The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-10-07
MR. HICKS SHOT HIGH
The Bullet Intended for a
Burglar Went Wide of
Its Mark.
AND WORRIED MR.. ADAM REID
He Thought a Real Bad Enemy
Wanted 10 Take His Life
Explanations satisfactory.

A most peculiar shooting accident.
which kept MIR. Adam Reid. who resides
at the corner of Danforth and Garfield
avenues s~everalIdays worrying, occurred
last Tuesday evening. D..
That evening Mr.. Reid and his wife
wers sitting iu the dining room at the
rear of the house. About eleven o'clock
the couple were preparing to retire when
Mr.. Read heard the sound Of a shot in
the neighborhood. He paid little attsn-
tion to 1t; and. In fact. would have for
gotten all about it. but for what hap
pened subsequently.
Continuing his preparations he shortly.
went upstairs to bed. When ne nau
heard another report, THIS time evidently
that OF a pistol. Mr.. Reid retired with
out Investigating. No other sounds were
heard, and nothing more thought OF the
affair until morning,
WHAT HE SAW IN THE MORNING
Then, on raising the shade in the din
ing room, o small round hole was discov-
cred In the window pane, a couple OF
inches from the sash. 1t WAS evidently
made by a bullet. A careful search
was made OF the apartment but
no trace of the leaden pellet could be
found.
Mr.. and and Mrs. Reid were mystified
and anxious. Had the former any ene-
mics? He could not recollect any, and
one so murderous as to fire such q shot
would surely have some time given
evidence enough Of his enmity TO pc
readily called to mind. Or was some
wild man proving about fourish1Dg a
rev0lverf The solution Of the affair
seemed to rest on the point OF which OF
the two shots pierced the window. Ii It
were the first, MIR. Reid was IN the room
at the time with a light, and the former
theory would fit the case. II the second
shot penetrated the pane. the latter idea
seemed more feasible.
However. nothing was known. The
bullet could not be found. There was
the hole In the window ana there the
matter stood. That hole was the only
fact apparent and it presented no clue.
Up to Thursday the mystery continued,
thick as a sea fog, and with less hope of
It's clearing.
No one else In the neighbor hood
seemed to have heard the shots except
Secretary James E, Sullivan OF the A. A.
o.. whose residence fronts on Linden
avenue. The rear of Mr.. Suilivan's
house is some 200 feet away from Mr..
Reid's residences. The former gentleman,
when iuterrogated, remembered hearing
two shots on that evening. Du could not
LGlk ~ ~ AOuks u III ~ AhSbS
concerning them. Day before yesterday
the story came out.
THE MYSTERY SOLVED.
Mr.. Reid was telling the story to Mr..
Hicks. a tenant OF his on Garfield avenue,
the back of whose residence is only
about n hundred feet distant from the
rear windows of Mr.. Reid's house, when
the latter interrupted him to explain the
circumstances.
MT.1 Iieks's residence is at the corner
of Garfield and Gator avenues. On the
other side Of Gator avenue is the Bay
View4vesAetery. The neighhorhood is
veryfionely at night. and the Hicks have
frequently been annoyed by people
proving about the house. Ga Tuesday
night. abaut eleven o'clock, Mr..
Hicks heard somebody at the
rear of the house. He, she
or 1t was making a stealthy
attempt to gain an entrance by means of
the back door. Mr.. Hicks slipped into
his trousers and dressing gown and
grabbed his trusty revolver. He de-
scended the stairs. went TO the door and
demanded TO Know the intruder's bust
ness. Receiving no answer but the
sound of retreatlDg footsteps. he threw
| open the door and stepped out on the
back steps
He heard some one moving about in
the s%hrubbery at the rear of the house.
10 lTl&nLeu LU6 iuulFiO ual ue ureu u SnOl
into the ground. There was more rustl-
ing in the bushes. He pulled the trigger
again, this time in the air.
Then the rustlipg ceased and Mr..
| Hicks retired within the house.. He Went
to bed and slept souudly. little DIRE ming
what mischief his single stray shot had
caused.
Mr.. Hicks told his story with all
apologies and offered to replace the shat
tered pane. Mr.. Reid was notified. and
it was agreed that the matter should be
kept quiet. The facts leaked out, how
ever. last night. Mr.. Hicks is very much
put out by the accident, and declares he
will be more careful in his pistol prac-
tice hereafter.