John Lovely shot Dud Hayes at a Gila ball
John Lovely and Dud Hayes, both working on the LC ranch, attended a ball at Chenowith’s on the Gila around two weeks before the incident was reported[3]. After drinking and dancing, they had a misunderstanding over a “Gila belle” and went outside to talk[3][1]. Lovely drew his gun and shot Hayes through the left thigh[3][1]. When Hayes saw the blood, he grabbed Lovely, took the gun, and beat him with it[2][1]. Slough was sent for; the bullet came within a quarter inch of a main artery, which would have caused death in minutes[2][1]. The next morning Lovely apologized but was not well received, so he left for Socorro County and went to work on the SU ranch[2][1].
Sources
- Silver City Enterprise — 1888-1890 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1889-09-20 (1889)and danced. They finally had a misunderstand- ing over one of the Gila belles, and went out to talk it over. John Lovely, who was in any- thing but a lovely humor, drew his gun and shot Dud through the le…
- He grabbed Lovely, took the gun away from… (1889)He grabbed Lovely, took the gun away from him, and when he finished pummeling him with the pistol, he was not quite so lovely. Dud was badly hurt, and was taken to the White House for repairs, and Dr. Slou…
- CHARLES G. VAN HORN (1889)CHARLES G. VAN HORN Quite a social time was had at the ball at Chenowith’s on the Gila, some two weeks since. Dud Hayes and John Lovely, both working on the LC ranch, got away with a demijohn of “elixir of …