LIGE LETSFORD
Arizona Republican Newspaper
September 27, 1902

George Wells was brought in from the Harqua Hala country 
yesterday morning suffering from a gunshot wound in the 
forehead and another in the left side of the body in the 
region of the heart.  The shooting had occurred in a 
drunken affray with a man by the name of Lige Letsford, 
near Harrisburg, in Yuma County.  The suffering which 
Wells was undergoing gave his story of the affair an 
incoherency which is not very satisfying.

He said that he and Letsford, who had been good friends, 
were in a saloon and had been engaged in a game of cards 
in which there had been no quarrel.  After the game they 
were standing at the bar when Letsford pushed a rusty six 
shooter toward him and told him to defend himself.

That is the old western way of laying the foundation for 
a plea of self defense.  Wells told Letsford that there 
was no need for either of them to shoot the other, but 
while he was remonstrating, Letsford fired.  The bullet 
struck Wells squarely in the forehead and he was 
partially blinded by the stream of blood which shot 
from the wound.  Letsford fired again and missed but 
his third shot took effect in Wells' side but instead 
of penetrating the body, plowed its way underneath the 
skin around it.

Wells then fired his first shot and Letsford fell 
mortally wounded, the ball cutting through the 
intestines.  Wells tried to fire afterward at his 
prostrate foe, but could not discharge the weapon.  
He tried to get another but by-standers prevented him.  
A local physician said that Letsford could not live.

Wells came across the country to Congress Junction and 
caught the Phoenix bound train yesterday morning.  
Conductor McGrath telegraphed ahead for a physician, 
who met him at the train and took him to the Sisters 
hospital.  Before going to the hospital he was able to 
sit at a lunch counter and eat a hearty meal.  An 
operation for removal of the bullets was performed 
yesterday afternoon.  The bullet in the forehead had 
penetrated to some depth below the skull.