St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-04
ONE Of THREE DEAD
JOE FRIEDMAN HAS A CARNIVAL
OF MURDER ON EAST SEW
ENTH STREET.
JULIA 0ELKER MAY YET DIE.
HE SHOT HER IN THE LUNG IN A
MAD FIT OF JEAL-
OUSY.
JOE DEAD, BUT HIS RIVAL LIVES
Friedman Kills Himself Instantly,
but Only Wounds His Rival
Slightly.

Joe Friedman, a waiter, fatally in
jured his former sweetheart, Julia
Oelker, and killed himself last night
also slightly wounded his rival. bar
Der named John Hoffman.
friedman was twenty-four years
old His sister lives at 734 West Sew
enth street. while his brothers, Anthony
and John, constitute the firm of F'reid-
mann Bros, No. 1894 West Seventh
street According to the statements of
his sweetheart, Miss Julia Oelker, Joe
Friedman was once convicted of lar
ceny in this city a couple Of years
ago, and served eight months impris-
onment at Saltwater. For the past
two months he has been employed as a
waiter at the Central restaurant, No.
Ala Jackson street. He was considered
sober man by his fellow employees
and an excellent waiter. He has re-
Gently joined the local union of the
National Alliance of Restaurant EN-
ployes and Bartenders. Five months
ago he became acquainted with Julia
Oelker, eighteen years old, the pretty
brunette daughter of Fred Oeiker, who
has kept a saloon at 379 Broadway, and
who resides on East Sixth street, near
Pine.
OF late, however, Miss Oelker has fa-
vored Hoffman, who Is employed on
East Seventh street, near Olive. and
this preference has aroused In Fried
mann the fiercest jealousy. Julia had
refused several times to marry Fried
mann. Her last refusal was given
Sunday. Last night Hoffman took
Julia to the Grand opera house. AS
they were entering the theater they saw
Friedman standing outside watching
them. He was there when they came
out, and he followed them down Sew
enth street on their way home. Just
before they reached the southwest cor
ner of Seventh and Olive streets. Fried
mann hurried past them on The side OF
Hoffman. Then he turned and said:
Julia, this ends itr' He drew re-
Volver from his overcoat pocket, and at
the distance of a few feet he fired three
shots at Hoffman. Only one of the
shots took effect. 1t struck Hoffman
on the left collar bone and glancing
along the bone imbedded itself under
the skin several inches from the point
of entrance. Then Friedman shot
twice at Miss Oelker. She had turned
to escape, but one of the shots struck
her about the middle of the inner edge
of the right shoulder blade and pene-
trated her lung. The wound is prob
ably fatal There was now one shot
left in the 32-caliber bulldog revolver.
Friedman turned the weapon towards
his own chest and sent ball into his
body, two inches below the r;;;ht nip
pie. 1t pierced the lung AS he shot
he swung about and dropped at full
length upon his back, dead.
The shooting was witnessed by Lieut.
Sexton and Officer Charles Banker,
who were coming down Seventh street,
and who were fifty feet distant when
Friedman fired the last shot. Banker
at once notified the central station
from the adjacent patrol box while
Lieut.. Sexton seized Hoffman and was
doing what he could for the man upon
the sidewalk. The officers sent Hoff-
man and Miss Oelker to the central
station as soon as the patrol wagon
arrived. Meantime they had removed
Friedmann's lifeless form to the un-
dertaking rooms of Thaung & Jacob
son, 32S East Seventh street, only a
few doors distant. Lieut.. Sexton tele-
phoned for Corner Whitcomb, who was
quickly on the scene. DR.. Finnell ar
rived about the same time. The ply
sicians found from appearances that
Friedman had died almost instantly
The bullet had severed some of the
larger arteries of the chest. The dead
man was Of medium height and fair
1y handsome, with thin features, dark
eyes and hair. He was comfortably
dressed, and within the inside pocket
of his vest, folded in a copy of the
National Restaurant Employees and
Bartenders' alliance, was found the
following letter, written pencil on a
note head of the Central restaurant
The letter is here divested Of the SPELL
ing peculiar to a German not versed
in the English language 1t read:
st. Paul. Feb. g. 1896.
That 1 have killed John Hoffman, and Julia
Oelker and myself. but they have driven me to
it. The person who will find us here please
notify my people, on West Seventh street;
brother, 1924. and sister. at 734 West Seventh.
Let them know. too. This girl is IT the eOSI; only
one ever loved in my life. Her and have
been going together for five months, and she
!, has st turned out not not to be ,r true to me- and
self. 1t was but yesterday she promised to
be true to me, and then tonight she went
with this - but L put all
my misery to an end. Bury these three bod
les together for my sake. Yours
Joe friedman.
This letter was probably written
after Friedman had seen Julia and
Hoffman enter the Grand
The coroner secured what inforna-
tion was available upon Friedmann's
person. and, going to the central po-
lice station, interrogated Hoffman, and
Miss Oelker He will probabl hold an
inquest today.
Miss Oelker was detained but a short
time at the central station. She was
attended by physician before being
sent to the city hospital No trace
could be found showing either that the
bullet had made its exit from her body.
or that it was lying near the surface
1t is presumed to be imbedded in the
right lung and this fact, together with
the location Of the wound, Is considered
indicative Of grave results. Miss Oel-
ker was suffering severely when inter-
viewed, and 1t was with difficulty that
she could express herself
81 never loved joe" she said, land I
never gave him any reason for think
ing so. I told him yesterday for the
third or fourth time that I couldn't
marry him, and that he had better not
bother me any more. / told him there
were plenty Of other girls. Joe was a
pretty good sort Of fellow, although I
was always told. and understood from
him. that he had been in the prison at