Killing at Altman:
-> Found at the Colorado Historic Newspaper site.
Last updated: 1 May, 2016 10:01
Aspen Daily Times, Aspen, Colorado.
Tuesday, April 13, 1897
(page 1)
[Images used not part of article]
A KILLING AT ALTMAN
Jack Cox Commits Murder and Is Shot While Resisting Arrest.
WAS SHOT BY THE TOWN MARSHAL
In a Drunken Quarrel Over a Game of Pool Cox Shot and Instantly Killed Bud Daly - Wounded Two Other Men - Shot at and Missed Jack McElroy.

Altman, Colo., April 11. - (Special to The News) - Robert Daly was shot and instantly killed by John Cox in McElroy and Coll's saloon in this town at 10:15 o'clock this morning. Evidently Cox was not satisfied with one life and tried to kill all the other men in the place.

He fired three shots at three of his companions and two of them took effect.

Harry Miner received a ball in the right elbow which shattered the bones badly and the doctors who are attending him say that it will be necessary to amputate the member.

Sam Lochy received his leaden pellet close to the left nipple , but fortunately the ball glanced from one of his ribs and plowed its way through the muscles of his right arm.

Cox then took a shot at J. C. McElroy, one of the proprietors of the saloon, and scored his first miss.

He then rushed to the front door of the saloon and fired twice at Town Marshal O'Brien , who was coming to the scene of the bloody affray on the run.

The marshal had his gun out and ready for action. When the first shot was fired at him he blazed away at Cox, the ball taking effect. He then closed with the imfurlated murderer and with a cocked revolver against his stomach grabbed Cox's right arm, which firmly grasped the revolver which had done the deadly work, and said:

"Stop or I'll blow your heart out."

Cox dropped his gun and said. "That is enough, Ed."

The marshal then started with his prisoner toward the jail, but after taking a half-dozen stops Cox stumbled and fell, limp as a rag. This was the first the marshal knew that his shot had taken effect. The ball entered close to the left nipple mid went through his body, burying itself in the muscles of the right arm.

At a late hour tonight, Cox was still alive, but he is bleeding internally. Lochy and Miller's wounds are not serious.

The cause of the bloodshed was too much whisky and a little dispute over a game of pool. All the men he shot were his personal friends and no reason can be assigned for his attempted wholesale killing save that he was crazy drunk. The man he killed and the two he shot lived in the same cabin with him. All four were out all night drinking, playing pool and cards, and were more or lees under the influence of liquor.

When they entered Lyon's saloon about 10 o'clock this morning, after drinking several rounds Cox and Daly got into a heated argument over a disputed point in a game of pool, which had been played and which Daly had won. They left the place still talking over the disputed point and entered McElroy & Coll's saloon, a few doors up the street.

Here Cox began talking of killing and asked Daly to come out and fight with guns. Miner interfered and partly by persuasion and partly by force backed Daly out of the back door. The latter's hat dropped on the floor and he returned to get it.

He was met by Cox, who had his revolver, a 44 double-action Smith & Wesson, in his hand. He walked towards Cox and said:

"Jack, shoot if you want to."

Cox obeyed instantly, the ball striking Daly in the the left jaw, tearing a hole two inches in diameter, and ranged upward into the brain. He fell like a log and expired in a few minutes.

Lochy and McElroy, who narrowly escaped being killed in this row, formerly resided in Aspen and are well known here.

 

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