The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-19
Two Masked Men, Each with Wca-
fore Her Husband Was Awake.
POLICE WITHOUT ANY CLEW
THAT THE AssAssINS MAY
HAVE BEEN ENEMIES.
Several Previous Attempts to Rob
Hirth I'm His Saloon and His Life
Had Been Threatened.

Two burglars broke into the house Of Leo
Hirth. No. 1920 West Washington street. just
west of the Belt railroad. about 1870 o'clock
this morning and shot and instantly killed
Mr.. Hirth as he was pursuing them through
the rooms. The bullet entered his hear.
this place, and the means taken by Mr. Hirth
for his protection after these previous visits
were of no avail. On table by his bedside
was loaded revolver and in a closet near
by double-barrel shotgun, but the men
opened fire on him before he and his wife
left their bed and he had no opportunity to
snatch his revolver.
The place of the murder is a combination
grocery store and residence. In the store
room a bar was also maintained. I'm
mediately back of the store room was a
small vestibule leading into a sitting room
which also has an entrance into side yard
leading to the street. Immediately of the
sitting room, to the west. is the bedroom
in which Mr.. and Mrs. Hirth slept last night
room and to the west of this is the kitchen.
On the north side of the kitchen is a win
dow through which the intruders gained an
entrance by "jimmying'' the window lock,
Mr.. Hirth was German. about thirty
eight years old, and has been known as a
very industrious man. He closed up his
grocery store and barroom about II o'clock
last night and retired. His wife. who had
been feeling i'll, had been in bed for over an
hour. She had left light burning low in
the bedroom and in the sitting room. The
husband threw his garments on the floor
near the head of the bed and within easy
reach was his loaded revolver. Where he
placed his money was unknown at an early
hour this morning. What is known of the
tragedy that followed comes from the lips
of his wife, and all the evidence substanti-
ates her story in every detail.
'T was awakened about half past i
O'clock" she tolL the police. by slight
noise. turned on the pillow to look at the
door leading to the sitting room and in the
dim light of the lamp saw two masked men
standing right in the doorway. could dis
tinguish the size Of the men, and saw that
they had white masks over their faces The
taller one had his face completely hidden.
called to my husband and jumped up at the
same time. Then saw the two men held re-
,volvers, one in each hand. AS the tall man
saw me jump up he shouted, with an oath:
Now. you. I'll kill you.'
WE'RE BENT ON MURDER.
'.He shot twice before my husband was
fairly out of bed. Mr.. Hirth rushed at the
men without ever thinking to snatch up his
revolver on the table,"
The burglars retreated from the room,
Mrs. Hirth explained, and dashed through
the sitting room and dining room and then
into the Kitchen, followed by her husband
Mrs. Hirrh heard a third shot fired, and it
seemed to come from the kitchen. Mr.. Hirth
had evidently been shot by one of the men,
as the couple was trying to Chamber out OF
the window by which they had come into
the house. He was found prone on the floor.
clad only in his day shirt, and with small
hole. slightly tinged with red, in his shirt.
Immediately over the heart.
Mrs. Hirth, in the meantime had run out
the sitting room door into the yard, scream
ing for help. Her four little children and
German servant girl slept in the
room overhead. and when they
heard the mothers screams all rushed
down stairs in their night clothes.
A woman living next door was also awak-
ened and. with Mrs. Hirth. ran down to the
street car barns, severals blocks distant, to
telephone for the police. 1t was fully half
hour after the tragedy before police Captain
Quigley and several patrolmen reached the
scene and found Mrs. Hirth and her children
weeping and gazing on the body Of Mr.
Hirth.
An examination Of the premises, after
hearing Mrs. Hirths story, showed how the
burglars had entered the place. In a search
Of the bedroom bulle was found In the
walnut bedstead sear the top of the head
board. In the plaster of the west wall i'm
mediately above the headboard was another
bullet hole. Only three shots were fired; the
third one entering the groceryman's heart.
Mrs. Hirth told the police that her husband
had considerable money on the place, though
she did not know how much. He expected
to pay a number Of large bills Monday. So
frequently have thieves entered the house
that the husband took what he thought were
extra precautions. He was accustomed to
hiding the money about the room. The wife.
after the burglars had left the house, found
a rug. which had been placed at the door
leading into the bedroom thrown to one side
of the sitting room. From this she thought
1t possible that the two men were acquainted
with her husbands habits and had first
looked under the rug to see IL any money
were hidden there. The trousers which were
laying on the floor were undsturbed.
After the shooting Mrs. Hirth screamed
COR help. and she says that II was nearly
tak an hour before any one heard her and