Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-07-27
ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF
H. C. Prick,

Of acceptance, July Goth.
ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF
H. C. FRICK.
The Assassin, Alexander Bergmann, n Rus
sian jew and Caazy Anarchist.
Alexander Bergman. aged 26 wears.
a Russian Jew, of New York city, a
cigar-maker and printer, who has been
in this country 81 years, and who is a
crazy anarchist, arrived in Pittsburg,
Pa, from New York city, on last Thurs
day, and at quarter to 2 o'clock on
last Saturday afternoon entered the
office of H. G. Prick, chairman of the
Carnegie Steel Company, who was at
his desk examining some papers, with
the vice-chairman John G. A. Leish-
man, when, without saying word, he
commenced the work of trying to kill
Prick. His pistol failed to be discharg-
ed at the first attempt, but the second
and thirdsucceeded and Prick was shot
twice in the neck within an inch of a
vital part. One ball entered the back
OF his neck and passed down under his
right shoulder-blade. Turning, he saw
the slender, blond haired murderer
glowering over him as he again raised
the hammer of the weapon. With one
leap Mr.. Frick reached the window,
having in mind some wild plan of leap
ing to the street twenty feet below.
He could not open the catch. AS he
fumbled at it Bergman rushed up be-
hind him.
Levelling his revolver, Bergman
fired again. This time the bullet struck
Mr.. Frick fairly in the neck below the
base of the brain. Almost any other
man, says the correspondent of the N
Y. Herald, would have fallen dead at
this stroke, but the marvelously thick,
tough muscles of Chairman Tricks
neck turned the ball aside. 1t ranged
around from the middle of the neck
past the angle of the right jawbone and
along the cheek, where it lodged half
way to the chin. .,
Mr.-LeiShman came to himself. Dur
ing tie two seconds just past he had
sat stunned in his chair. Now he leap
ed up and seized the murdcrer's right
wrist just as he raised it to fire again
Blood had spurted from Tricks wounds
and dyed the pistol and covered Berg
mann's new gray clothes with splotches
of red
The pistol was discharged as Mr.
Leishman grabbed the mans wrist and
threw it upward. The bullet struck the
ceiling and rehounded to the floor.
During all the struggle not one word
was spoken by any one. Mr.. Prick
turned and threw his arms around the
murderer's waist and bore him to the
floor.
Mr.. Leishman tore the pistol from
Bergmann's grasp. The two men held
the wrestling, squirming fellow on the
floor. The half dozen clerks and assist
ants in the outer office were too fright
ened to take any part in the fight.
They roared Justify for police. So did
Colonel John w. Echols, who happen
en- to be passing on the other side of
Fifth avenue and saw the struggle at
the window. But the fight was far from
an end.
AS soon as Mr.. Leishman released his
grip on the assassin's right wrist he
ct and drew out keen dirk with ten
inch blade. Twice he managed to drive
this into the upper part of Mr.. Frisk's
thigh.
The wounds did very little harm, al
though they bled freely. Then Mr..
Prick grabbed the mans hand and tore
away the knife. At this instant De-
putty Sheriff May came running into the
room with a long A calibre revolver in
his hand.
The muzzle of this he pressed against
Bergmann's head. keep still, damn
you,n he cried.
Don't do that, don't do that, plead
ed Mr.. Frick in as strong voice as he
could. Don't kill him. Just get him
away from here"
Wounded as he was, Mr.. Prick man
aged to push away the Deputy Sheriff's
revolver. At this moment he got up
from the floor and walked without help
to chair.
Bergman was in a sorry condition.
He had tripped over chair in the
wrestling and his head was cut against
the corner of the table on which Mr.
tricks papers lay Blood had flowed
all over his pale, sallow face and his
suit was daubed and streaked with it,
Deputy Sheriff May helped him to his
feet and held him until Policemen Gar
ret, Crossan and John McRoberts came
in on a run.
Now, that the excitement of the fight
was over, Chairman Prick presented
an awful spectacle. Blood had flowed
from the wounds in his neck and down
the back of his coat. His face was very
pale and his hair wildly disordered.
Blood issued from his lips and bubbled
upon his beard. He spat out the first
bullet 1t had come through his cheek
into his mouth. There was deep hole
in the back of his coat where the sec
ond pistol shot had scorched and torn
the cloth at close range. The bali was
lodged under the right shoulder-blade
among the thick muscles there.
Mr.. Prick refused even to let any one
help him to chair.
He lay upon a wicker couch in his
private office, and DR.. A. Anderson,
who had been called in from the street,