The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-03-26
A FATAL PISTOL SHOT
Matthew Andrukaitis Meets a
Tragic Death.
SAID 1T WAS ACCIDENTAL
A PeouIinr Combination Of Circumstano oes
which Excites Great Interest In tho
Case-The Corpse Abandoned by tho
Family Because of Atheism.

Matthew j. Audrukaitis, aged 4s years,
was killed by pistol shot wound at the
office of DIR. Szlupas, on South West street,
on Saturday
All investigation thus far made seems
to confirm the statements made immedi-
ately after the accident happened, includ-
ing statement by the victim, that An
drukaitis died from the effects of a wound
accidentally inflicted by his own hand.
Shortly after two o'clock Saturday
afternoon there was excited rapping upon
the Office door of DR.. S. M. Fetzer which
is located almost Immediately opposite
the office of DR.. Szlupas. The person Civ
ing the alarm was tall, well-built and
white bearded and white haired man who
subsequently proved to be a person known
as Father Demski. The man could not
make himself distinctly understood He
Is Lithuanian, an ex-priest of the Roman
Catholic church, and has been making
his home with DR.. Szlupas.
Father Demski as he's called, succeeded
by gesticulatiOns and such intelligible
language as he could command, that
very serious accident had occurred at DR..
Szlupas' residence, that the immediate
attendance of physician or surgeon
was required.
DR.. Fetzer responded and found a
medium sized man with heavy, grizzly
beard writhing upon the floor of one of
the apartments on the first story of the
house in great agony. There was no
blood upon the floor, but the victim pointed
spasmodically to his throat.
Drs. Hochlerner and Woomer, the latter
an eye and ear specialist, subsequently
responded to the alarm, and DR.. Szlupas
was summoned from the business portion
| of the town, where he had been making
purchases.
DIR. Felzer was asked to take immediate
! charge of the case and proceeded to make
an examination He found that there
was bullet wound in the throat hidden
| by the heavy beard. He proceeded to
prob the injury and reported that the
bullet had entered in the centre of the
throat had passed below the right
clavical, or collar-bone, and, apparently,
had dropped into the upper lobe of the
right lung.
At first the wound did not appear to be
fatal one. In fact, when aHERALD re-
porter called at the house at about 4:4O|
o'clock be was told that il was not
thought the wound was dangerous, in the
absence of blood poisoning: but shortly
after O'Clock Dr. Fetzer was again sum
moned and, after a consultation, in
which Drs. FetZer, Hochlerner and
Szlupas were engaged, it was stated that
the wound would probably prove fatal.
The injured man fingered until 10 D. m.
The only statement secured from the
victim, so far as the reporters have been
able to ascertain, is that Andrukaitis
stated In the presence of witness that
the shooting was accidental and had been
inflicted by his own hands.
DR.. Szlupas made this statement to
HERALD reporter Saturday afternoon
"Andrukaitis was dear friend of mine
Al about noon to-day he called at my
office and we had very pleasant chat It
was agreed that in the afternoon we
should take walk in the woods, and my
WIFE and myself started down town to
make some purchases. | wanted t0 buy
SUIT of clothes. When my wife and nv
sell went we left Andrukaitis and Father
Demski in charge of the house and of nv
children. They were to await our return.
did not learn anything until after the
shooting 1t is not case of suicide, but
purely accidental In all the conVersa-
tion had with Andrukaits before / left
the house there was nothing in speech or
action to lead me to believe that he con
templated suicide in fact, he was very
cheerful. From what have been able to
learn he saw my revolver on the high
shelf OF medicine case in my middle
room and attempted TO take it down II
was very high almost as high as | can
reach, (Dr. Szlupas Is much taller than
the deceased) and | do not see how he
reached it at all but he evidently got
, charged, the ball entering his throat
When asked about the family connec-
tlons OF the injured man DR.. Szlupas said
a son, aged Is years, had responded to the
alarm, but he (Dr Szlupas) had decided
not to allow the victim to be removed from
his house until he had recovered il a re-
coYery could be secured. At this point
DIR. Szlupas commenced TO prepare for use
some absorbent gauZe, which he evidently
intended using in dressing the wound.
The HERALD reporter followed the
doctor into the middle room of the first
floor suit, where the victim was in a sit
ting position on cot The victim ap.
peared to be perfectly conscious, though
suffering great pain. Upon DR.. SZlupas
assurances that there was no immediate
danger the reporter withdrew.
There has been no case in town in sew
eral years which has aroused so much
in crest, and in Justification to DR..
Szlupas and Father Demski there should
be a full investigation
IL is said Chief of Police O'Hara asked
that an official be sent at the last moment
to take the ante-mortem statement OF the
deceased, but owing to a difference OF
opinion as to whose duty it was to take
such statement the request was not
complied with.
1t is quite certain, however, that shortly
after the accident happened the victim
stated that lie had shot himself acci-
dentally
The interest elected over the case is
due to the fact that the deceased was an
atheist. DR.. SZlupas does not claim
to be an atheist, but a Lithuanian op-
posed to the doctrines of the Roman Cath
Ollie church of his people Father Demslzi.
the man left in the house with the de
ceased and the children, is alleged to be
an eXpriest making his home with DIR.
Szlupas and engaged in writing a book
against the Roman Catholic church
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