The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-08
b.BLOODED MURDER.
Isyt shoots and Kills a Prom.
itisen Of Nauticokc.

affeirs. Eckert. as one of the
II was under Bittenbender's d.
cause Of the whole affair was a
hnce, largely imaginary. which
ft had against his superior. For
tlme past Eckert had been neg
m his work at the school house.
moro than once Blttenbender had
led his attention to his negligence.
hing Eckert that II he did not do the
ek properly the board would b.
Mod to get some one else to do the
~ This had been going on for some
- and Eckert had conceived the idea
Aat Bittenbender was bounding him
~ trying to influence the other mem-
oeg3 Of the board to have him dis
charged.
A couple Of weeks ago Eckert had
aid 10 friend. III Bittenbender don't
let ne alone. he'll be sorry for It." On
saturday morning at 3 o'clock Bitten
bender. accompanied by another school
\ diEOcter. George Gruver. drove to the
AlgA scAeoA to inspect some work which
GckeRt uhould have done. The janitor
WAS not thsre. % they drove to his
house
Eckert walked out at their call and
/ Bittenbsnder cried:
"See here Abe. how 10 It you are not
et the school house attending to the
work you are supposed to do. We pay
you to do that work and We expect
you to look after It." To this Eckert
replied: "All right Fred; I'll go down
and sktsnd TO It right away" Bitten
bender and 0ruver, satisfied everything
vas al right, left Eckert's and went
down town. Eckert appeared to be in
hs wual good humor at this time.
At about noon the men met again.
Bittenhender was In his carriage with
his father, Ell Bittenbender. of Ply
D0nnh, and GegySs ". Flock. When
W4y up Main street they saw
Edkert and he called to them: See
her4 Fred. want to see you a minute"
Bittehdbender said, "All right. Abe"
and drew up his horse along the walk
Eckert said. From the way you talked
to me this morning it begins to look
as II you had grudge against me.
What do you mean by talking to me
the way you did?"
Btttenbender answered: You are
paid to look after the work and we ex-
pect you to do 1t. II you don't like to
do the work you had better get out and
lei some one else do IT.
Hardly had the last word left his
mouth when Eckert sprang backward
from the carriage, drew a revolver and,
taking deliberate atm, fired. The bullet
enkseed Bfttenbender's right eye and
caused instant death. The body plunged
forward and fell over the wheel of the
carriage at the fest Of the murderer,
who, despite The cries Of Bittenbender's
Anlasr end Flock, who were trying to
jump from tlso carriage, and the ap-
proach of the people, calmly stood over
~ body and fred two more shots. The
6sUe csaahsd Through his cheeks and
a. coebse weut into his breast. Then
2ckert started to run, but had gone
,<6n0y = few steps when he was over
ta1ER by School Director Callary and
9oan Reagan. Eckert was taken to
ADausru DRIVERS Office and committed
- mn In <his city. There were numer-
e. t1Eea1o Of lynching. and only the
ptaooner'e instant removal to Wilkes
1aesv sswed his life.
Blttenbender was dead when his body
wn0 plc3rsd up, the fret shot causing in
Donnt ,dsokh. His father and mother,
N. and Mrs. Ell Bbttenbender, OF
2 P1ympuAk were visiting him at the
ti,ue, end his mother Ii completely
pro0teaked By, the shock.
Ec1Ieaew1sb brought 20 jail In this city.
but ssfused TO eay anything either yes
tendAy or tie day before. His nerves
ass comp,s&s3y upset by the shooting
ana ~ = iMbad shape. His sister. who
= n 3all fcr keeping a bawdy house, be-
coane hysterjca1 when told of her
brothers crime. and continued 10 all
DAY yesterday. Eckert Is about 45
yesrS o3d and has q wife and seven
chiSdren, Norman, Abram. Ollie, John.
BeclEie. Alma and baby.
0oo0 after the shooting q coroner's
fury, composed of J. c. Brader, James
Powell, John Smoulter, J. s. Davis,
Wtujsm Harter and DR.. p. A. Neck,
Wss formed.
The autopsy revealed that the first
bulleD entered at the outer corner OF the
eishf eye. entering the brain and caus-
"a instant death: the second struck the
iefk arm and striking bone was de-
! fIected and entered the body at the arm
pit.
rrsdsrick T. Bittsnbender was one Of
the peincipal men Of Nanticoke. He
\ MAS : con % Nh Btttenbender. and was
born "A Plymouth. During his boyhood
~ worked IN the mine. and at the age
< u Is engaged - flrsnan for the Della
ware ana Hudson company. in which
capacity ~ remained hve years. He