Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-03-26
DRINK CAUSED MURDER.
CRAZED BY LIQUOR A POLE KILLED
ONE AND INJURED TWO.

Lynch the Murderer.
In large house situated at the inter-
section of two roads, in the village of
Midvale, near Wilkes-Barre lived John
Saunders, a Polander and his wife Anna
and boarder, Mike Boshock. About
half past six on Thursday evening the
neighbors were startled by hearing pis-
tol shot and Immediately afterward the
boarder, Mike Boshock, rushed from the
kitchen and began climbing the fence
which tops the embankment in the rear
of the house. As he did so Saunders
rushed to the window and fired at him.
The bullet missed but sped onward fifty
feet and found its billet in the breast of
the two-year-old son of Mrs. Philip
Henderson,, killing him instantly.
Hardly had the shrek of the child's
agonized mother brought several people
to her side when there were piercing
screams in the house and Mrs. Saunders
rushed out Her husband followed, firing
from his revolver. The first shot missed,
but the second pierced her right leg near
the thigh and she fell head foremost
down the embankment to the street
below.
By this time large crowd had gath
cred around the house, and there was
intense excitement. Several men made
dash for the house to capture the
murderer, but as they approached the
kitchen door he appeared with two large
revolvers and exclaimed Il shoot the
first man who comes in"
This threat diove the men back, and
for the time being their attention was
given to the dead and wounded. Super
visor Patrick McGroarty, one of the
leading men of the township, guarded
the back door of the house to prevent
Saunders escape, lying on.the embank-
ment with a loaded Winchester in his
hands, while Joseph Frail with a loaded
revolver, was stationed under the win
dows at the front of the house to guard
against the murderer's dropping out and
escaping. Then messengers were sent
to Wilkes-Barre for County Detective
Whalen and waiting his coming the
wounded were cared for.
Mike Boshock, the boarder, had all
this time been dying on the sidewalk
with the blood oozing from big wound
in his side. He was unconscious and
was placed in a wagon and driven to the
nil hacnitn1 hn ,l, ;,;,
found he was shot in the left side directly
under the heart and they say he cannot
live.
CAPTURING THE MURDERER.
After the wounded had been cared for
the crowd that had gathered around the
house turned their attention towards
capturing the murderer inside. By this
time Detective Whalen had arrived and
he with the constables at once assumed
charge Of the affair. Twenty men were
selected and advanced towards the
house.
While all this had been going on Saun-
ders had made preparations for the
siege and had evidently determined not
to give 4 sbimself up without fight. He
had closed and barricaded the kitchen
door and was seen moving about from
room to room with lamp as if examn-
ing the means the besiegers had for
reaching him. Whalen shouted to him
that if he gave himself up he would be
protected from the mob and taken safe
ly to Jail.
The fellow, though he must heard,
did not answer and the besiegers held
parley. As it was evident that he would
not give himself up, it was resolved to
force an entrance into the house and
with view of testing his watchfulness
stick was thrown through the window of
the front room where light appeared.
Hardly had the glass been shattered
than two shots were fred in the direc-
ton of the besiegers and they hastily
scattered.
Many of the citizens who were on the
scene were armed and these were select
ed and placed in various positions near
the house. AT signal they commenced
a bombardment on the front and one
side of an outbuilding, under cover of
Detective Whalen, Supervisor McGroar-
ty and Constable Frail crept around to
the rear of the house to gain an entrance
by the rear door. Saunders was not de-
ceived by the false attack in front and
was watching for them. When they
were within few feet of the rear door
Saunders opened fire and they retreated.
TWICE REPULsED.
The forces finally resolved to make a
general attack upon the three sides of
the house where there were windows.
Under the terrific shouting of the mob,
which was intended to confuse him, sew.
eral armed men advanced on all sides,
keeping up a steady fusilade upon the
windows, and while several marched
on tie rear door number of others