St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-20
IN THE EVENING

in social pleasures and was pleasant ter
mination of the session, duringwhich the st.
Paul physicians had nothing but the highest
compliments for the entertainment they
have given.
COLD-BLOODED MURDER.
J. +. Law and a Pole Named Le-
whisky the Principals.
A case of deliberate shooting which will
develop into murder occurred on the Up
per levee shortly before o'clock yesterday
morning. A Pole named Levinsky was the
marksman; an Englishman named j. L.
Law the target. The primary cause of the
shooting antedates the event about two
months. At that time, or more particularly
on April %, son of Levinsky fell
from barge which waS>being taken down
the river from the upper levee, and was
drowned. His only companion at the time
was the present victim, j. L. Law. A
suspicion at once arose in the minds OF
young Levinsky's parents that there had
been foul play, and, at the inStigatlon OF
Mrs. Levinsky, Law was placed under ar
rest. As will be remembered, he was dis
charged, there being no evidence to show
that he had been implicated i'll the boys
death. The boys father was still OF the
opinion that Law had committed foul act
and cultivated the feeling of dislike which
sprung up. Law, on the other hand, was
indignant at the charge, and, according to
Levinsky'S story,
MADE SEVERAL THREATS
as to what he would do. A little later the
remains of the drowned boy were recov-
cred. and although partly decomposed the
father believed he saw marks of ill treat
ment, and agonizingly appealed to some
| spectators to look at bruise on the boys
head which he claimed had caused his
death. A coroner's inquest was held, but
| the jury returned verdict of simple drown
ing. The incident, however, famed the
| flame of hatred. Since that time the
men have been enemies. Law has, ac-
cording to the statements of people who
know both parties, been extremely annoy
ing to Levinsky, and at times abusive. lie
has been in the habit of passing the house
and calling the old man various offensive
names, and, what seemed to exasperate LIE
| whisky more, making faces at him. Yes
| terday morning he was around as usual,
and after his third visit crossed the street
and stood leaning against a fence near the
house of Mrs. Francis. The lat
ter was standing in the doorway.
| It was at this time that Law was shot.
While he was standing with his back to-
wards Levinsky'S house, and not Suspecting
any danger, his murderer suddenly appeared
| in one of the windows of the building, and
taking deliberate aim pulled the fatal
| trigger. AS the aim was cool the bullet
reached the mark and Law fell. In answer
to the shouts of Mrs. Francis, help arrived
| nd no iofi iod info ho q
and laid on the floor, where the
blood flowed fast and freely. The
police were notified, also Drs. Wheaton
and Markoe The latter gentlemen has
tened to the scene of the affair and at once
examined the wounds. 1t was then found
that a large bullet had ploWed it's way di-
rectly through Laws body, entering at the
small of the back on the left and passing
out to the right of the stomach. In addi-
ton to this the back was peppered with
buckshot The medical gentlemen admin
istered a quantity of stimulants, but did not
attempt to probe the bullet wound, which
was the one likely to produce death.
AS soon as the police were notified of the
shooting the patrol wagon visited the place
and Levinsky was taken in custody.
LEvINsKY'S STORY.
|
told his side of the affair. He said that
Law had been abusing him for long time
and whenever they met, Law would call
him an old ----, and other such
names. Yesterday morning Law came
around to his window before he was up and
as usual insulted him and his wife. Law
was around twice and the third time he
crossed the alley and leaned on Francis
fence. In his rage, Levinsky says, he seized
the gun, went to the window and ulti-
mately shot him in the back. The gun had
cartridge in it loaded with ball and load
of buckshot on top of that.
''Did you have the gun loaded On purpose
to shoot Law with?" asked the reporter.
"No, intended to shoot myself a few
days ago, but my right arm is lame, so I
found could not do it," he replied
| elias Law ever done anything besides
call you names?"
eyes, he has threatened to shoot me sew
eral times. Last week he came around and
shot my dog"
Levinsky was particularly inclined to
dwell on his sons death, and when referring
to the matter would almost weep. He is 81
years old, and has lived in ST. Paul for the
last six years. He is married man with
wife and six children.
THE VICTIM.
| The victim of the shooting, j. T. Law,
is man well known to the police, and has
been regarded as dangerous citizen He
has been known to roam around the ''fiats''
with double-barreled shotgun threatening
destruction, and it was only last week that
he visited the police station and said that
if he were not protected he would do some
wholesale shooting. His name has appeared
on the criminal record more than
once of late, the most notable
instance being about four weeks ago.
He was then charged with disorderly con-
duct and discharging firearms in the city
limits. Of the present affair he had little
to say more than that he had never given
Levinsky any cause for the shooting.
| At 10 o'clock last hight a GLOBE reporter
called at Francis house and found that Law
was still alive, but in avery weak condition.
He was failing fast, and the doctor who had
just visited him said he could probably not
| live till morning. He was still conscious
and suffering intense pain. He spoke but
little from the agony it occasioned He
firmly maintained that he had had no quar-
rel with Levinsky, and that he had no hand
in causing young Levinsky's death.
WORSHIP IN THE WOODS.