Evening star., 1943-07-04
Infuriated Ranchers
Comb Wyoming Hills
For Murderer Of ;
By the Associated Press.

LARAMIE, Wyo., July 3-1n-
furiated ranchers sent their fam
lilies to havens in Laramie today
and Joined law officers in q grim
hunt for the perpetrator Of three
seemingly motiveless murders In
the wyoming ranchlands.
Percy Gotta. respected and pros
porous ranchman. and his school
teacher wife, were found today shot
to death near their Dale Greek
ranch home.
Sheriff Ed A. Wood of Laramie
said the killer apparently was the
same man who shot to death Matt
Katmo. a, Cheyenne war worker,
in q mountain camp ground
Wednesday. No motive was discov-
cred in either case.
Mr.. Katmo was killed and his
companion, Mrs. o. w. Larson of
Laramie, was beaten and her hands
tied by an unidentified man who
accosted them as they stepped out
Of Mr.. Katmos car to pick some
flowers.
Plane Used in Hunt.
Sheriff Wood led one group Of
armed Laramie residents and ranch
men into the Dale Greek area,
wooded, rocky, and criss-crossed by
deep gullies, and Sheriff Norbeck
Tuck Of Cheyenne led another. A
private plane circled over the area.
This case isn't going to cost the
State anything if we catch up with
that crazy killer" Sheriff Tuck re-
marked.
And the ranchmen were equally
enraged.
We're going to shoot to kill and
nobody better try to stop U.s." said
one stockman.
The ranchers rushed their wives
to places of safe-keeping immedi-
ately when word of the second kill
ing in the area within four days
spread over the rugged cattle coun-
try.
Found by Neighbor.
Some took their families to the
homes OF friends in Laramie. others
huddled their womenfolk together
and stationed a male member of the
family on guard with a gun.
Mr.. Gotta, 58. and his wife, Ger
trude, about As. were found dead
by Charles johnson, foreman Of
the nelghboring Alwyn Bath ranch.
Mrs. Gotta was shot through The
head and her husband through the
throat. Their bodies had been
dragged by the feet from the door,
way of their home to a garage 100
feet away and thrown together be-
side the wooden building. A rope
was knotted around Mrs. Cotas
throat.
Returned From Store.
The couple evidently was killed
last night, Sheriff Wood said, on
their return from grocery shopping
trip.
Mr.. Gotta drove to Laramie yester-
day to &c: his wife, who had been
attending summer school for teach
ers at Wyoming University. To-
gether they set out for home and
stopped at the Tie Siding store.
They had carried one load Of
groceries from their car into their
house and were shot as they went
back to the auto for the rest Of their
purchases.
Nothing Of value had been taken
from the home so far as investi-
gators could tell.
Both Cars Stolen.
Mr.. johnson had gone to the Gotta
ranchhouse after he found Mr.. Cota's
coupe-blood on one running board
begged in mudhole on a country
road few miles from the ranch.
Sheriff Wood theorized that the
killer drove away in the coupe, got
stuck in the mudhole, then fed on
foot.
Mr.. Katmos killer acted in much
the same manner. the sheriff re-
lated. The man took Mr.. Katmo's
automobile after covering the dead
mans body with cordWood The
car later was found abandoned.
Just yesterday, Mr.. johnson had
come to Laramie to report to Of
ficers strange man had been seen
in the Dale Creek country. Sheriff's
officers were searching for the
stranger. to question him in the kill
ing of Mr.. Katmo, when they re-
ceived a report of the Gotta double