The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-03

S'-A hS victim and WOuld-Be
Murderer worked Together.
Julla WlttgFafa d seamstress employed
at the Minnesota Tailoring company
was the target Tor four bullets fired at
her In a f1eeof rage, by Morltz Butler,
at Seventh Ind sWabasha street early
yesterday morning Two bullets struck
the terrified girl. but only one took eff
iect' Inc wound is not necessarily dan
seioas' ana 1t is believed the young
"oiiiah VIII recover. Butler was arrest
Gu on the charge of attempted murder.
During the fusilade one bullet crashed
through plate glass window in Michaud
Eros grocery store, narrowly missing
several employees inside. Particles of
glass struck Charles Hoffman in the face.
WINE the bari, sped close to two other
clerks standing beside him and buried
ltselt In a pileeof cracker boxes
| inc shooting took place shortly after 7
! O'Clock. The first 4intimation of the sem
satloral scene following was when man
was observed to step from a doorway
beside the grocery store and seize young
woman passing by Instantly the fell
lows right hand. gripping a revolver,
HaSneu from his pocket and a shot rang
OUT -starthhg hundreds of people hurry
| ing TO their places. of employment With
frightened scream the girl tore herself
free from the. mans clutches and started
to run back toward Wabasha street
blood staining, her clothing, showing she
had been shot. The would-be-murderer
followed. firing point blank at the girl as
c no
The second shot crashed through the
I grocery store window The third shot
went wild, and just as Patrolman White,
who was near at hand when the shoot
Ing started, grabbed Butler, the fellow
fired fourth shot that struck Miss Witt
graf in the small of the back The bull
let was DETECTED by her corsets, howev-
er, and glanced off without inf1icting any
injury. Willie Butler still attempted to
fire the remaining charge in the revolver
Officer White grappled with him and
took the revolver from him
By this time large crowd had gath
cred about the corner, and when it be-
came known that Butler had attempted
to murder the girl angry threats were
heard on all sides. officer White took
the prisoner to the patrol box, followed
by an indignant crowd, but throughout
the excitement Butter was apparently I'M
disturbed. He laughed and made several
joviaf remarks to those about him, and
when finally whisked away in the patrol
wagon, waved his hat to the crowd
After dispesing of his prisoner Officer
White hurried to the assistance of Miss
Wittgraf The girl was almost hystericaI
from fright, but as she remained standing
without assistance it was believed that
she had escaped dangerous injury. She
was able to walk to the Clarendon drug
store, where NDr. 7Martelo examined the
wound near the ear and advised that she
be taken to the city hospital. tt was
feared the. bullet might have taken an
upward course and lodged. dangerously
near the brain but rat the hospital it was
found that the ball had gone downward,
glancing along the Jaw bone a short dis
lance, and lodging in the throat, near the
larynx. - An effort was made to remove
the bullet, but proved unsuccessful. The
X-ray. .proeesSowas- employed in locating
the bullet, but the plate has not yet de
veloped, so that second search for the
ball cannot yet be made. The physi-
clans fear that il the bullet is allowed to
remain in the wound too long. complica-
lions may arise that may cost Miss Witt
graf her life. There is danger of blood
poisoning, or shat pus may form about
the buliet and suffoeate the young wom-
an. "tS2I
Butler frankly admits shooting Miss
Wittgraf, anB Of1ter White says, remark
ed after his arrest that he was glad he
had done it aIldonly wished he had killed
her. Asked Why he had tried to murder
the young woman Butler at first declined
to discuss the subject, remarking:
'I shot hers Everybody knows that, and
that is all therefis to It."
The wouldabe murderer Is a Russian
Jew. thirty gears Of age, and has lived In
this city nearly g year, coming here
from New York He is tailor, and UNI
til two weeks ago worked at the Mime
sofa Tailoring company's, where he was
employed atIthe- same bench with Miss
Wittgraf The young woman formerly
lived with a sister at 356 Como avenue,
but of late has been rooming at 436 Wa
basha street. Her parents live In Min
neapolis. She Is twenty-one years OF
age.
When Butler received the information
that Miss Wittgraf was not dangerously
hurt he became more cheerful and con-
scented to. talk about the shooting. He
at this time denied that he intended to
kill the girl, claiming hat if he had wish
ed to kill her he Is sufficiently expert with
the revolver to have done SO with one
shot. Said he:
AZ have known this girl for nearly a
year, having worked beside her all this
time and learned her what she knows Of
the trade. She got all of my money and
then turned against me. That was too
much. I spent everything on her, and
such trea tment was not right She would
never go any place with me, but &C
cepted my money. 1 bought her presents
and she gave my money to some one
else"
This rather indefinite statement was all
that could be gotten out of Butler. He
made no charge against Miss Wittgraf' 8
character directly, but interjected
throughout his story that 'it was a ter
rible thing to take a mans money that
way" He said there never had been an
| engagement between himself and Miss
Wittgraf, and denied that the girl had
promised to marry him or that he had
wanted her to become his wife. From
his sulen demeanor and savage utter
ances Immediately after the shooting, it
IS believed Butler was moved to try to
kill the young woman through jealousy.
| At the Minnesota Tailoring company
Miss Wittgfaf IS given a good reputation.
The girl worked for the firm for two
years, and Der employer says she has al
ways conducted herself as a respectable
woman She was closely attentive to her
work, it is said, and always promptly at
| her place. g
From th@- time. Butler went to work
| for the firm it is said he was-very atten-
tive to Miss Wittgraf, so much so in fact
/ that his infatuat1Sn was a subject Of gen
| eral discussion among his fellow work