New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-24
i WOMAN SHoTLN CHRISTIE STREET

SEVERELY WOUNDED BY AN EX-CONNlCT
THE WIFE OF A BANJO MAKER AssAILED IN THE
HALL or 4 TENEMENT HOUsE-A DEsPERADOs
VINDICTIyENEss-THE woMAN's ANTE-MORTEM
STATEMENT.
Mrs Annie Lewis an inmate Of the rear tenement
house at No 10 Chrysie-st., was shot i'll the breast
and right arm at $50 o'clock yesterday evening by
an ex-convict, named William Eckert who lived in
the same house An hour previous to the shooting
Eckert had quarrel with his mother, and at
tempted to shoot her. Mrs Eckcrt ran
into the street and called in a policeman,
Int her son made his escape by flight
While Eckert running away, Edgar Lewis.
banjo maker, pointed him ont to the officer and
Joined III the pursuit The policeman soon gave up
the chase, but Lewis caught up with Eckert at a
distance of several blocks from the house. Eckert
drew his revolver from his pocket and pointed it at
Lewis, at the same time threatening TO shoot him.
Lewis then turned back, and seeing that
the policeman had abandoned the attempt to
capture the young man, he went home again
Eckert returned 10 the tenement house shortly
after o'clock under the influence Of liquor. lie
learned that the policeman had left the neighbOr-
hood and lie went at once to the rooms the
second floor of the building in which Lewis and his
wife lived. The banjo maker had heard OF EckerFs
return and he locked the door 10 his rooms just as
Eckert went upstairs Eckert tried TO kick
the door down and LOWS warned him
away. telling him that he would shoot him ii he
broke the door open. Eckert went down stairs
again. and the house quiet for several minutes.
Mrs. Lewis at length opened the door which her hus-
band had locked and started to leaye the house to
buy an evening newspaper. She had got only few
steps down the staircase when Eckert sprang
into the hall from his mOthefs room the
first floor. He immediately began to shoot
husband the hail was quite dark at the time. lie
fired several shots III rapid succession. TWO bullets
struck Mrs. Lewis wOunding her in the upper part
of the breast and in the right near the elbow.
She fell faintng on the STAIRS while Eckert ran out
of the house and escaped.
The police of the Tenth Precinct were told of the
shooting and they sent out general alarm for the
capture of Eckert, describing him as twenty years
old short and stout, and o. dark hair and com
plcxion. 1t was not believed by the police that
Mrs Lewis had been wourded dangerously, but she
was sent to the Chambers Street Hospital IN an
bulance Lewis said his wife twenty-eight
wears old and had been married to him only "a short
time. - -,
Eckert in low resort in Ludlow-st. about p. III.
and arrested him. The prisoner still had III his pos
session the revolver with which the shooting was
done At the Eldridge Street Police Station where
he was locked up he refused TO Say anything about
the shooting He formerly lived in Ridge-st., and
was a member of the % RIdge-st. gang" OF thieves
which was broken up by Captain AIlsire two years
ago He has been prisoner in the Penitentiary for
theft, and his reputation in the neighborhood has
long been that of idler and desperado:
| Ii was found at the Chambers Street Hospital
| that Mrs. Lewis had been shot through the right
| lung, and wssin critical condition. Eckert was
taken " the hospital and the dying woman at once
recognized him the man who had shot her.
Coroner was sent for and her ante-mortem state
ment taken, in which she accused Eckert of hav-
| ing shot her without cause aud In the manner de-
serIbed.