Winnemucca.
After proceeding past Quinn
River they caught up with the How
ard car, which had met with an ac-
cident. Unable to repair the car,
Sheriff Brady decided to tow it in
with hs car. When both cars
reached Happy Creek the Sheriff de-
cided instead of towing the other