The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-15
Passed Away at the R. |.
Hospital Last Night.
Refused to Give Any Further
Details of the Shooting.
Police Are Ia Possession OF Some
Very Important Facts.

Frank Rittman, who was shot in front
OF the Concord schoolhouse in the town
Of Johnston about 80 o'clock Saturday
evening, died at the Rhode Island Hos
pital at 9:20 o'clock last evening. He
was conscious for a short time yesterday
but he would not give any explanation
OF how he came TO be mortally wounded
Tho Johnston police authorities have
made several quite important discoveries
In connection with the case. After Ritz
man had been picked up and before he
reached home he gave To person, whose
Identity Is known, "A pair Of night glasses,
which he had taken from home and for
what purpose is well understood by those
who have had n knowledge of his "Pesp-
ing Tom inclinations.
They have ascertained that he had on
sneakers" at the time of the shooting.
These were regular leather shoes, with
rubber soles by the use of which he was
enabled to creep up on people before they
could be aware of his presence.
A man whose name and residence are
known, stood within 80 feet of Rittman
at the time of the shooting. Rittman
was talking with man who sat on the
steps of the Concord school. This man
heard Rittman and the other person ex-
change few words, and then there was
a pistol shot. followed by four Others.
Which man fred first the police will not
say, but they admit thai Rittman fired
four Of the shots.
Rittman declared to the men who
picked him up. half an hour later, and Co
Town Sergeant Holbrook that there were
TWO men In the party which shot him !:
that he was walking across the lot, and
that, without any provocati on, one OF the
men, neither of whom had previously
spoken to him, or he to them, deliberately
shot him.
Sergeant Holbrook has thoroughly ex.
ploded all these assertions. There were
no two men walking across the lot at that
tlne. hlttiuan was not up5u the lot bu
In the front of the schoolhouse steps. and
the man who shot him was sitting ON
those steps. Holbrook has the pistol.
hittman took 1t homo and managed to
slip II into the pocket OF an old coat while
waiting for the police ambulance, and
since he had been at tho hospital he had
acknowledged TO Holbrook that he fired
the four shots. ana with that weapon.
That there was won.hsl in the case the
police feel very we'll satisfied, lust as they
40 that just before the shooting she left
her companion, who had begun an argu-
ment with Rittman. the nature of which
the police feel quite sure they can sub.
stantiate when they make their first
arrest.
From one Of Rittman's relatives comes
the assertion that 1t was probable he was
shot for tagging after people. habit his
friends knew he had long indulged in.
Rittman was sentenced to the reform
school during his minority for an
attempted felonious assault on a little girl
and subsequently he was given a term for
breaking and entering. He and two or
three other boys broke into basement in
which an old man slept, and Rittman. to
intlmiiete the aroused sleeper, pressed n
cold door key 10 the mans head, making
MIN believe that 1t was pistols point
The police of Johnston have learned
that the first name OF the girl who was
present just before the shooting of Ritt.
man is Cora.
A man VINO was nearby when the shoot
ing took place heard the man who is sup
posed TO have shot Rittman, say: Now,
you get out Of here Cora The police
are looking for her and this is AS near
as they have yet got to finding the man
WHO'D the shooting