The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-10
.OMER .RAINEAR SHOT
A BULLET IN HIS BRAY AND ANoTH-
Err IN HIS BACK.
His Assailant Unknown, but Supposed
Raipea Had Some Trouble.

the left eye about IL o'clock last night by
an unknown man supposed to be William
Mills. or Simms. colored. The young man
may die. The shooting occurred just east
of the White river bridge. Rainear and a
friend, Mike Lantry. who lives on Chadwick
street, were coming into town after the
show was out last night about II O'Clock.
AT the east end of the bridge John Smock
was sitting in front of his store, No. 446
West Washington street, conversing with
Alexander Downie, of No. 6n West Mary.
land street. Rainear and Lantry were
walking in the middle of the street car
track. AS they passed in front of Smock' S
house he and Downie noticed that there
was man following behind them at a dis
lance of twenty feet. He was small man,
not much larger than an eghteen-year-old
boy. Just before the shots were fired the
men seated on the sidewalk heard one of
the trio say, 81 don't want you to follow
me further
An insolent retort was made by the man
following behind. The first voice replied:
''Oh. you have got gun. have your"
YES" replied the man behind, land in
tend to use it,
With that he fired one shot into the air
and then four others in rapid succession
two of which, as it afterwards developed
struck Rainear AS Rainear sank to the
pavement the man who did the shooting
fled down the street. At that point it was
too dark for Smock and Downie to deter
mine whether the man who ran away was
white or colored, but both are of the inn
preston that he was either a boy or a
very small man. Rainear and Lantry, so
the latter says, had just parted company
when the shooting occurred.
Shortly after the shooting occurred DR..
Eisenbeiss, who lives near by, was on the
scene, and did what he could for the man
until the arrival of several police officers.
among them Captain Dawson, Sergeants
Lowe. Mefford. Kruger and a number of
patrolmen. In few. moments the city am
bulance arrived and the wounded man was
removed to his home.
There DR.. Z. NJ Eisenbeiss and DR.. Charles
Wright set to work to find out how badly
he was injured. Rainear lives With his par
ents. at No. 264 West Pearl street. He has
three grown sisters and two brothers, all OF
whom were at home. They were in bed
when the ambulance gong was sounded at
the door. This was the first the family knew
of the tragedy. The wounded man, half
conscious, was carried into the sitting room
and laid On a couch. The midnight visit of
the ambulance had aroused the entire neigh
crowded into the house. They pushed and
crowded around. the couch where young
halnear lay; groaning with pain. A half
drove the neighoors back TO give the injured
man air; for the atmosphere of the rooms
was sitting.
THE FAvoRITE SON.
The anguish of the family was pitiful to
witness. 1t seemed that Owen was the favor
lite son of the household His aged father
and mother held him in their arms while the
doctors were getting ready to examine the
wounds. and tried TO get him TO talk
Tell father who shot you, won't you,
Owen? That's good boy" said the old
man, caressing the. son, and supporting his
head. But Owen only answered with a groan.
His youngest sister. girl Of eighteen, broke
into hysterical weeping and had to be taken
from the house she would not stay away.
but came back, wringing her hands ard cry
ing piteously. The other girls tried to COM
fort her, but now and then broke down and
gave way 10 violent weepings.
The man who did that had better keep out
OF my way" said one of the brothers, and
ne looked as If he meant what he said.
The physicians, after the first examina-
ton. gave the family hope, but afterward
were a little doubtful about the result of
the injuries. 1t was found by probing thar
the bullet, which entered above the lett eye.
had gone into the brain. The brain matter
oozed from the hole while the doctors were
dressing the wound. The bullet which pene-
trated the back ranged upward and the
physicians could not tell just where it had
lodged. However, they did not think IL had
gone to vital spot. They told the family
through life with bullet in his brain.
The scene OF the shooting was. in the i'm
mediate neighborhood Of where John Young
was mysteriously murdered about three
years ago. Young was hit In the head with
club In house just east of the river, on
the nors itb side ef Of the street The house
was shot. Young's assailants have never
been caught.
TROUBLE WITH COLORED MEN
Meantime the police made an effort ia
learn who did the shooting, but could obtain
no accurate information. Smock and Dow
ME asserted that Mike Lantry had helped
them carry Rainear from the street-car
tracks to the sidewalk. but ne had disap-
peared before the officers arrived. With
considerable difficulty he was finally located
but could not give much information. He
said ne met Rainear at the y-go-round
and that the latter asked him to accom-
pany him across the river, stating that he
had had trouble with some colored men,
whom he expected to attempt to assault him
on his way home. Lantfy agreed to accom-
pany him and says the man who did the
shooting shoot a,o Che believes him to be eolored
made some retort when Rainear ordered
him to quit following them. With an oath
the fellow cried Stand over" and began
shooting.
William Harmon, another of Rainear's
friends, came to the young mans home and
confirmed the story of previous trouble al
the merry-go-round. Harmon said he saw
Rainear at the show grounds. Rainear told
him of some trouble with colored men and
said he thought they would lay for MIN
on the way home. In order that he might
have some protection. Rainear asked Har-
mon to accompany him. This the latter re-
fused to do, telling Rainear that he did not
want to become involved in quarrel OIL
a fight.
1t seems that after Harmon's refusal. Raj
near appealed to Lantry. Harmon lives on
Kentucky avenue. He and two friends,
Charles West of Haughviile, and Carl Coon,
or West indianapolis, were crossing the
river over the old wagon bridge, some dis
lance north of the spot where the shooting
was done. They heard the shots fired and
thought at first that they proceeded from
the river they discovered that they were
mistaken and ran in the direction of the
excited shouts they heard made by people
who gathered around the injured man.
Several other persons saw the man run
ming on Washington street but as he was
whether he was white or co.ored. One man
says he appeared TO be mere boy, and
seemed 10 be barefooted.
The police took charge of young col
ored man who they think had hand in the
trouble at the merry-go-round. and ii was
confidently asserted last night that the cul-
prit would be captured before morning.
Rainear is perhaps himself the only one
able TO tell who shot him, and the police
were disappointed TO learn that he was too
nearly unconscious to talk after the physi-
clans had dressed his wounds last night.
Rainear is but twenty years. old. but has