Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — May 16, 1923

Shooting from a second-story window of his building in Oak Creek, Ed Carnes fatally wounded town trustee B.F. Williams and struck his brother, Charles Williams, in the leg with two bullets last Sunday afternoon. The Williams brothers had been walking down the road toward Carnes' place of business when they were shot. Carnes claims that both men had guns, but others say only B.F. Williams was armed.

The shooting was the sequel of a fight in which the three men had been engaged a few minutes before at the Routt County garage conducted by G.H. Snyder. B.f. Williams and Snyder had been working on an auto belonging to Williams and Carnes had entered and demanded that Williams follow a certain course regarding town affairs. The engine of the car was running and he ordered the two men to turn it off, which they refused to do. A general fight then ensued. Charles Williams did not take part.

According to Carnes, B.F. Williams struck him first and knocked him down and Snyder struck him with a large stick of wood. Carnes says he then drew his gun and hit Snyder over the head with it. The two Williamses then said "We'll fix him!" and started for their residence to get their guns. Hurrying to his place of business, Carnes climbed to the second floor and opened a window facing the road and waited.

Both men dropped to the ground when they were shot. Carnes came down and took B.F. Williams' gun. At that time, he was in custody of Town Marshal Harve Evans to whom he had surrendered immediately after he had fired the shots.

Carnes is married and has two small sons. He conducts a soft drink parlor and hotel in Oak Creek.

Season advances rapidly

The quaking aspen in many of the clumps on the lower hills in the vicinity of town burst into full leaf yesterday, seemingly all together. Much of the undergrowth of small bushes had been leaved out for several days. The cottonwoods are promising to soon take on their summer dress. Spring is more advanced than usual.

Spring showers have been the rule for the past week. No period of 24 hours has gone by without bringing rain. Sunday night, there was a little snow that quickly disappeared.

Temperatures have ranged from 49 to 65.

Captured a still

Undersheriff W.H. Kitchens made a raid Tuesday on a house in Hickory Flats in Oak Creek, where he seized a moonshine outfit of considerable size. It included a 25-gallon still, nearly 500 gallons of mash, about 15 quarts of "first run" whiskey and two or three gallons of the finished product. The owner, said to be an Italian, made his escape before the raid.

News from here and there

The difficulties of protecting lawns and gardens from invasion by cattle and horses running the range adjoining town has led the town board to order the construction of a range fence extending from the former Gooding house near the head of 12th Street to a point below the municipal campgrounds below town. Night Marshal J.E. Love was instructed to secure himself a saddle horse to aid him in driving out range stock.

In order to devote his entire attention to the automobile business, Claude A. Leukens this week resigned his position with the Ballard Drug company where he has long been a popular staff member. He is the agent for Hupmobile in this territory.

Sheriff Neiman and District Attorney Monson went to Oak Creek yesterday to make an investigation of Sunday's shooting affair.

Commencement exercises for the Yampa School took place last evening. Fannie McFarland and Helen Male graduated from the High School.

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Carver and little Master Billie left on Wednesday's train for a 10-day visit in Denver. On their return they will be driving a new auto.