John W Hale

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Obituary- Hale, John

Murder of John Hale
Last Sunday afternoon Peter La Tranch shot and instantly killed John Hale, at the Diminished Reserve in the neighboring county of Jackson, a few miles from the Shawnee county line. The murder took place about 5 o'clock, at the ranch of Dr. Swinburne, where a number of Indians and a few white people were gathered together to witness a horse race. La Ranch is a halfbreed, being a mixture of French and Indian.

On last Fourth of July, La Ranch and a son of the murdered man were in St. Marys, where the former without provocation it is said, gave the latter a severe beating, and since that time had been making threats against the father of young Hale. Sunday was the first time they had met since the Fourth of July, when Hale told La Tranch that he heard he had been threatening him. He had scarcely spoken the words when La Tranch drew his revolver and fired, the ball entering his left side killing him almost instantly.

John Hale was a resident of Rossville, and has lived in the county since 1860. He was about 45 years old and leaves a wife and four children. He was quiet and inoffensive and all who knew him speak well of him.

After the killing La Tranch jumped on a horse and rode away and is still at large. It is supposed he is heading for the Indian Territory.

Later.
News was received Thursday morning that La Tranch had been captured in the woods near the scene of the killing by the sheriff of Jackson county. He was taken to Holton.

[From The Rossville News, Saturday, September 1, 1883]