The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-07-21
HATE DRIVES
TWO MEN INTO
SUICIDE PACT
Bitter Enemies Die Together
After Night Spent on
California Desert
LETTER TELLS OF DUEL
Difference of Long Standing
Settled on Lonely Sport
in Imperial Valley
LETTER TELLS OF DUEL

Brawlcy. Calf, July 2l.--H0-
Hatred made more intense with the
passing years and stronger than
mans love Of life drove John Truden
and Henry kendig Kirk into the
due and suicide pact revealed yes
terday in the finding of their bullet
pierced bodies. A letter by Truden
related how they had died.
What caused that bitter hatred,
however, was a deep mystery today,
as it was when the lifeless Truden
was discovered proppcd against a
rock near the Jacumba bathing pool
between here and San Diego.
The letter. stuffed in Trudcn's
pocket. told "all whom it may con-
Germ that H. Kirk and J. Truden of
the Imperial hotel, Imperial Calf.
met the night Of July II to fight out
their differences with 3S calibre
colts purchased for that purpose
Often Came to Blows
Truden came to Imperial about
six months ago. A month later Kirk
appeared in the open and made
guarded inquiries for "a man named
Truden.' Both put up at the best
hotel; both accepted employment.
They came to blows almost every
time they met and had to be sep
arated.
Truden's letter tells his side of
the dramatic story, of how he
got his enemy in the duel in
the desert and how the other sought
to stave off the duel which meant
certain death for one or the other
after both parties had understood
the rules of the fight which was to
ia Ike place at daybreak July l8. Kirk,
with me, made numerous trips to a
water ditch after we had arrived on
the grounds of the duel. as he claim
ed he was thirsty. We made about
six trips which took us through
barbcd wire fences to the ditch. At
last Kirk maneuvered me into bad
position with hollow and a fence
behind ME. He charged at me to get
the gun at my waistband. In the
ensuing struggle for the gun which
changed hands repeatedly for few
minutes, Kirk received slight wounds
in right arm and a blow of my fist
behind his ear. received slight
lump on my left temple, lost tooth
and some scratches on my left fore
arm, besides broken watchchain.
The scuffle was over in a short time
with me in possession of the pistol.
This all happened about 3:45 a. m.
We then proceeded to the appointed
place to await the coming of day
light, more or less sore over the
above scuffle.
Kirk Finds Excuses
1--WE were to shoot at distance
Of IL PAGES. l was to count, one,
two, three. and at the word three
we were to shoot at will. but Kirk
found plenty of excuses and we had
done nothing by 7:45 u. m. For that
reason we had to move further down
as there came some men to work in
the nearby field.
Finally. after several more trips
to the water ditch about noon we
agreed that the time had arrived to
proceed with our pistol argument.
AT the word two Kirk opened
fire. his shot grazing my right hip
so that l could feel it, at three
fired and missed. Kirk fired again
and missed and ran few PAGES with
me after him. He turned and we
fired at the same time. My bullet
scored the mark. Our differences
are Of long standing. period of six
years, when we met before. ] did
not recognize him here at the hotel
for several weeks. When l did, I
quit work and the above is the re-
suit, with the exception that if he
wanted to die, would take my own
life in day or two. I will do this
as soon as I leave the valley. 1t is
so hot that I would rather leave this
life for future in cooler place,
even though l am headed for much
hotter one, according to William
jennings Bryan. (signed) John Tru-
den, Imperial, Calf"
Died Instantly
"P. S. Kirk died instantly and easy.
not knowing what hit him. Hope he
rests easy"
A stranger who was arrested
when he walked into the coroner's
office asking to see Kinks body at
an hour when the general public
had no inkling he was dead. was
later released when he explained
that he had learned of the affair
through the landlord of the hotel
where Kirk stayed