With Youths, Asserts Shots Averted Fight

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A shot fired into the air to frighten a carload of youths who had chased a West Des Moines family from downtown Des Moines Tuesday may have averted a general fight, it was revealed Thursday by the fourth man arrested in the case.
Robert D Garrison, 245, was arrested Thursday at his home at 807 Third st. by Deputy Sheriffs John Young and Robert Robinson. Implicated by one of his companions, Garrison is the last person who will be arrested in the case, deputies said.
Faces Charges.
He was charged with threatening to commit a public offense and using profane language-the same charge previously filed against Truman Osburne, 19; his brother Robert Osburne, 21, and Keith A. Courtney, 18.
All were occupants of a car which chased William Morian of West Des Moines, his wife and sister-in-law, from the downtown district.
Garrison told the deputies he met Robert Osburne at 11 a.m. Tuesday. The two, he said, drank beer intermittently all day, tried to borrow some money, and shortly after 6 p.m. contacted Courtney to go riding in his car.
Tuesday evening, he said, the four youths and Truman Osburne's girlfriend were sitting in the car at Seventh and Locust streets.
Remark
"While we were talking," he said, "a couple of ladies came out of a store and Bob Osburne made a remark: 'I like red no matter what color it is.'" (Osburne referred to a coat worn by one of the women.)
"They (the women) got in a car behind us. Then this man, Morlan, I believe, came around from behind our car....He had a jack handle in his hand. I didn't hear him say a word to Bob Osburne...
"The Morlan car pulled out from behind us. Bob Osburne said: 'Let's go get them'."
The carload of youths followed the Morlan car to the home of Morlan's brother, C.L. Morlan, 1312 Burnham ave., where Morlan locked the women in his car and ran into the house to get his brother's gun.
Tools for Fight
"Morlan threw something against the car," Garrison said. "Bob Osburne drove around by his sister's house near the Morlan's. Osburne and Keith got out and went to his brother-in-law's car to get some tools to go back and fight Morlan.
"Then we heard a shot."
After hearing the shot, Garrison said, the carload of youths left the neighborhood. It was 2:30a.m. Wednesday before he got home, he added.
Courtney, who has admitted he allowed the youths to use his car, said he did so because he did not want "a fist in the mouth." His statement to deputies implicated the other three.