The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-06-28
PRITqS HALTED.
But 1t Was After a Rife Ball
Had Shattered His Arm.
CAPTURED, BUT FREE.
The Old Man of the Mountain
Surprised at His Home,
BUT COULD NOT BE REMOVED.

! who for the past fifteen months has success
| fully eluded the officers OF the law and all
efforts put forth to capture him, was shot
| through the left arm Monday morning by
"a Rolf Hochs,etler, son Of Pritt's murder
ed victim, Jonathan Hochstetler. Pritts
| surrendered and vas taken 10 his home, bur
before a physician arrived TO dress his
wound, one Of the mOonshiner's nephews
appeared upon the scene and put his unele's
captors 70 route. The old mans arm was
broken by the bullet that pierced his elbow.
and Constable Forespring came n Somerset
for assistance, believing that Pnlls could
still be captured 81 his home The Commits
sioners agreed TO pay so for Pritts' arrest and
delivery into the custody ofthe sheriff, but un-
/ less the old man of the mountain voluntarily
comes 10 town and surTenders it is not prob
able that he will ever be confined behind
prison bars Il is now well settled that all
of Pritt 5 relatives are banded together and
that they will riake desperate fight before
they will permit him to be captured or re-
moved from his home. The Sheriff will not
make an effort TO capture him unless he has
the eassurance that the expenses of his posse
viii be paid by the county.
FOUND HIN At HONE.
At an early hour Monday morning Con-
stable Allen Forespring, of Trent, accom-
panied BY three men. two Of them sons of
the late Jonathan Hoehs;etler, set cut for
Pitts. home They had learned that PritLs
had been seen at church near his home
Sunday, and they hoped be was still in the
neighborhood. Arriving in the vicinity of
Pritis' house they examined all the paths
| leading into the mountain in order to learn
| whether be lad left. Not finding
any tracks they surrounded the house and
Constable Forespring proceeded to enter.
As soon as the officer came in sight OF the
| house be saw Priits sitting on the front
porch. Prtts aud the Constable saw one
! another at about the same time and the for
| ner leaped from the porch and started TO
run for the woods The officer called 10
him to stop, and the cry was taken up by
| the other members of the party Pntts
! paid no attention 10 the command. when
Roll Hochsteller fred. The old mans left
arm fell 10 his side Halt" commanded
Hochsletler. again preparing to shoot. III
XII you in your tracks if you don't"
Il surrender. shouted Pdtts, my arm is
broken 10 pieces and must have doctor"
The wounded man wSs taken to his home
and one fthe Hochstetles boys was sent to
a neighbor's four miles away fora horse and
h.. 10,
iail. Pritts complained OF the pain his
wound gave him and beseeched ForespriEg
to send for physician to stop the dow Of
blood. A second man was sent for ply
sician leaving the Constable and one of the
Hochsietler boys alone with the prisoner
and the female members Of his family.
JOE AND HIS GUN.
Hardly had the messenger left the house
for the doctor when Joe Pritts, nephew of
the old moonshiner's, appeared upon the
scene armed with rife. Running up to
the constable and striking him on the breast
he cried:
I'm kill you if you don't get out of this
as fast as your legs will carry you.
Forespring who is a powerful fellow,
quickly disarmed the young man, but did not
place him under arrest Daring the strug-
g.e between the constable and young Priits
the second Hochsieiler boy left the house
and the constable was left alone. Young
Pritts soon took his departure, declaring
that infess than half an hour be would re-
turn with fifty men and that they would
kill the constable and release his uncle.
The old man appeared faint from the loss
of blood and the constable was afraid to
compel him to accompany him, fearing he
might die on the road 10 Somerset. Pitts
expressed himself as sorry for what had sc-
Cured, but strongly advised the constable
to leave him and make his way back to
Trent as soon as possible, declaring that if be
didn't he surely would be killed. He said
all the men living on the Fayelte county
side Of the mountain were friends of his and
would never allow an officer from Somerset
to arrest him When Forespring showed
an unwiliingness TO accept his suggestion TO
leave without him Pritts pleaded with him
to 90 at once as he did not wish 10 be respon-
sible for another murder. The women join
ed in urging the constable to flee. telling him
that all Of their neighbors were called and
that they would certainly kill him if be re-
msined. Prists was groaning on the bed all
the while and the blood was triekhng down
his arm.