Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-27
Joe Pecofsky, a Young Pole,
Killed in One of Two
General Fights.
CORONER TAKES THE CASE
And a Searching Investigation Will
Be Made This Morning.
FOUR HELD FOR THE HEARING.
John Doran May Die From Resisting
(ficer Connora
THE CORONER MAKES AN ARREST

Joseph Pecofsky, Pole "a years old,
died early yesterday morning while he was
being carried from a cell in the Twelfth
ward police station to an ambulance in
tended to carry him to the West Penn Hos
Tital. Pecofsky was murdered. An autopsy
held yesterday afternoon developed that
the unfortunate's skull had been fractured
in two places. The Coroner will make
searching inquiry into the
case to-day to develop whether the man re-
ceived his fatal wound while in fight with
Michael Owens, George Haslett and Isaac
Hopkins in John s. Eschrich's saloon, on
Penn avenue, about 10 o'clock Saturday
night, or whether Pecofsky was fatally
wounded while in fight with Officer Nor
ris Wilhofsky, with whom the murdered
man collided about two hours later.
At present the killing is surrounded by
mystery. The police are industriously at
work on the case. Hopkins and Hazlett
were arrested last night. They will be held
to await the result of the inquest.
A Fight With the Officers.
On Saturday night the dead man, to-
gether with his brother John, George Has
lett, Isaac Hopkins and Michael Owens, got
into a fight at TGenty-eighth and Penn
streets Owens hit Pecofsky on the head
and knocked him down. The men all ad-
journed after this to saloon at Twenty
sixth street, where after time the quarrel
was renewed.
Pecofsky, it is alleged, drew knife and
cut Owens along the left side of the head,
and the five men were engaged in general
row when Officer Wilkofsky, also Pole,
came into the saloon to quell the disturb
ance Pecofsky seemed to him to be the
aggressor and the officer went after him,
but he continued to fight for 20 minutes.
During the time Pecotsky, it is alleged,
was also cut, once on the head and once on
the back, the latter cut several inches
long and painful. He is still at the Twelfth
Ward station, where all the men named
were finally taken, but not until several
officers had been called in to assist Will
kofsky. The latter had used his mace quite
freely, especially on Pecofsky, who had
two wounds on his head. At the hearing
on Sunday morning he appeared co be all
right.
Result ofthe Postmortem.
Police Surgeon Meyer had been sum-
moned to dress the injuries of Owens, Hop
kins and Pecofsky They were all re-
manded for further hearing in the case
and in the evening Pecofsky complained of
being sick at the stomach. DR.. Meyer pre-
scribed for him, but about 8 o'clock yes
terday morning the prisoner became very
i'll and the doctor went to see him. He at
once ordered his removal to the West Penn
Hospital, but while getting the man ready
for that trip he died on the amulance
stretcher.
Coroner Mcdowell was notified and had
the body taken to the morgue, where an
autopsy was held by Police Surgeon Mover
and DR.. ]. G. McCandless. They found
two wounds on his head, one on either
side, where the skull had been fractured,
and also several blood clots at the base OF
the brain. The fractures were presumably
made by q mace and the blood clots were
produced by a fall.
Superintendent of Police O'Mara caused
an investigation to be made and learned the
facts as to the fighting as stated. 1t was
stated that Officer Wilkofsky had broken
his mace over Pecofsky's head. This is de-
MED by the police. The officer himself was
considerably abused in the row and was cut
on the hand and wrist by Pecotsky's knife,
which was only taken from the desperate
man after he arrived at the station. The
police have detained all of the men who
we're engaged in the fight to testify at the
inquest