St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-01
ALMOST A MURDERER
F. D. Lapping Nearly Kills
Victor Heath and Harry
Merpick.
Ve Was One Of Adamson'S
Victims, and He Sought
Revenge.
The Hennepin County Delega-
ton and the Court House
Commission.
New Years Will Be Cele-
brated Very Quietly
To-Day.

about tWenty-SeVen years Oh age, wear
ing brown overcoat, rather the worse
for wear, and black SLOUGH hat, cooked
over one eye, his face covered with
about three-days' growth of sandy
beard, walked nonchaiantly down the
stairway at go Washington avenue
south. Out into the street he went and
away, as if he was the most ordinary
pedestrian. His name was +. 5. Lap
ping. Within two minutes the walk in
front of the stairway whence Tapping
had emerged was blockaded, and it
was known that two men had been shot
on the second floor. Tapping, the man
who went away without let or hindrance.
was the man who did the shooting. lie
may be a murderer. He is certainly guilty
of assault with intent to kill. If he does
not have to answer to charge Of muir
der. it will not be through any fault
of his own. The victims Of his pistol
we're Victor Heath and Harry Merrick.
Heath has bullet lodged in the right
lung. In Merrick's left upper jaw is
imbedded similar piece of lead. Both
may recover, but Heath is dangerously
hurt. The shooting occurred in the
office Of Charles Z. Adamson, the money
loaner, who is now serving time in the
Saltwater prison for forgery. The men
who are the sufferers were his employees.
When GLOBE reporter visited the
Office, about ten minutes after the shoot
ing. all three rooms were crowded with
doctors, civilians and excited police Off
GERS. In the inner private Office Victor
Heath was stretched upon a sofa, while
DR.. Ii. ii. Kimball proved for the bullet.
A few feet away DR.. Gibson was work
ing over the shattered jaw of Harry
Merrick. In the outer Office, or ante
room, was q hysterical woman, Violet
Heath, who resisted all the efforts made
by j.. A. Merrlck to calm her over
wrought nerves. She would sob hyS
terically for moment, and then break
out in means:
"Oh. my brother is shot! My brother
is shot! Take me to my brothern'
When Adamson was found guilty and
sent to Saltwater last spring he left his
business in charge of Miss Violet Heath.
She has been conducting it ever since.
She had employed her brother,
Victor Heath, as collector, and
Harry Merrick. son of A. n. Merrick.
AdamsOn's attorney, as bookkeeper.
They have been compelled to suffer for
Adamson's eXactions. Last winter f.
S. Tapping, the man who yesterday
sought the lives of two persons, bOr
roWed some money of Adamson. He
gave two notes. one for SIP and the
other for S1S, secured by mortgage on
his household goods and COW. The
notes fell due, but Tapping mad no
money. Nor would he surrender the
goods.
"This money had been due over a
year." said Victor Heath, as soon as the
doctor had done with him. | had gone
to his house repeatedly to collect it, but
ton. 1t was small matter and | didn't
want to replevn the goods. told Lap
ping that il he would pay me the face
value of the notes | would forgive HIM
the interest. But he wouldn't do that.
off you seize the goods, he told me,
'Pll shoot every ---- in the office
81 paid no attention to his threat, for
they all say that. But he was as good
as his word. Yesterday morning l Sc
cured writ of replevin and went out to
Lapping's house, 1912 Twenty-sixth
street south. | didn't get much
over $40 worth. | thought no more
about it until he came in here in the af
ternoon and-you see what he did,"
Adamson's loan office occupies three
rooms fronting on the street over
80 Washington avenue south. There are
two entrances, one into the private
office, the other into the ante room to
the general office. 1t was into the pri-
vate office that Tapping rushed. He
rushed over to the front, opposite
the door leading from the pri-
vate office, in behind the public
counter, where were the safes and
desks. Reaching that door, Tapping
raised the pistol and, without a word,
began firing. Victor Heath sat with
his right side toward the door. The
first bullet struck him just back of the
side, about eight inches below
the arm pit, ranging upward
and forward from the rib and lodg-
ing in the right lung. He, when struck,
sprang across the room between the
desk and safe, escaping the second
shot. Harry Merrick, who was sitting
at another desk, whirled around at the
second of the shots and received the
third bullet in the mouth. 1t struck the
left: upper jaw just above the eye
tooth and lodged in the bone little be-
lOW UllC lClO C1Os IO Jaw WAC
battered. Tapping fired still another
shot as goodbye and left.
1t all happened so quickly that those
in the Office scarcely knew how it oc-
Cured. The above is correct, so far as
thew can remember. Miss Heath thus
describes her part in the affair:
81. A. Merrick and | had just come
from the court house. We had met
Tapping on the street, but he said moth
ing. We were standing here by the
door On the ante-rOom) when l heard
the shots and heard my brother cry out.
| opened the door leading to the hall
and Tapping was just coming out of the
other door with the revolver in his
hand. | grabbed hold OF him to stop
him, but he threw me Off, at the same
time pointing the pistol at me. Then
he went away down the stairs. He
didn't run, and didn't act as if he was a
bit afraid
One of the bullets from Lapping's re-
volver was picked up by Inspector
Hankinson, and is now in his posses
SIGN. 1t 80 caliber.
Victor Heath IS a man of about thirty
years Of age, and lives at 1904 Second
street north He has wife and one
child. Harry Merrick is boy of nine
teen, and lives with his parents at 1908
First avenue south. Heath was re-
moved to ST. Anthony hospital. Young
Merrick was taken home. Both are in
a serious condition, but may recover.
Heath is The worst. The bullet is i'm
bedded in the right lung, and there is
danger from internal hemmorrhage.
About the only danger to which young
Merrck is subject is from inflammation.
His jaw is badly shattered, and blood
poisoning may enSue.
At late hour last night, Heath was
resting comfortably at st. Anthony
hospital. The doctors think his chances
for recovery are good. AS soon as
young Merrick was removed to his
home, the bullet which had lodged in
his cheek bone was removed and he is
now resting easily.
A GLOBE reporter last night visited
the home of the Lappings at 1912
Twenty-siXth street south. They live
up stairs over a store, occupying three
small looms. The sight there presented
was dismal one, seeming almost
to justify the mad act of the
head of the house. Mrs. Lap
ping, with scarcely clothing enough
to cover her, was tending little infant