Clark County NV Archives Obituaries.....BRADLEY, James July 2 1913 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nv/nvfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Gerry Perry missgerry@cox.net May 19, 2004, 9:57 pm Las Vegas AGE-July 5, 1913 LAS VEGAS AGE 7/5/1913 BARKEEPER KILLS UNARMED MAN "FAT" FAY SHOOTS JAMES BRADLEY TO DEATH IN LAS VEGAS BAR WEDNESDAY Tuesday evening a young fellow named James BRADLEY, but commonly known as "Jimmie," rather prepossessing in appearance, came in on the Las Vegas and Tonopah train. After spending a night in drinking at various resorts in this city, he was shot to death in the barroom of the Las Vegas Hotel at 3:30 Wednesday morning by T. C. FAY, the night barkeeper, who is commonly known as "Fat" FAY. At the coroner's inquest Wednesday forenoon FAY made a statement designed to show that he killed BRADLEY in self defense. FAY and BRADLEY were exchanging drunken compliments during the greater portion of the night and BRADLEY was so drunk that he was probably in a measure irresponsible. As he was entirely unarmed it is hard to justify the killing. It is well to remember, however, that BRADLEY bore an unenviable reputation and in that respect differed little from the man who did the killing. At the inquest the following points were brought out: F. E. BLACK testified that he did not know if the gate leading behind the bar was closed. Dr. H. L. HEWETSON testified as to the death of BRADLEY. Dan MARTIN, the porter, although around the saloon from one o'clock on, did not know of any trouble and only learned of the killing when he came in and saw the dead body. T. C. FAY admitted the killing. Some material points of his testimony follow: "About nine o'clock deceased came into the saloon and shook hands, saying when I offered my hand that I was a nervy s__ of a b_____ after causing him to get a floater out of town. I served him with a drink and said no more. He returned three or four times, getting drunker each time. He bummed me for several drinks during the night in this way, by ordering the drinks and then walking away from the bar without paying. I said nothing because I was satisfied he was doing it to get into an argument with me or to cause trouble. I worked for Geo. BARDONI in block 16 at his saloon eight or ten months ago. I met this fellow there, and on several occasions had trouble with him in regard to wanting to hold up people in that saloon in the way of picking pockets. Asked him to stay out. Two miners came one night at eight or nine. They had two or three hundred dollars on their persons. He was drinking with them and trying to touch them for their money. I stopped this, which caused Jimmie to get very angry and call me vile names. When the strangers went out the front door Jimmie rushed out the back door. One of the miners came back with his head cut in several places and bleeding freely." After escorting the miners to an officer, who put them to bed, FAY says, "I reported to the officer that I had noticed Jimmie's action in regard to pulling of stunts like this around the saloons several times." Continuing the narrative of the killing, Fay said: "About three o'clock Jimmie had a quarrel with J. E. PHILLIIPS in the saloon. He also cursed and called me vile names and Bob EDWARDS and J. E. PHILLIPS were standing at the bar. Three or four times when he would come to the bar I noticed that he had something up his sleeve, always drank with one hand. This put me on my guard. I knew he was a bad man in regard to fighting. He was desperate and on several occasions I have seen him whip larger men than himself. As soon as J. E. PHILIPS and Bob EDWARDS left, about 3:20, he started cursing me again, saying that if FAGAN would let him stay in town long enough he would get several of these s__ of b______and that I was one of them, "Keep your eye peeled, kid, or I will get you," and I walked away from him at about the middle of the bar asking him to please forget everything and at that he made a rush to the little gate at the end of the bar, raising the gate, crying, "I will get you now". I grabbed the gun, saying "stop". He did not halt and I shot him, I think four times, as fast as I could shoot. He fell back through the gate from his side the bar on the floor close by the front doors. I called Mr. HORDEN over to the phone and told him to come and was then placed under arrest. It appears that there were no eye witnesses to the killing. The coroner's jury, consisting of T. B. LOWE, foreman, John B. CURTISS, Geo W. SWADENER, E. W. GRIFFITH, James NIMMOVK and W. L. ROBERTS, returned the following verdict: "We find the deceased was named James BRADLEY, nationality unknown, age about 30 years, came to his death on the 2nd day of July, 1913, in this city by being shot to death with a revolver in the hands of one T. C. FAY in the Las Vegas Hotel bar." This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/nvfiles/ File size: 5.1 Kb