SHOOTING AFFRAY
A Drunken Stranger Attacks Peter Claussen With A Gun

Wednesday evening about six o'clock as Peter Claussen was on his way up town with his milk he came across a man lying on the railroad track. He immediately noticed he was very boozy and told him he had better go up town. He got up and they walked along together until they got to L. Kelting's saloon and the fellow wanted Claussen to go in but he refused and that seemed to make him mad and he at once pulled his revolver and commenced to shoot. The first shot struck Claussen in the back and the second one cut his coat sleeve a little. Mr. Claussen ran across the street badly frightened not realizing he was hit at all until his back began to smart and the blood began to run down his back and legs, he then began to think about getting a doctor. He met Dr. Carlile and he at once took him to his office where it was soon found that there was a hole through all his clothing, piercing the skin, but not deep enough to cause any serious damage. The revolver used was a 32 caliber and Mr. Claussen says that when he fired the first shot he was not over ten feet away. The bullet was found this morning by Mr. Claussen in his bedroom at home which must have been in the clothing. It surely was a miracle that the bullet did not go clear through Mr. Claussen's body being so close and so large a caliber.

The fellow ran toward the depot as soon as he realized what he had done but he was soon spotted by M. P. Lathrop and a Mr. Arnett who is in the employ of the Priebe Simater Company who caught him near the C. M.& St. P. depot, he was trying to reload the revolver but had not got far enough along with it to shoot. He was immediately turned over to Frank Blair the night watch who put him in the city bastille.

The fellow gave his name as Lester McCormick and says he came here from Ralston. He was brought before Mayor Rogers this morning and the evidence was so strong against him that Mayor Rogers bound him over to await the action of the Grand Jury which convenes at Carroll in February. He will be taken to Carroll this evening and placed in jail. Mr. Claussen has surely passed through one of the narrowest escapes of any man in Manning and surely ought to shake hands with himself for being so lucky as to be alive. When asked by the mayor to make a statement the prisoner flatly declined and said he had nothing to say, as he knew nothing from the time he came to town yesterday until awoke in the city jail this morning.