In the fall of 1907, a 37-year-old White male named Edwin M. Gilbert served as a Constable in Ely, Nevada. His life was cut short on the evening of Saturday, October 12, when he responded to a dispute in the town's red-light district. The conflict involved a gambler named F.M. Saunders who was reportedly assaulting his romantic partner in a small room adjacent to the Club dance hall. When Constable Gilbert intervened and attempted to arrest Saunders, the situation escalated tragically.
As Gilbert entered the room, Saunders fired his handgun four times, striking the constable twice. One bullet entered his abdomen just above the navel, while a second hit him in the back as he fell, causing severe damage to his kidneys. Despite his grave injuries, Gilbert managed to return fire. As others rushed to the scene, they found Saunders deceased from a single gunshot wound to the head. Gilbert, still conscious, believed he had shot his assailant and urged the others, "Go get him, boys, I've got him."
Despite the mortal wounds, Gilbert's strong constitution allowed him to cling to life. He was transported to the Dillion hospital, where a team of six of the city's leading physicians performed surgery in a desperate attempt to save him. However, the damage was too severe. After the operation, his doctors stated he had only a "fighting chance." Constable Edwin Gilbert ultimately succumbed to his injuries at 6 o'clock the following evening.
The death of F.M. Saunders remained a subject of debate. Many in the community believed his fatal head wound was self-inflicted. Others, including Constable Gilbert himself before he passed, maintained that it was Gilbert's bullet that had found its mark. Saunders was found on a trunk in the back of the room with his gun by his right hand. One theory suggested that a shot fired by an officer who responded to the scene ricocheted off a wall and fatally wounded the suspect. In the end, with both men dead, the full story of the final moments in that small room remained shrouded in some mystery.
