Silver City Enterprise — 1888-1890 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1890-04-11
source date: 1890
availability: public-domain

Frank Steele, the well-known manager of the Western Union Telegraph company at El Paso, shot and fatally wounded Frank Patter- son, also an operator, the other night. The fight occurred in the telegraph office and was the result of a dispute over a wire which refused to work. Patterson advanced on Steele, striking him, when the latter rushed to his desk, and securing a revolver, used it with deadly effect. Steele shot at Patterson twice — one bullet going in the left shoulder and one in the mouth, and the last shot will in all probability prove fatal. Steele was immediately arrested and held under $5,000 bond to await the result of the wounded man’s injuries. Just before daylight on Tuesday morning last some miscreant fired the wood pile lying near the Skillicorn and Snyder mill at Pinos Altos. Had it been discovered ten minutes later it would undoubtedly have destroyed the mill. As the mill was closed down awaiting result of the legal proceedings in injunction on the mine and no fires about the premises, it was certainly the work of an incendiary. No punishment can be too severe for such a miscreant and no doubt if those firebugs are discovered, the citizens of Pinos Altos will not await the law’s delays.