The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-24
John Kerycki Dies From 4 Pistol Shot
Wound Inflicted BY Koehler.
BULLET ALMOST THROUGH HIS BODY
Koehler Had Warrant for the Muir.
dered Man and Went to His Board.
ing House at 2 O'Clock in the Morn.
ing to Arrest Him.. ..COnficting
Stories of the Cause That Led to
the shooting.


rant. charging assault and battery.
The shot is said to have been fred
while the murdered man was sittinS up
in bed demonstrating with knenler no.
to arrest him then but to walt uhtii
morning. and the bullet. when was
from a 3l-calibre revolver. entered the
abdomen at the nit of the stomach,
nassrd through the small lobe of the
liver, and through one of the kidneys,
and would have gone through the body
but for it struck against the top OF
the pelvic bone and lodged under the
skin in the back.
Koehler placed the muzzle of the re-
volver on the mans abdomen when ne
fired 1t set fire to his shirt and burn-
ed the skin several inches around.
The hole made by the bullet was
large enough to admit ones forefnger.
kerycki was shot at 2.40, but he
lived until $50.
Koeher at first attempted to escape
but seeing 1t was no use. as there were
three other officers with him. he sub
mtted and went before Justice OF the
Peace Mccormack, of Blakely, VINO
gave him q hearing on the charge of
murder and committed him to the
county Jail.
AT II o'clock Sunday night koehler
had Squire Mccormick issue warrants
for the arrest of the murdered man.
his brother, Alex Kerycki. and man
named Louis Grabotski, charging the
three of them with assault and battery
upon man named Joseph Bursunski
WENT TO MAKE ARRESTS.
After swearing out the warrants
Koehler took Constable Ben Harris. of
Blakely, with him to arrest them.
The accused boarded with Michael
Opunowich in an alley behind Good
man & Weiss's store in Priceburg.
There were two other boarders in the
same house.
1t was . o'clock yesterday morning
when Koehler and Harris got to the
house and they experienced consider
able difficulty in rousing the boarding
boss that they might get In.
The boarding boss persuaded KOehler
to wait until morning before serving
the warrants, saying that the three
men were in bed and that they would
not go away and could be had at any
time.
This seemed to satisfy Koehler and
he went away. The boarding boss
went back to bed, but he was only fall
ing asleep when he heard rappng at
the door and an authoritative voice
demanding admittance in the name OF
the law.
He recognized 1t as Koehler. and be-
fore opening the door he importuned
him to go away and let them finish
their nights sleep in peace.
Koehler said he had come to take
the three prisoners and was going to
get them. and II the door wasn't OPEN
ed in short order he would open the
window and climb in that way.
Opunowich lit the lamp and opened
the door. With Koehler We're Consta-
BILE Harris, who was with him before
when he called. Henry Mccarthy. chief
of police Of Dickson City borough, and
Thomas Turner. special officer.
GRABOTSKI GOT UP.
Grabotski one of the men for whom
the warrants We're sworn out got up,
having been awakened by the loud
talking. and he got down stairs about
the time the four officers entered.
koehler recognized him and handed
their prisoners. The chief remained
down stairs in the kitchen while Koch
Ter. Harris and Turner started up
stairs to get the other men.
kOehler was evidently familiar with
| the house. He told the CSher two OFF,
GERS to wait at the head of Che stairs
| and Ne walked a few feet from them
and entered a room. There were two
| beds in the room. one near the door
"i'u ohN 'PpcoitN tiiC uoois oNtl dSlluSl
| the wall.
In the latter bed the two Keryckis
We're sleeping, the murdered man on
the outside and his brother was against
the wall
Koehler shook John by the shoulder
| until he awakened him and when John
began to argue with him and plead to
be let go until morning, Koehler it is
charged then pulled the revolver out of
his pocket and fired.
The wounded man jumped out Of bed
and ran downstairs. but when he got to
the kitchen his strength gave way and
| ne fell prostrate on the floor. DIR. w.
+. Kennedy was sent for and he did
what could be done for Kerycki, but
the bullet had inflicted fatal wound,
and he passed away at the hour stated.
BROTHER NOT AWAKENED.
Alex Kerycki, his brother, claims he
did not hear any of the talk that passed
between his brother and the constable.
and was not awakened until the shot
was fired. In the otner bed was an
other boarder, who also claims that the
first he knew of stranger being in the
bedroom was when the shot was fired.
AS soon as Koehler did the shooting
| he ran out of the house, but was over
| taken by his companion officers, who
chased after him. HeI walked along
quietly to Squire McCormck's Office,
and turned the revolver over to him.
| He was given a hearing and was COM
mitted to Jail. He was brought down
about 6 o'clock yesterday morning.
Soon after committing Koehler to Jail
Squire Mccormick went to the home
of District Attorney John r. Jones, in
Blakely. and informed him of the case.
When Mr.. Jones arrived at his office in
the Coal Exchange he dispatched Coun-
ty Detective Thomas Leyshon to Price
burg to find out the details, and the
story as here related is in substance
the version of the shooting as disclosed
to Mr.. Leyshon after careful exami-
. nation of all the witnesses.
On the other hand, the story told by
| Koehler and his version of the case IS
totally different. He alleges that Ker-
ycki was a tough character and hard
| to handle. His brother was as bad and
| the other fellow, Grabotski, was no bet
ter. Knowing this he was careful to
bring three other officers with him, and
the reason he had for going to the house
at such an unseemly hour was because
it would be easier to take them then
than at any other time.
| CHAIR IN HIS HANDS.
| He claims that when he went into
| Kerycki's bedroom to arrest him, the
man was not in bed. but was standing
on the floor with a chair in his hands
raised above his head, and that he
dealt the constable blow on the
head as hard as he could with 1t. and
was preparing to strike the second
blow. when, in self-defense. he pulled
out his revolver and fired at Keryckis
legs, only intending to shoot him in a
part of the body that would not be
fatal. His aim was too high and bullet
/ went in To the mans ahdnnen