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IDAHO DAILY STATESMAN – BOISE, IDAHO

JULY 4, 1899

DUEL OVER A DEED

Grangeville Men Empty Six-Shooters at Each Other

“DUFF” GREEN BADLY WOUNDED

J.F. Ailshie, the Other Participant, Comes Out Unscratched – Story of the Battle

A Grangeville special to the Lewiston Tribune gives the following account of a duel with six-shooters at Grangeville in which J.F. Ailshie, well known in Boise, participated:

The entire town was thrown into a furor of excitement at 2 o’clock today as the result of a shooting scrape between A.D. Green and J.F. Ailshie, two well-known citizens of Camas prairie. Each had a revolver and the chambers of both weapons were empty when the shooting ceased. Green was hit five times. Alshie passed through the affair without a scratch. How both men escaped instant death is remarkable.

One shot penetrated Green’s side, breaking a rib, another passed through his right thigh and another through his right shoulder. The other two are flesh wounds. While suffering intensely, and while either of three of his wounds could prove fatal, he has strong chances of recovery.

Both men appeared to have been close friends in the past, and were apparently on the most friendly terms. Green has lived on Camas prairie for about 15 years. He was deputy under Ezra Baird of Lewiston when the latter was United States marshal for Idaho and has an acquaintance extending all over the northern section of the state. He is familiarly known as “Duff” Green. Ailshie has resided at Grangeville for several years and is a prominent member of the legal bar of the county.

Attorney W.A. Hall makes the following statement of the affair on behalf of Mr. Ailshie.

Green entered Ailshie’s office at a time when everyone else had gone out, locked the front door behind him, drew and cocked his revolver – a Colt 45 – pointed it at Ailshie and told him to return a certain deed within 30 seconds or he would kill him. Ailshie replied that the deed had been destroyed by order of Miss Aileen Green, his daughter, and therefore could not be returned.

At the expiration of 30 seconds Green pulled the trigger, but the cap did not explode. While Green was working with the weapon to get it fixed Ailshie opened a drawer in his desk and got out a Smith & Wesson, with which he shot Green four times, all taking effect and making five wounds.

Meanwhile Green’s pistol was ready again and he fired three times, but each shot missed. Ailshie’s weapon was now empty and he ran into the adjoining room, pulling the door to a holding it fast but removing his body away from the door. Green then fired two shots through the door close to the lock where he supposed Ailshie’s body would be, and the latter’s forethought again saved him.

Both revolvers were now empty and the duel was over, Ailshie having fired four shots, all effective, and Green six, all wild. It was for awhile thought Green had been shot to death, but late tonight Dr. Bibby states he will probably recover if inflammation does not set in. The fourth shot passed through the fleshy part of the stomach and afterward broke the wrist, which was the fifth wound.

A warrant has been issued against Ailshie charging him with assault with intent to commit murder, but he has been released on his own recognizance. The wounded man’s daughter, Miss Green, who is assistant postmaster here, states that the deed which caused the trouble was hers and she had instructed Ailshie to destroy it. The deed as far as can be learned, was for some property in Cottonwood, the former home of the Greens.

IDAHO DAILY STATESMAN – BOISE, IDAHO

DECEMBER 30, 1899

GREEN SHOOTING – Echo of Last Summer’s Tragedy in Grangeville

DEMAND ON THE NOTARY

There has been an interesting development in connection with the deeds over which A.D. Green was killed in Grangeville last summer by J.F. Ailshie. The Grangeville correspondent of the Lewiston Tribune writes of it as follows:

An important development in connection with the incidents of the death of A.D. Green, who was shot and killed in Grangeville last summer by Attorney J.F. Ailshie, was made public here today when a demand was made on M.S. Martin and D.A. Wilson, bondsmen of H. Robbins, justice of the peace and notary public at Cottonwood for the payment of $1150 to Aileen and John E. Green, the children of the late A.D. Green. The demand is based on affidavits of the Green children which in substance state that Robbins as a notary public certified officially that the forged signatures of Aileen Green and John E. Green to a deed conveying real estate were the exact signatures of the parties’ names. The deed in question bears the ordinary form of notary certificates that “The parties personally appeared,” etc. The affidavits further allege that the Green children were the owners of the property conveyed, that they did not sign the deed and did not appear before Robbins, as a notary public, in any connection with the transfer of the property in question. A violation of official duties is therefore the ground of the demand made on Robins’ bondsmen.

It appears from the information made public that Aileen and John Green were the owners of a number of lots in the city of Denver, Colo., which they had received by bequest from one Nathan Wheeler. Some time since, it is stated A.D. Green drew up a deed transferring these lots to the Naugtuck bank of Denver, Colo., and forged the names of Aileen Green and John Green to the document, later presenting the deed to Robbins and securing his notarial seal and certification. Of this transaction it seems the Green children had not knowledge at the time, but later learned of the same.

The sensational feature of the affair now develops when it is considered that this deed probably was the cause of the tragedy which resulted in the killing of Green, and by this later development the vindication of Attorney Ailshie is more clearly demonstrated. After the knowledge of the deed involving the children’s property became known to them, it appears that Green gave a deed to some land to Probate Judge Garber, the children’s’ brother-in-law, presumably to be held in trust by Garber to secure the payment of the $1150 secured by Green from the sale of the lots. It was this deed which was supposed to be in the possession of Attorney Ailshie that Green desired when he entered Ailshie’s office the day of the killing. It appears that Green had demanded the deed before, but was told that he must first pay the $1150 due the children, by virtue of his fraudulent transfer of their property.

The development today has thrown much light on the killing of Green and clears up the mystery surrounding the much-discussed deed.

It is reported this evening that the bondsmen of Robbins went to Cottonwood today to consult with him regarding the matter.

It is believed here that even if the alleged forgery by Green is clearly proven, Robbins made the notary certification with the view of assisting is the fraud. It is thought he carelessly made the certification on the statement of Green that the signatures were genuine.