A Shooting Affray

The above bold headline was front page news on December 18, 1896 in the Philipsburg Mail and told the following story:”At about 10 o’clock last Saturday morning the usually quiet little hamlet of Princeton was startled at the report of pistol shots and cries of murder etc. There had been a dance the night before and most of the town was up all night. Some men had not gone to bed at all, and having frequented the only saloon in the place, several of them became quiet intoxicated. George Bieber is proprietor of the saloon and the building in which it is run belongs to Rube Leveridge. Leveridge had been in the saloon most all night and had put a small revolver in a drawer behind the bar, which Beiber afterward concealed where Leveridge could not find it. 

About 9 o’clock that morning Leveridge according to reports, asked for the revolver and Beiber refused to give it to him, whereon Leveridge became angry and remarked that he had another gun at his cabin and he would get it and then see if Beiber would not produce his property. Leveridge started to his cabin and Beiber was in the act of closing up the saloon when he saw Leveridge returning, and as the latter approached the saloon toward the rear door, reports say that Beiber began shooting at him and kept up the fire until every chamber of his revolver was empty. Leveridge is reported to have fired two shots and Beiber escaped to the cabin of J.A. Maywood, and as Leveridge entered the saloon through the front door he fell to the floor exclaiming that he was shot, and fearing that he would die he asked that someone go after Beiber, as he wanted to speak with him. 

Henry Booth went to Maywood’s cabin and told Beiber what Leveridge had said, but Mr. Maywood would not allow Beiber to return. Mr. Booth went back to the saloon and as he reached the back door he observed a man sitting there with his head bowed and a stream of blood issuing from a bullet hole to his right temple. Mr. Booth at once notified those who were in the saloon with Leveridge what he had discovered, and investigation revealed the wounded man to be William Koontz. He was evidently asleep on the back porch of the saloon when the shooting between Beiber and Leveridge took place, and was hit by a stray bullet. 

Koontz was taken into the saloon, but never regained consciousness, and an hour afterward breathed his last. Leveridge was not seriously wounded, the only bullet taking effect on him entering the flesh of his left leg. Leveridge was removed to his cabin, and Beiber having returned to his saloon, everyone began to investigate the shooting of Koontz. When Beiber was shooting from the back door he did not see Koontz at all, and “Tex” Purtle, who went to the back door with Beiber just before the shooting commenced,"did not see anyone outside except Beiber and Leveridge.”

A message was dispatched to the Sheriff’s office and Undersheriff J.C. Argall, Acting Coroner G.W. Suppinger, and Dr. E.T. Conyngham started for the scene. When they arrived at Flint Station, Beiber was waiting to turn himself in. Dr. Conyngham removed the bullet from Koontz but could not determine whether it came from Leveridge or Beiber’s gun so both men were arrested and placed in jail at Philipsburg. 

A Coroner Jury was impaneled consisting of R.T. Rombauer, Dominick Mellan, J.A. McDonald, Edgar Horton, James McGowan, and Dave Hennessey. The jury returned a verdict “that William Koontz came to his death by a bullet wound inflicted by Rube Leveridge or George Beiber, the same being accidental.” 

William Koontz was about 34 years of age and unmarried, His parents who lived in Shenadoah, Virginia were telegraphed and they requested that sheriff Levi Johnson have William’s remains interred in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

George Beiber was a married man with a large family and had went into the saloon business only six months before the shooting. Upon his release from jail he decided “he was not adapted to the business and concluded to discontinue as soon as his license expired, the first of January.”   

This mining camp was named after Dick Prince who came to the area in 1865 with Joseph Henderson. The first claims on Boulder Creek were staked about 1868. They had a post office 1884-86 with James Taylor Postmaster, then the post office reopened again from 1892-1918. The residents that continue to live there do not have title to the ground as it is now owned by the forest service.