Seward daily gateway., 1924-11-08

Lnlnk brOOKS IS III WlIn the DOOl logging gang
 We were talking of which way to go olocate the still and heard a shot and it sounded like the bullet went over or thru the tent, it was singing Jim pulled his gun out and began loading it. I did not see how many shells he put in it Cat the inquest but two loaded shells and no empties were found) Jim then stuck his head out of the door of the tent and said, Bob. that crazy fool is shoot ing at us.'
 q said am going to take chance and get away. So I lifted the back of the tent and ran straight for the brush pile. Just as soon as I enter ed the brush pile I looked around and saw Jim running around the tent on the same side I was on. He started to run down the clearing Brooks came around the corner ot the tent right after him, and says You -- - a--, get off my land,' and fired another shot at him and then fired another right after that, and then a third one. Three or four, couldn't tell. I was running thru the woods when I heard the last shot, and I heard Jim say, Oh, Bob, but I didn't stop running. went over the hill and come to clear spot and met John Kavasnakoff."
 The testimony of Mrs. Brooks was to the effect that "the first I knew of any trouble was when I heard some one talking outside to MT Brooks. I went to the door and there was a man there. did not know who he was. I heard him ask Mr. Brooks where his lines were, and that was all I heard for little bit. Then heard this man say that he would contest MT. Brooks claim on the homestead. MT. Brooks told him he or any one else wanting to start anything like that to hop to it. Ther Brooks came into the house and re peated the conversation to me, anC asked him who this man was He said it was Jim Hill We then heard shots coming from the direction o the tent and heard the dog yelp Brooks said If he has killed tha dog, I will kill him. He went in an other room and got his rifle and told him he had better not go uI there. He went out of the house anC did not answer me. After he got ou of the gate he ran up the road and count them. In a few minutes Brooks came back and said I have got hin or crippled him for saw him fall He then went into the front room and came back out and went around the house and I heard another sho and thought someone was shooting at Brooks. I went out thru the wooC shed and called his name once ol twice and when I came to the corner of the house and there he lay"
 MT. Shea stated that Books was evidently of a surly and quarrelsome l disposition as he had attempted tC kill man with an axe while 1T the woods last summer. He evi dently was in collision with Louis and Walter Revire and Joe Gangnon as a search of the dugout where the still was found showed a mat tack, shovel, hoe and and saw, as well as an axe, all belonging tC Brooks, and identified as his proper l ty. The fact that Brooks dog hung around the tent also indicated, ac cording to MT. Shea, that if MT 1 Brooks was not directly connected with the still that he knew of its existence, by Revire's own comics sion. The fact that Brooks flew into so violent rage over the shooting al his dog. was also evidence that he knew Hill would hang some mani festation of connection with the lay out.
 Hill was found about 275 feet from the tent, laying on his face. He had been shot through the right should CT, severing the arteries near the heart, the shot going in behind and emerging in the center of the chest He had evidently fallen about 75 feet from where he was found, and then got up and staggered to where he died The first drop of blood was about 125 feet from the tent Hills reasons for running was de sire to avoid killing Brooks, know ing the disposition of the man. Gov. CT was near and he had tried to reach it. His courage had been proven many times, and he was believed by his friends to be without fear. The dog over which the shooting occur red was not injured when MT. Shea and other officers visited the scene of the shooting but was running about as lively as ever. He had a reputation for viciousness and had bitten several persons according to rumor.
 "The fact that Brooks had loan