The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-09-07
THE SHOOTING OF WILLIAM
SMITH.

Last Sunday two young men of Keno
sha were out shooting near the residence
Of William Smith, in Somers, and accord
ing to report, Mr. Smith went to where
they were and said to them that his wife
was sick and he would not have shoot
ing there On the Sabbath, and requested
them to leave, and that one of the y0lDo
men replied that he would shoot pigeons
when he had mind 20 and would shoot
him. and raised his gun aimed, and shot
him, and then both ran away. The shot
took effect in the right arm near the
shoulder, breaking and tearing it in
pieces 80 as to require amputation. Mr..
Smith is very respectable farmer over
seventy years Of age. His age and loss of
blood are against his recovery, but his
physician reports his having the appear
ance fgoing on favorably
| Numbers were known to be out last
Sunday from KenOsha and Racine shoot
ing. And, as Mr. Smith did not know
either OF the young men, all from Racine
and nearly all from Kcuosha were taken
to his residence for Identification or re.
lief from suspicion,and were all relieved,
Mr.Smith saying unhesitatingly that none
of them were the ones. Suspicion point
ing to two young men of Kenosha about
noon Monday, they were taken as others
( had been, for Identification or relief from
suspicion. Mr.. Smith unhesitatingly
identified them as the young men at his
residence shooting Sunday morning, one
of whom shot him. It Is reported that
they admitted the shooting, but claimed
it to be accidental, and denied saying they
would shoot Mr.. Smith
Jacob Niederprim, a laborer in the
gravel foundry, and Fred. Walker, type
setter in the Kenosha Union office, are
the unfortunate young men, Neither of
them has heretofore been noted for any
thing vicious, and both, as far as we
know, have had the confidence of their
employers. And many arc reluctant to
believe that they intended to shoot Mr.
Smith. Niederprim was the one who did
the talking and shooting. Both ran away
returned home,and went to work Monday
morning as if nothing had happened.
It is strange occurrence to make the
best of it. That an ordinarily quiet, con-
fidential young man, without alteration
or i'll feeling, should shoot an aged man
before his own door, requires to be we'll
substantlated to obtain belief And then
there must have been something of pre-
vious occurrence to lead to it. Perhaps
older men occupying higher positions
may have set the example of shooting on
week days on other mems premises where
they had no right to be. And perhaps
young men, laboring on week days, may
have thought it their privilege, if not
right, to go shooting on other mems
premises on Sunday. Can it be that
these young men thought it their right &c
be out shooting near Mr.. Smiths resi-
dence onSunday, that Mr.. Smith was in.
Iterfering with their rights, and that they
would teach him lesson of interfer
cnce? Admitting the,intentional shoot
ing, it would seem that Niederprim must
have thought SO, else he must have here
toforc been entirely mi understood.
i That there has been much unwarranta.
BILE entering other mems premises fol
shooting and other purposes is unques
tionable, We were told Sunday by q
quiet farmer that there was so much of il
he was afraid to go out on his farm fol-
fear of receiving an injury. We were
told on Monday that shooters from Keno
sha were 80 much in the habit of damn
ing those who demonstrated with them
and saying they would go on their prem
ises and shoot when they had a mind to
that people were becoming afraid q
/ them. These things ought not to be. r
|, is time is was understood that sh ooter'
have no rightto be- on other mems prem
i. ises without permission, and are trespass