Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-04
UNFORTUNATE TRAGEDY.
SHOOK SHOT FOR REsENTIEG
AN INSULT TO A GIRL.
Peter Chairman Objects to Receiving a
Thrashing, and Shoots Down
His Assailant.

of two pistol shots coming from near the
northwest corner, followed by the shrieks
of women, two of whom were seen to
hasten away from the spot whence the
shots had come.
Officers Ash and Harvey were at Ninth
and streets when the shooting occurred,
and FASTENED toward the place of shooting.
When they reached the spot they found
Shook lying dead on the sidewalk and
Chalman in the custody of John P. Bris-
| sell, formerly a peace officer, who turned
him over to the officers as the party who
had done the shooting. On his person was
| found knife, and in the street near by q
pistol, which he had thrown away.
Chalman was taken to the police station
and locked up, and word sent to the Coro-
| ner, who had Just concluded the inquest on
| the body of Alonzo Barton, the suicide,
when the message was received. A large
crowd had gathered about the PROSTATE
| form of young Shook as it lay stretched on
the sidewalk and guarded by police officers,
and it was with difficulty the Coroner's
deputies could make their way to where
| the unfortunate young man lay. The body
was taken to the Morgue, where it was
| found that the fatal bullet had entered the
head just above the left temple. Death had
been instantaneous. The weapon must
| have been held very close to the Victims
| head, as the scalp was badly powder
| burned.
CHALMAN's STATEMENT.
The prisoner was taken into the private
office Of Captain Karcher, at the police
station, where he made statement in the
presence of several press reporters, Police
Judge Buckley, City Attorney Church and
others. He had not yet recovered entirely
| from the excitement attendant upon the ter.
ribe affair, and told his story in somewhat
| ierky and disconnected manner, but with
apparent truthfulness. He said that Annie
| WheelaD, the day clerk at the restaurant
where he was employed, was the cause of
J the trouble. He had fallen in love with
her, and last Friday evening met her on
the street and followed Tor walked with
| herr to her home. What transpired there
| he said he would not speak of, but she
since accused him of having used improper
| language toward her, and threatened that
she would have him thrashed or killed
He had tried to make up with her, but she
would not have it. He admitted that
he had done wrong. Yesterday she asked
him TO meet her at half past o'clock at the
City Plaza, saying that she would then dis
cuss the matter with him that they might
|
asked her
HOW MANY FELLOWS
She intended to have around there, and
she replied there would be none-nobody
but herself. He said it was all right, and
that he would trust her and go to the
place. But secretly, he said, he doubted
her sincerity. She said she had named the
| Plaza because she would have as much
! show there as he.
Fearing that there might be foul play in
| tended, Chalman said he had taken the
precaution to arm himself with knife and
pistol, and went prepared for any
emergency. he walked up to Ninth street,
and then along that street toward |, and
met Miss Wheelan near the corner of the
latter street. She turned and walked with
him to the corner, and they turned up
toward Tenth street.
! STRUCK FROM BEHIND.
| Chalman said that he and Miss Wheelan
| had commenced to discuss their little affair
as they walked, and had gone but short
distance past the corner when they saw a
| tall man in company with a Mrs. Orr, and
the first thing he (Chslman) knew the man
| jumped at him from behind and dealt him
two powerful blows in the face. He i'm
mediately drew his pistol and shot at his
assailant just as the latter was about to as
sault him again. He did not know who
his assailant was, but he did know that the
man he shot was the one that struck him
in the face.
Chairman could not say how many shots
he fired, owing to his excitement. The
man said something, as he struck at him,
about prosecuting the girl"
| The prisoner declared that he had SIM
! ply defended his own life in shooting down
his assailant. His face bore evidence of
| having received a terrible blow. His left
eye was discolored, and there was bunch
under it nearly as large as an egg.
THE PARTIES TO THE AFFAIR.
| Shook was one of the most powerfully
built young men in this city, and was
known as a hard hitter, and the only won
der is that Chalman was not so disabled by
| the blow received as 10 have been unable
to Go such effective shooting. The de-
ceased was brother of police officer Shook,
and has other relatives living here.
Chalman, the prisoner, is a Swede, and
generally regarded as an inoffensive person.
He is quite popular among the habitues of
the restaurant where he is employed. He
declares that he was decoyed to the Plaza
| for the purpose of being beaten or killed.
Miss Wheelan, the cause of the fatal
meeting, is rather comely young woman,
employed las above stately as day clerk at
| the Saddle Rock Restaurant. A RECORD
| UNION reporter made every possible effort
| to see her last night after the shooting but
| without success. She evidently had made
up her mind to be seen by nobody except
her most intimate friends.
The Coroner will probably hold an in
quest on the body of Shook this evening,
when some facts not yet known may be
brought out.
AN UNFORTUNATE AFFAIR.
The trouble which resulted in the I'M
timely death Of Edward Shook was pecu-
liarly unfortunate one. From what is
known of the circumstances, there was no
cause for hostilities of serious nature.
Chairman is g good natured, rather simple
minded fellow, who so far forgot himself
as TO make some improper proposal to Miss
Wheelan. She doubtless told her story TO
lady friend, and it was perhaps deter
mined to have the insult revenged to the
extent of the personal chastisement of the
offender.
Evidently Edward Shook was consulted
in the matter, and he-beiDg big-hearted,
big-fsted youth-had his Indignation
aroused on behalf of the girl, and resolved
to chastise her prosecutor. But the latter,
tearing something of the kind, armed him
self and shot down the champion of the
defenseless girl, in defense of his own per-
son.
This seems to be about the only rational
solution of the affair. Miss Wheelan and
her lady friend no doubt thought they
were justified in having Chalman punished,
and Shook believed it his duty to infIct
the punishment when appealed to. 1t was
an unfortunate and ill-advised affair all
round. The young man whose life has
been sacrificed is said by those who best
knew him to have been tender, affection
ate son and brother, and a generous, lion
hearted fellow who was ever ready to
champion the cause OF the weak and de-
fenseless. His motive was good, even
though his Judgment was defective.
THE DIAMOND