The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-18
TO LAY HIM Cold.
George Rohmann Bought a Gun
to Get Ahead of John
O'Donnell.

George Rohmann, age tWenty-one, a
butcher employed by Herman Dege, of
No. 436 Ocean avenue, Greenyille, was ar
rested yesterday afternoon charged with
atrocious assault. John O'Donnell, a
saloonkeeper, of No. 430 Ocean avenue,
was the complainant. Rohmann was
later admitted to bail in the sum of 81, 900.
His employer was his bondsman. Ae-
cording to the story told by O'Donnell,
Rohmann is responsible for the breaking
UP Of his home and destroying his happi-
ness. O'Donnell told the police that he
went into Dege's butcher store, which is
only three doors from his saloon, TO see
Rohmann and to find out where his wife
was. He then alleged that a quarrel took
place and that Rohmann whipped out a
revolver and shot at him twice. Both
shots missed the mark. O'Donnell then
boarded a Bayonne car and rode to the
Gator venue station house.
Sergeant Mclaughlin was at the desk
when O'Donnell rushed in and said that
he had been. shot at. He then told the
story of the shooting affair. Patrolman
Kimmerly was sent out to arrest Roh7
mann. Accompanied by O'Donnen the
officer went into the butcher shop and
finding Rohmann busy at work asked him
where the pistol was that he used in
shooting at O,Donnell. Rohmann led
Kimmerly into his bedroom and pointed
to the revolver, which was on the bed.
He was then arrested.
At the station house Rohmann gave an
entirely different version of the AFFAIR
He said that he was busy at work in the
store when O'Donnell came in and de-
l~iberately threw half a brick at him hit
ting him in the side. He in turn took up
the heavy brass key which is used 10
wind up the cash register and threw IT
at O.Donnell. O'Donnen, he said, was
about to retaliate when he pulled out a
pistol and shot at him.
Il am very sorry / did not hit him"
Rohmann added.
O'Donnell says that Rohmann has bro
ken up his home and his wife is now
living with Rohmann. He further says
that his wife left him last Friday with
out any cause, as she had done before
on several occasions.
The revolver which Rohmann used was
a new 32-calibre one. Captain Nugent
questioned Rohmann about the shooting,
also how he came in possession OF the
pistol. Rohmann admitted that he
bought the pistol last Friday, and when
further pressed said that he bought it be-
cause his life was in danger. He had
heard threats, he said, and he was pre-
pared for O.Donnell, whom he had heard
threatened him. Rohmann further denied
that he knew anything about ODonne1fs
wife.
Witnesses say tina Rohmann chased
O'Donnell out of the store with the re-
volver and fired another shot at him
while running up the street. It is also
thought by some that Rohmann is light
headed.
Rohmann was arraigned in the Second
Criminal Court before Justice Potts this
morning, and subsequently held in $500
for the Grand Jury on a charge of assault
with intent to kill. He was represented
by Lawyer Robert Carey.
During the hearing it developed that
Rohmann and O'Donnell had quarreiled
early in the morning and O'Donnell
struck Rohmann in the face. Rohmann,
according to O'Donnell, threatened then
that he would "lay O'Donnell cold" When
O'Donnell appeared at the butchers store
in the afternoon, Rohmann said, he was
alone, and O'Donnell was very much ex-
cited. O'Donnell said: you threatened
to lay me cold. I'll see that you are laid
cold,
Several witnesses testified nat they
heard one hot fired in the saloon and all
testified tina two shots were fired by Roh-
mann outside. The revolver, a six-cham-
bered weapon, showed that but two shots
had been fired. The witnesses were G.. F.
Briggs, No. $50 Gator venue John OCon-
nor, No. 10 Clinton avenue; John Evans,
No. 43O Ocean avenue; j. T. O'Donnell,
the compliments brother and bartender,
and William and Witt Eveleth. The lat
ter three testified that they were in
O'DonnelIs saloon, which is three doors
away, when the first shot was fired.
The court. at the request of Lawyer
Carey. subsequently bound O'Donnell, the
complainant, over to keep the peace.
HARDsHIPS OF THE Law.