Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-07-28
TO KILL II. G. Prick.
An Assassin Attempts to Take the
Life Of h. g. Prick, Manager of
the Carnegie Steel Works.
A Desperate Struggle Ensues in
Which Prick is Dangerously
Wounded. g


this afternoon to assassinate Henry
Clay Frick, chairman of the Carnegie
Steel company, limited. His assailant
was Alexander Berkman, q Russian
Jew, who came here from New York
with the evident intention of removing
the man who has been the principal on
the employers side of great
struggle now going on be.
tween capital and labor in this
city. It was q few minutes before 2
o'olook this afternoon when dark COM
plexioned young man with Jewish
cast of countenance, of medium height
and fairly we'll dressed. entered the ele-
vator in the Chronicle Telegraph build
ing, which is occupied by the Carnegie
Steel company limited, and asked to be
let off at Frick's Office. The young
man had been frequent visitor
during the past few days and
David Fortney, the elevator boy,
thought nothing of the request but
stopped at the second floor ana pointed
out the way to the chairman's private
room. Two minutes later the 90.
cupants of the building and passers by
on the avenue were startled by three
pistol shots fired in rapid succession.
Intuitively the victim was devined
and Prick is shot" were the words
soon passing from mouth to mouth on
the street. It was true; q man believed
TO be crank had assailed the great steel
master, but the latter, Notwithstanding
the two bullet wounds and four ugly
gashes from a dagger, etill lives
and will probably recover.
As was bis custom, Mr.. Prick
took his lunch at the Duquesne
club at noon today and returned to his
Office at 80 O'Clock this afternoon. He
went to the fifth floor, where he 1e-
NAMED but a few minutes. He then
came down the elevator to his private
room on the second floor, fronting on
Fifth avenue. where he seated himself at
his desk. The Office of Leishman,
business partner Of Frick, adjoins
that of the chairman. Leishman came
in and the two were holding q private
conference. no one else being in the
room. A few minutes before 2 O'Clock
Harry Heckle the cffice boy, noticed O
man hastily push open the swinging
gate in the railing that runs between the
public portion and the enclosure
ographers and clerks are located
There was no one near the private cf1ioe
door and the boy hurried up to ask the
intruder what he wanted, but he was too
late, as the stranger had already entered
the private department.. As he entered
the Office Mr.. Prick looked up, as
did also Mr.. Leishman, to see who
it was. Friok was examining a bundle
of papers. The man sprung within five
feet of Mr.. Frick. and quickly drawing
his revolver pulled the trigger. The
first cartridge did not explode. The sec
ond shot entered the back
of Mr.. Tricks neck and
glanced downward to the outside
below the arm pit.
and jumped to the circular
window on Fifth avenue and tried in
vain to open it. The assailant passed
Immediately in front of the desk, and
approaching close to Mr.. Prick fired
again. The ball entered the muscle
on the left side of the neck
and passed around to Judgment
under the right ear, where it was later
reached by the probe.
At this instant Mr.. Leish :
man threw himself on the
would be assassin and wresIled for pos
session of the revolver. Leishman
grasped the weapon and turned the pis-
toll upwards as the pistol exploded, the
ball entering the plaster near the glass
partition. With agility the desperate
man drew o dagger and at
tempted to stab Leishman, who was
holding the assailant by the shoulder
and body. Frick saw the CLEAN of steel
and, although staggered by the shook OF
wounds and bleeding profusely, jumped
between the men ana seized the man 8
arm. The latter freed himself from
Leishman's grasp and plunged the dag
ger into Frick g right side just above the
hip, making an ugly wound three inches
long. He made another lunge, IL is time
the knife struck higher up but the
point struck the rib and glanced down
without infioting much injury. Twice
again was the knife thrust ut Frick, but
he was merely scratched at these last
attempts to kill him.
The struggle wasin full view
of those on the street. By
this time the Office boys and Deputy
Sheriff May, who just entered the Office
as the first shot was fred, threw them.
selves on the assassin. May had
drawn his revolver and was about to
shoot the fellow in the back when Frick
cried out. don't kill him. We have
got him all right, leave him to the law"
The man broke away and tried to escape
but was secured and taken to central
police station.
The prompt action of Frick
saved the lives of Leisbman
and his self appointed executioner.
In five minutes half dozen surgeons
were at hand. Frick was told to lie
down on the lounge, and after his cloth.
ing had been removed the wounds were
washed and the bleeding stopped. Dur.
ing all this time the wounded man was
calm, had perfect command OF his faoul.
ties, and apparently was less excited
than any other person in the room.
From time to time he made suggestions
as to how badly he was hurt and
q half hour after the shooting dictated q
message to Andrew Carnegie about the