The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1945-04-12
RH|NEHART FATALLY WOUNDED IN
STREET SHOOTING TUESDAY NIGHT
Paul Herrera Held
For live tigdtion
In Fetal Affruy

Robert Rhineharrt, Hardin
barber, a by ISLANDER, was fatally
wounded Tuesday night aS a
result of a quarrel between Pete
Pitsch and Paul Herrera. The
shooting took place at the in
tersection of Third street and
Center avenue.
According to a statement by
County Attorney Bert w. Kron-
miller, ar alteration between
Pete and Dave Pitsch and Paul
Herrera took place in the Ar
cade bar, in which Herrera was
badly beaten and bruised. Fol-
lowing the fight, he and his
son, Benny, left the Arcade and
went to his pickup truck
which was parked near Rex's
Carter service station.@Accord-
ing to his statement, made to
the county attorney, he was
bleeding profusely at the time.
Upon getting into the pick
up, Benny Herrera tried to in
duce his father to 60 home. The
elder Herrera then drove the
truck to Center avenue and
parked in front of the Karl
Johnson store.
BY this time, Pete Pitsch,
with whom Herrera had had
the alteration in the bar, was
standing on the corner in front
of the Mission Inn bar with
! Robert Rhinehart,
According to Herrera's state
ment, he had a 38 caliber six
shooter which he kept in back
of the seat of the pickup.
When he parked on Center
avenue he took the gun and
started walking down the side
walk to where Pitch and Rhine
hart were standing.
After a few words between
Herrera and Pitsch, Pitsch
started to run, wheeling around
behind Rhinehart. At that in
slant Herrera fired his first
shot, intending it to strike
Pitsch. Instead it struck Rhine
hart in the lower right chest.
Pitsch continued to run and
Herrera fired two more shots,
neither of which were effective
According to Herrera, he re-
turned to his truck, and with his;
son, Benny, drove the pickup,
toward his home, which is a.
bout IA miles south of st. Xav-
Ter. After driving as far as the
Roy Sheldon home, 9 miles.
south OF st. Xavier, he ran in
to a water-filled mud hole,
shorting the wiring of the
truck, and was compelled to
He sent his son to the Shell
don house to get aid in secur-
ing transportation home and in
1he meantime Undersheriff Row
Riley and Patrolman Robert
Bragg. drove up and arrested
the elder Herrera. The two
were then returned to Hardin
by the officers.
Before returning to Hardin
ohe officers informed Sheldon
Uhat Herrera was wanted for
the shooting of Rhinehart, but
mat the gun used was missing.
sheldon later made a search
near where the Herrera car was
stalled and found the gun in a
nearby field. It contained three
exploded and two unexploded
shells.
In the meantime by-standers
mad assisted Rhinehart into
The Mission Inn, which had
closed for business shortly be-
lore. DR.. j. W. Schubert was
called and had the victim re-
moved to the Community hos
pltal, where he died about 20
minutes later.
An autopsy revealed that
Rhlnehart's liver had been RIM
tured and the bullet had struck
ms spine, DETECTING it back in
TO the lower lobe of his right
lung, where it was discovered.
County Attorney Kronmiller
stated that Herrera is being
ned IN the Big Horn countv
jan on a charge of murder. The
county attorney also stated that,
District Judge Guy G. Derry
YOU'D oe In Hardin today for
otae arrangement of the defend
anu. The charge upon which
Ghe defendant will be tried will
depend upon an information tn
pc tlled in the district co7,rt:
thls afternoon, said Kronmiller
Continued on Page 81