, 1885-01-06
BLOOD IN THE BOTTOMS
A Crazy German Goes Cunning for
His Partner.
Doors Perforated with Bullets and
Windows Kicked in.
An Exciting Encounter that Ended
In BIoodshed.

toms there was more excitement to the
square inch than has been known for
some time. For the past six months two
Germans, named respectively Charles
Westmiller and Edward Holman, have
conducted an enterprise in the soda bottle
ing way at a place known as the old Kapp
brewery. The place is situated on the
banks Of Grow creek where Nineteenth
street intersects that stream. There are
several buildings used by Westmiller 4
Holman In connection with their business.
One Of these is a small house of one
room which is occupied by Westmiller as
a sleeping apartment. Shortly after dark
last evening this room was the scene Of an
attempted murder, and now the bullet
riddled door, broken windows and splashes
of blood give to it a most sanguinary APP
pearance.
Yesterday Hoffman went out collecting.
He collected something over fifty dollars
in money and while so doing absorbed an
extravagant supply Of whisky. By the
time he had finished the business of the
day he was just drunk enough to be ugly
and just sober enough to execute any
mission upon which he might be intent.
Now Westmiller has been i'll for a few
days and when Holman returned to the
soda bottling works the former was lying
on a bunk in the little one room house.
Holman. who CHANGED to remember some
trii ing dispute that the men had some
mon tbs, ago began making threats against
Westmiller and drawing a Colts 3s cali
bre double-action revolver, declared his
intention of terminating Westmiller's
career then and there. During the ex-
element Westmiller escaped from the
room. but was followed by Holman.
About that time one or two shots were
fired but whether they were aimed at
Westmiller cannot now be determined
At any rate Hoffman followed Westmiller
into the yard and the latter, being
at the mercy Of the desperate man, ran
hack into the room.
Now there are two doors to this room,
n attached to the outside of the build
ing, and n hanging flush with the in
side Of the wall. Between the doors
is a space Of about six inches. When he
ran into the room WestmilIer closed these
doors, but as the latch Of the inside one
had been kicked off by Holman when he
had first entered. Westmiller threw him
self against il with the hope of keeping
Holman out. The latter kicked the doors
a few times, and finding that method Of
attack rather unsatisfactory, he fired two
shots through the doors. One Of the bull
lets just grazed Westmiller's body and
imbedded itself in the opposite wall. The
other, after passing through the wood
work Of the doors, entered the index
finger OF Westmiller's right hand, shat
tered the bone and remained wedged in
the finger.
After firing the sit1fs Holman went to
the side of the building and broke a win
dow. On the inside of the window wasa
sohd wooden shutter, but this was kicked
in by the ma Westmiller then extin-
guished the light, and Holman, after fir
ing a shot or two through the window.
departed in the direction Of the b~ottling
house.
Westmiller, as soon as he was satisfied
that Hoffman had left the window, ran to
the house Of a neighbor. Word was at
once sent to the city and DR..
Crook vas called to attend to
Wesmiller's injuries. Officer Nolan was
notified of the attempted murder and ac-
companied by Officers Deitrick and Smith,
L. I..A.--1 4 IL 49,