The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-11-14
BULLETS CRAZE HIS HEAD.
The Thief Empties His Revolver While
Escaping From the House.
MRS. SUMMER is PLUCKY
She Grapples with the Thief In the Dark
A Bunch of Keys to the Court
House Are Taken
Tracked BY Blood

nOunubs
County Commissioner Joseph 3. Sum-
INNER had a desperate encounter Sunday
Morning with burglar at his residence
West Tuscarawas street The
Sair caused considerable excitement
Ssut town Sunday a rumor having
rgone forth that Mr. Summer had been
dangerously wounded by shots fired by
the burglar. But such is not the case,
although q number of bullets which
were fired from revolver in the hands
of the unknown man grazed his head
About 8 o'clock Sunday morning Mrs.
Summer was awakened by hearing foot
steps in the bedroom in which she and
her husband slept. The room is In the
front part of the house on the second
floor. She got out of bed to turn on an
electric light which was fastened to
q wall on the opposite side of the room.
She had taken only few steps, from
the bed, when she ran into man who
was in the room. She threw out her
hands and grabbed the fellow who
struggled to release himself. She called
to her husband who quickly jumped out
of bed and started acros the room
toward the place where the incandes-
cent light was fastened. He could not
struggling with the man, he ran toward
her, so far as he Sc6uld locate her in
the dark room, to assist in taking care
of the fellow. The stranger wriggled
himself loose and started for the door
which leads out of the room into an
adjoining bath room and in another
f. direction down the steps into the base
ment. The stranger did not strike the
door the first time and after feeling
along the wall, he finally located the
door and ran out. He mistook the
door leading into the bath room for
the stairway and ran in. Mr.. Summer
attempted to close the door but the man
was too quick for him and coming out
FIRED A SHOT
at Mr.. Summers head The fellow had
also fired a shot while struggling in
the room.
Discovering the stairway he jumped
down several steps at a time. Mr..
Summer attempted to follow him, but
was warned back by another shot which
the man fired at him. The bullet lodg-
ed in the floor. A few seconds after an
other shot was fired but none of them
took effect. The fellow made his way
into the basement and out of the same
door through which he effected his
entrance into the house. Mr.. Summer
did not follow any further but ran to
an upstairs window, in front of the
house, and began calling for help. AS
he called out the first time, a man
standing outside, a few feet west of
some oaths and told him to "shut up"
or he would shoot. A few seconds later
a bullet came 1i ouuer
WHIZING PAST SUMMERS HEAD.
Summers drew in his head and just
then a heavy charge was fired, at the
stranger, by a neighbor across the
street, who heard Mr.. Summers call
for help, and who had guessed the
situation. The shot came from a shot
gun in the hands of George Zerbe, re-
siding at 2,6O7 West Tuscarawas street
The fellow who had fired the first shot
ran away and disappeared in the dark
ness of the surrounding fields.
Mr.. Summer re-entered his bed room
to find what had been taken. He dis
covered that his trousers, which had
been on a chair near the bed, were
missing. They contained about $25 in
money, bunch of valuable keys and
pocket knife which was highly valued
on account of 1t associations.
A telephone message was at once sent
to the police station and officers were
detailed at 1920 o'clock to make an
investigation. A search was made of
the premises. The man, who had been
in the house, evidently had made his
escape through the garden and ran
southwark, on Clarendon avenue, as
footprints were found on the ground
which led in that direction. From all
appearances the man had ran away in
his stocking feet, as the imprint of
the foot could be plainly seen in the
soft ground. No further clue was OBJ
tained as to either of the men and
THERE is NO CLBW.
beyond the slight description which Mr..
Summer furnished to the police.
An entrance into the house had been
effected through basement door which
leads in from the west side of the
residence. The key had been allowed to
remain in the door over night and the
man who entered had used a pair of
pincers to turn the key in the lock.
The key in the lock of the door lead
ing into the kitchen was turned in the
same manner, and after entering the
kitchen, an entrance was had to all the
rooms in the house. When the fellow
left the place he carried with him the
key to the basement door. Mr.. Sum
mer described him as having been of
strong build and wearing a rough cloth
suit and a black cloth hat. He was
very tall in stature. The man on the
outside of the building was described
as being rather short and stout in ap-
pearance. The shots which were fired
still remain, two in the ceiling, one in
the wall and one In the floor OF the
residence.
Mr.. Summer said to a News-D Demo,
crat reporter, Sunday:
"It may have been about 3 o'clock
when my wife awakened me by calling