Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-08
SHOOTS JEWELER EDHOLM
o. o. Porter, a World Herald Reporter,
Attempts a Murder.
BECOMES ANGRY ABOUT A CUFF BUTTON
Fires shot mt Mr.. EdhoIm. Inficting
Flesh wound In His Left
check and Later Surrcndcrs
Deed without Provocntion.

Albert Edholm, jeweler, 1O7 North Six
Ieehth street, was assaulted with pistol
at noon Thursday in his place Of business
by g. C., Porter a newspaper correspond
cnt whose headquarters are in the World
Herald editorial rooms
Dispute over the loss of a cuff button.
worth probably few cents, led to the as
sault. This 10 the story told by Mr.. Ed
holm and corroborated by eye witnesses.
Porter had left the button at the jewelry
establishment to be repaired and when he
called it could not be found
Reports conflict as to whether Porter
dubbed his victim with the butt of the
weapon or fired shot Edholm declares
positively that he was shot, while Porter is
emphatic that he struck the jeweler with
tho pistol, but did not shoot hicn. On the
booka at the police station Shooting with
intent to kill' is the entry against Porter
Dr. Charles Allison, the attending physician.
says tho injury resembles a gunshot wound
and he thinks he has located the ball
Immediately after the assault Mr.. EdholH
exclaimed: why did you shoot me?"
Il allow no man to call me liar" Por-
ter rctorted. and at that he backed out of
tho store. brandshing his pistol in such a
manner as to intimidate bystanders and
prevent them from attempting to arrest him.
Nearly two hours later he surrendered to
the police at the station, having waited
to eat his dinner and TO fix up a story with
hia lawyer, w. +. Gurey.
The injured man was given immediate
medical attention, and his wound will prob
ably not prove serious, although it Is very
painful. He related to a reporter for The
Bee his version of the affair.
Porter entered the store about noon"
lKp1 a h1It
ton which he said he had left with us for
repair about two months ago. He said he
had called for it three weeks ago, and that
we were unable to find it then, but that
we told him we would look it up. That
may be true; l don't remember about the
button, but in any event unable !
to find it for him today, and after search |
ing for some time, l told Porter to bring
me the mate to the lost button
and that would be of assistance
TO us in looking it up. He replied |
that he would do no such thing-that he |
wanted his button Immediately l explained |
to him that l could not do impossibiities
Just then, without a moments warning, he !
drew his pistol and fired. 1t was a shocking |
surprise to me, for had no idea that he was |
in the humor to commit a tragedy"
Mr.. Edholm discussed the affray with re-
markable calmness, despite the pain he was
SuHeTlnR. lie nau given Porter every aSSuf- |
ance that his loss would be made good, it Is |
said, in case of final failure to discover the
missing button, and witnesses agree that the
jeweer treated Porter with his characteristic
courtesy.
Witnesses to the Assault.
The assault was witnessed by Miss Jessie
Lawrence, Miss Bessie Cowles, C. C. Hahn,
a World Herald reporter, a Chicago travel
n bv ha of
Miss Lawrence is employed in Mr. Ed
holm's establishment and her experience was
intensely thrilling, for she stood almost di-
rectly within range OF Porter's weapon.
When he first entered the store he asked
Miss Lawrence to get his cuff button and
she looked for it several minutes
hoforo calling the attention of Mr.
Edholm. Miss Lawrence continued her
search and was standing behind the coun-
ter beside the proprietor when Porter COM
mitted the assault Miss Lawrence displayed
remarkable nerve and instead of hurrying
from the exciting scene, as most women
would have done, she assisted other wit
ntsses in calling a doctor and looking after
the wounded man.
Mr. Wertz, the Chicago salesman, stood
near Porter when the trouble occurred He
made motion as if to arrest Porter, but
the shining barrel OF the deadly weapon
caused him to desst, if he had such idea
and Porter backed out OF the store much
after the fashion of the conquering border
bandit, as told in yellow literature
Array Attracts Rig Crowd.
At the noon hour North Sixteenth street
thronged with shoppers and other Pc
destrians, the report of the weapon having
Immediately drawn a large crowd Mr..
Edholm remained in rear room at his
ct a nh had
his wound. He then went to his home in
a carriage. Had the bullet ranged little
higher, the victims eye would have been
ruined. As a result of the wound the left
side of Mr.. Edholms face is swollen to three /
or four times its natural size and blood con-
stantly oozes from the puncture.
Jeweer Edholm is of slight build, mild I
hammered and is not given to indulgence in
quarrels say those who know him best.
Porters action cannot be accounted for. He {
appeared to be in full possession of his
senses when he entered the store and talked !
calmly but firmly up to the moment before
he fired the shot.
The police say that Porter has been
drinking to excess of late, and this is the {
only theory on which his strange action
can be explained.
Calm After the Storm.
While the young women employed in the
store conducted themselves like heroines !
there was considerable furry among the =
elegantly attired shoppers who thronged the
adjacent sidewalk looking pretty window q
Displays and discussing Christmas bargains !
fhey heard the noise, saw the commoticn :
and in the embryo panic that prevailed for ,
few minutes they could not be con-
WINGED but that murder had been committed. M
As an instance showing the extraordinary q
nerve and calmness of Miss Lawrence il :
may be stated that within thirty minutes
after the shooting she was busily engaged
in rearranging trays of jewelry in a show +,
case and business was moving along in
the Edholm establishment just as though ,
nothing out of the usual had happened.
Porter's Career in Omaha.
pnriar has heen in Omaha ahnuL tmelYa :