The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-14
COMBINATION OF THE THREE
SENDS TWO PEOPLE To SUR
GICAL OFFICES.
SINGLE SHOT STRUCK TWO.
GREAT EXCITEMENT AT A SMALL
SUNDAY FIRE NEAR RICE
PARK.
The ESCAPE OF WILLIE AFRICAN
Was Miraculous, His Face Being
PiOwed by the Flying Lead
Other Victim Fares better.

Willie AFRICAN, the ten-year-old son
of Patrick AFRICAN, of 31S Walnut
street, was one Of the spectators at
fire on West Fourth street last even
ing. Willie had been on the scene but
a few moments when there was pis-'
tol shot. The bullet from the weapon
struck him in the right cheek, tore
through the flesh toward the ear, and
after cutting that useful member of
his anatomy in two. struck S. j. Nc
Mahon. another spectator in the fore
head.
There was an immense crowd in the
vicinity and the sound of the pistol
shot created a deal Of excitement. The
word was passed along that two per-
sons had been shot and killed and this
served to make the excitement all the
greater. Willie was taken in charge
by Capt Rouleau and a pair of officers
and with his face covered with blood
was carried to the office of DR.. Mar
quis on Washington street. Here it
was found that the bullet had inflicted
no serious wound, although 1t was a
close call. The doctor put five stitches
in Willie's right ear and dressed the
wounds, which operation the lad stood
without murmur. Willie said he did
not know who it was that shot off the
pistol. He remembered someone say
ing that's a good revolver" and the
next moment he heard a. shot and felt
the blood streaming down his face.
s. j. Mcmahon, of 2S4 Williams
street, who was standing behind young
AFRICAN, was struck in the forehead
by the bullet after it had left the boys
ear, but its force was spent and the
cartridge made only small lump on
McMahon'S forehead.
The detectives at once began
search for the party who fired the shot,
but he had disappeared, although he
dropped the weapon on the ground be-
fore skipping out. Frank Sandbitz and
Joe Bayer, two youths who were In the
immediate vicinity when the pistol was
discharged, explained how the accident
happened and gave the officers a de-
scription of the young man who dis
charged the weapon.
1t was about o'clock when fire was
discovered in the upper story Of the
frame dwelling at 100 West Fourth
street An alarm was turned in from
box IA and while the department was
on the way to the scene the occupants
of the house commenced to carry down
and throw out of the windows all the
furniture and effects. The articles
thrown from the windows included
chairs, tables, mattresses, toilet sets and
bric-a-brac of various sorts, and they
were thrown in the yard at the side of
the building, and at this particular
place the crowd of boys was the larg-
est. Among other things thrown out
was Marine target pistol This was
at once seized by a. youth OF about f1f-
teen years. whose name the police have
not yet ascertained. The boy said some
thing about 1t being an old timer and
he guessed no good. AS he said this he
pulled the trigger and there was re-
port and at once a scattering of boys
OF various sizes in different directions.
Detectives Murnane and Gruber were
given description of the lad who shot
off the pistol and also an inkling as to
the locality Of his home and started
out to bring him in. The police say no
charge of a serious nature will be made
against the boy, as the affair was pure
ly accidental, but think 1T advisable to
bring him to the station.
The building. occupied by Charles
Lamb, was sublet to four, tenants, and
the loss by fire and water will not ex-
coed 5000, the greater part of this being
on household effects owned by the
roomers in the house.