The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-02-27
Death Of James Hopkins Under Suspi
ciOuS Circumstances.
SHOT THROUGH The BRAIN
Two Women We're at the Place and say It
Was suioide-A Cut and other Cir
cumstances Point to Murder.
Four Persons in Custody.

Toon Wuere Jhe Tragedy TOOK place, there
appears to have been no eye-wituesses of the
shooting according to the statements Of two
Of the parties under arrest. The third
prisoner was evidently away from the
premises at the time Of the shooting
The tragedy occurred in the house Of
James Foltz who lives at No ll3 East Lloyd
street. II was at about 8lj o'clock last
night that the report of the Shot startled the
neighbOrhood. The first man to reach the
house was Jacob Merrick lie found Hop
kins lying upon his back on the floor OF the
front room on the first floor of the house.
There was a bullet wound in Hopkins fore.
head. The victim was alive. but uucon-
scious, and breathing heavily. Hopkins
arms " ere stretched out on each side of his
body and the revolver with which the shoot
ing had been done rested upon his chest
Edward Kester lives about ifty yards west
of the house in which the shooting occurred
and on the same street. He was startled by
the report and hurried to the scene. He
says 81 found Hopkins lying on the floor,
on his back and the revolver was lying on
his breast. 1t was a weapon Of five chambers
and three were empty. A crowd was inside
Of the house. Michael Igo followed me into
the place. The man of the house, his wife
and Mary Mahulsky were in the room. 1 ran
out for the police and met Policeman Hurley.
We went back and removed the revolver
from Hopkins breast / then went for DR..
Stein. | heard Mary Mahulsky say that
Hopkins had asked her to go to church and
that she had refused to go; that Hopkins got
angry. Afterwards she said there was no
quarrel, but before that she said they had a
few words and there was a fellow outside
who wanted TO see her. She said she got up
walked to the door and opened it, As she
did 80 she heard a shot. She turned around
and found Hopkins had shot himself"
DR.. w. n Stein stated to-day: Edward
Kester called for me last night and it was
$50 O. clock when | reached the scene of the
shooting. l found Hopkins lying on the
floor of the front room. Under his head was
woman's cape, mans coat, woman's
apron and a towel Hopkins was alive, but
unconscious. / found a bullet wound lust
above the bridge of the nose The skin and
hair about the wound was burned. | also
found cut, one that looked as If it had been
made with sharp edged tool The cut ex-
tended slightly over the left eye The upper
end of the cut was about of au inch from
the entrance of the bullet The lower end
was about of an inch from the hole. The
lid of Hopkins left eye was very much
swollen and blackened, OF cyanosed. When
| first found the boy his pulse was beating 12O
per minute. Blood and brain were oozing
from the bullet wound in the forehead l
passed probe into the wound and found the
bullet had punctured the brain, but could
not locate it. l dressed the injury At lO:45
the victim died.
While l was in the house 1 heard girl
there say that she and Hopkins had little
quarrel-iust few words that she went to
the door and pretended she was going out :
chat Hopkins got jealous and shot himself.
From my examination / should Judge there
was foul play"
Immediately after the examination follow
ing the 81 ooting Policemen Murphy, Hurley
and Butler arrested James Foltz, the tenant
of the house, his wife, Alice, and Mary
Mahulski, the girl referred to by the wit
| nesses. All the prisoners were taken to the
lookup and remained there over night and
to-day.
Mary Mahulski is a Lithuanian. She will
be II years old next Decoration Day. She is
daughter Of Martin Mahulski, of East
Lloyd street. Her mother is dead. Mary
was seen in the lookup to-day She was very
nervous and her statements were oontradic-
tory, but she steadfastly maintained that
there was no quarrel before the shooting.
She said she had been employed as a servant
at the Foltz house for about a week She
acknowledged that she met Hopkins at the
house occasionally Hopkins and two other
youths used to call there. They used to
bring books and read. Hopkins frequently
carried a revolver and several times
playfully put the weapon to his
head and said he would shoot himself One.
ba tha fpior
ber put the muzzle in his mouth and pulled
the trigger. All this was done in spirit of
bravado, or playfulness About two weeks
ago he gave her his picture. On Saturday
night she gave her picture in return. Last
evening Hopkins called at the house. Ed.
ward Witchie, young man about 25 years
old, was there He is an uncle of
Mrs, FOltz. Hopkins and Witchie had
friendly chat. There was no quarrel
or angry words of any kind between
them. Witchie left the house Mrs. Foltz
Mary Mahulski and Hopkins were alone in
the house. They were in the trout room.
There was no quarrel. Hopkins drew a re.
yolver and pointed it at Mary. The latter
aud Mrs. Foltz begged of him TO put it in his
pocket He did so. Why he drew the re-
volver neither of the women can tell. There
was no quarrel of any kind. Mrs Foltz says
she went to lie down on a chair and Mary
took pillow and Went to lie down on the
floor. Hopkins went to lie down beside
Mary Soon after Mrs. Foltz said she was
going back into the kitchen to get something
to eat. While she was there she heard :the
report of the pistol.
Mary Mahulski said in the lookup TODAY
that Hopkins did not ask her to go to church
and there was no dispute over such a subject
While they were lying on the floor she con
cluded to get up and open the door to see i
the street lights were burning As she looked
out she heard the shot within aud turned
back shouting, MY God Jim Did vol
shoot AliceY Alice, did Jim shoot YOU p
jim was lying on the door aud could no
speak.
During their first statements the tw,
women persisted that no man beside Hopkin
was in the house during the evening. late
Mrs Fots admitted that Edward Witchie
her uncle, was there and remained in con
versatiou with Hopkins for a while, but Ief
before the shooting.