Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-16
1T MAY Be MURDER.
John ButzneT Shot BY Thomas
Stevens Last Night
LIVED IN THE SAME HOUSE.
A Family Row Mas The Cause Of
The Whole Difficulty.
STEVENS FUSED WITH HIS WEE.
Butzner Interfercd In the Interest of
Peace, and Received N iSullet In His
Liver-His Condition Regarded 40
Serious.
STEVENS FUSED WITH HIS WIFE.
Serious,
As a result of mIsdir..s.s .s.,sv = -

As a result of misdirsessA sGpsyNa - -
endcavor to restore peace in the family
Of neghDor, John Butzner, shoe
maker, lies at the city almshouse at thu
point Of death, with a bullet in his liver,
and Thomas stevens, the neighbor who
did the shooting. Is a prisoner at tho
First Police Station, charged with tho
crime.
The two men lived i'm adjoining rooms
at No. 1921 east Franklin street, and had
been friends for years. having at one
lime worked together in the same shop.
Both are married, and Stevens has three
children. Shortly after IL o'clock lasu
night Stevens, who is in bad health ana
has been I'm idleness Tor some time, be-
came involved IN quarrel with his wife.
ana heated words were passed between
them.
SHOT HIM IN THE BACK.
Butzner being annoyed by the quarrel.
entered their room and told them 10 de-
sist. Stevens did desist, and took a seat
at the window, but had been there only
short time when he heard Butzner talk
ing about him. The quarrel between tina
husband and wife was renewed, and Butz-
ner again demanded that 1t be stopped,
asserting that if it was not stopped ha
would take hand IN it. He then started
again for the Stevens room, but was met
az the door OF their apartment by Ste
yens, who had armed himself, and seeing
the pistol the intruder turned and start
ed TO retrace his steps. As he did SO Id
was shot in the back.
The first shot took effect, and two moro
were fired by the irate shoemaker, though
they went wide of the mark, as Mrs.
stevens grasped her husbands arm ana
endeavOred 10 wrest the pistol from him.
Butzner also wrestled with his assallsnt
Tor possession OF the pistol. and the cry
of murder was raised.
Policeman keegan heard the shots and
the cries. and hurried into the house.
When he reached the second story he
found the two men struggling, and took
hand IN the sculiie, soon gaining pos
session Of the pistol, an old-fashioned
affair OF tWcnty-eight calbre. He took
Stevens into custody and carried him TO
the statiOn-house and sent in a hurry call
for the ambulance TO ButZner. The van
responded with DR.. Cunningham in
charge, and Butzner was carried 20 the
almshouse, where an operation was per-
formed on him.
WANTED TO KILL HIM.
At the starOn-house Stevens was as
coo. as possible, and expressed 10 regret
az the affair. 10 a Dispatch man. who
called upon him. he said he was sorry
that he did not Kill Butzner outright.
'N hat dId ~ do 10 your? was asked.
He meddqcd with my quarrel" was
the reionder and | ought TO have killed
him. 1 wish all three shots had taken
effect"
When asked II Butzner fell when no
was first shot, stevens replied that he did
not. and said, He did not fan until the
policeman was taking him down tho
steps. and l ought 10 have kicked him
down the steps then"
CAN LIVE BUT A FEW HOURS.
DR.. J. G.. Treyilian, the City Hospital
surgeon, assisted by Dr.. Frank NJ. Cum
ningham and Dr. j. Wythe Davis. prODed
for tbs ball, and found IL In the front OF
the abdomen. Butzner was shot through
the liver. He survived the operation. bur
the surgeons stated at 3 O'Clock this morn
ing that death from internal hemOrrhago
| would probably result in few hours.