The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-06-03
WILFUL MURDER.
Czech Hunts Up His Wife
and Fires Three Shots
at Her.
TREATED HER CRUELTY FOR YEARS
She Was About TO Procure His
Arrest--Mnrderer Surrendered
in a Neighbor's House.
TREATED HER CRUELTY FOR YEARS

in a Neighbor's House.
John Czech shot and killed his wife
at about half-past eight o'clock this
morning in front of the house No. /
Howell street. this city.
The murder was wilful and the facts
relating to it tend to show that it was
the result Of long deliberation and care
ful preparation The murderer, who is
sixty-four years old. of medium height,
slender figure with white hair and beard,
admitted his guilt readily but nervously.
Czech and his wife had miserable
shanty on the meadows west of the
Hackensack River. and in the Township
of Harrison. and this shanty has been
the scene of many wife beating, drunk
en- carousal feasting and fasting.
Czech,when he worked, was generally en-
gagged in digging bitches on the meadows
to be used for draining the marsh. His
wife frequently sold fish which she and
her husband caught, and for SO doing
the pair were known to many as Fish
John and Fish Mary
They had one child, Rose. fourteen
years old. who some time ago became
tired of the life in the shanty and be-
|
Peekskill. N. Y. Czech was never con-
sidered by his acquaintances an agree
able man. He was irascible and quarrel
some, particularly so when on spree.
HIS treatment of his wife frequently
forced her to leave him until he got
over his debauch, when she would return
to her miserable home. A week ago
Mary was for the last time compelled
-a1f 10 \, how
She came to this city, but where she re-
mained during this time could not be
learned this morning.
WANTED HIS ARREST.
At about fifteen minutes past eight
O'Clock this morning Mrs. Czech went to
the house of John Pretzmann, an UNI
brella maker. who lived at No. How
ell street. The house is the last one on
the street going toward the Hackensack
River, and is about three blocks from
the stream. "Fish Mary knew the
Pretzmanns very well and when she
entered the uncarpeted basement the
family were at breakfast She seated
herself near the door and told the Pretz-
lnanns that her husband was on a spree
and she had been forced to leave her
home. She said she was on her way
and that she intended to cause his arrest
for failure to support her. While Mrs.
Czech was telling the Pretzmanns her
story, Willie Pretzmann, a boy of twelve,
saw her husband, Czech. approaching
the house. Willie opened the door for
him to enter, but noticing his wife seat
ed in the basement, Czech turned on
his heel and exclaimed
ssT.Il fix tf1a
He retraced his steps across the street.
Otto Pretzmann, young man, saw
Czech turn the corner as if to cross the
Meadows, and he told Mrs. Czech that
her husband had gone. The woman had
been too terrified at the sight of her
husband to say a word until assured
that Czech was not near.
A few minutes later she remarked that
she would continue her walk to, the
police station. and she left the house,
She opened the gate and turned fop up the
appearance, and when her back was
turned toward him he hastily crossed
the street.
In front of house No. 8 Czech over
took the woman. He spoke to her She
turned her face in a startled manner In
four feet away. He did not appear TO
be greatly excited. II his hand was q
cheap s2-calibre revolver; For, moment
mediately there followed three reports
from the revolver. Three bullets. pene-
trated the woman's breast. and with
dirt path. She died in a few moments.
The pistol shots alarmed the Pretz-
nlanns, who hastened, to the street.
They saw Mrs. Czech lying on the
ground and her husband slowly walk
Ing away Father and son went to the
dying woman, When they saw w she had had
streaming from the wounds they. deter
mined to notify the police. Otto hasten
ed to the telephone in the office at John
the Oakland avenue station of the mur-
der. Sergeant Battersby and Policeman
Mcclure We're at once ordered to IND
Czech and arrest him.
While they were hurryng to the scene
of the tragedy, John Pretzmann kept
his eye. on Czech. He was afraid to at
him enter the house of Charles Gardner.
Czech went to a rear room in the house
because it was cooler, and Gardner has
tened out of it, locking the front door
MURDERER sURRENDERED.
When Sergeant Battersby and Police
they met Otto Pretzmann and Charles
Gardner, who told them where Czech
was. Battersby went to the front door
rear of the building. Czech saw them
and realizing that he could not escape.
he surrendered. He was taken to Had,
detained there until the patrol wagon
took him to the Third precinct station,
where he was locked up.
A HORRIBLE SIGHT.
Some kindly hand covered the. dead
woman's face with her apron. while the
police waited the removal of the body to
Speer's Morgue. 1t was more than an
hour and a half before this took place,
and during all that time the body. was
exposed to the blistering heat of the
sun. 1t lay on the ground unprotected
from the rays A crowd of curious people
stood around the corpse.
an inquest in the case and it will prob
ablv be held next week
Czech, whose right name is Kugkow-
ski, about six years ago was sent to
State Prison for three years for commit
ting an atrocious assault and battery on
Louis Faber, a son-in-law of Police Cap
tain Newton He stabbed Faber when
uuarrelling with him. Czech is still at
the Third Precinct Station, but he will
be committed to the County Jail as soon
as Judge Douglas opens court tomor-
row.
Detectives McNally. Pearson and Keen,
used against Czech. The prisoner when
arrested acted as if he had been drinking
but he appeared to be perfectly well
aware of what had taken place. Czech
was married in 1882 and his. wife was
about thirty-fve years old when killed.
Czech was twenty-nine years her senior
and men who know him say he had a
jealous disposition.
SUCCEEDED AT LAST.