River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-02-01
shot Fired from Window.

the three men were two-thlrds or tn
distance from the street to the capitC
a shot was fired from the third-story c
the building occupied by the offices c
the governor, secretary of state an
other leading officials of the state. TIL
ball struck Mr.. Goebel in the side an
he instantly dropped to the pavemet.
Chinn and LiIlard instantly seized hin
Chinn saying as he did so:
Il guess they have got you, Goebel.
yes" replied the wounded man. "
guess they have got me for sure"
Four More shots Fired.
While Chinn was holding the WOUND
ed man, supporting his head in hi
arms, four shots more were fired d
both men. All of them struck clos
making the dust fly from the brio
pavement. Both Chinn and Lillar
stuck to their friend, neither of theI
moving from his side until the tirin
ceased, when Lillard ran for help. II
had not far to go, for there is Away
a crowd around the gates of the capitC
building. A crowd of men were aroun
Mr.. Goebel in less than a minute an
he was carried to the office of DR..
f. Hume, in the basement of the Capitt
hotel, and later to his hotel.
Lung Not Penetrated.
The ball, it was found, had inficte
a wound which was somewhat of
CHANGING nature and had not gon
through the lung in a direct line, a
DR.. Hume had thought upon the frs
examination. Had the ball struck tn
chest one-half inch to the right j
would have caused certain death.
The house was in session when tn
shooting occurred and the senate wa
10 have met within 20 minutes. Th
capitol building was, therefore, file,
with members of the Legislature, an
to say that excitement followed is put
ting it very mildly. From both hall
mel ran wildly down the steps withou
hats or coats, and one member of tn
house came out carrying in his hand
bill on which he had been arguing whel
b0G SDOOilhS ONNuilth+
News Spreads Like WiIdfre.
BY the time the members of the legis
lature had reached the lower floor
however, Goebel was on his way TO til
office of DR.. Hume. The members hast
" rushed back to their rooms, ad
journed with the most u~nceremoniou
haste and poured down into the street
again. The news that Goebel ha
been shot spread through the street
with lightning-like rapidly, and in
few minutes crowds were Fastening tc
ward the capitol from every direction
An Arrest Made.
Within three minutes after tn
shooting a line of men was throw.
around the building from which tn
shots had come, with the intention O
preventing the escape of anybody fror
the structure. John w. Miles, an age
citizen of Frankfort, was standing a
the foot of the stairway leading fror
the first floor of the office building t
the west when a man, evidently a noun
|taineer, came rushing down the steps
Miles instantly threw his arms aroun
the mans body, holding him with a
his strength, callingsloudly for help.
1t was close at hand, and no escap
was possible for the prisoner even ha
he attempted to make the effort. Me
stood around him on every side. wit
drawn reviewers in their hands, an
the slightest attempt at resistanc
would have resulted in instant death.
Submits to Arrest.
He submitted to arrest very quiet
ly, claiming again and again that h
had nothing to do with the shooting
He gave his name as Harland Whit
taker and said that he was in the stat
office building when he heard the shots
and, believing the long-predicted bat
tie in the streets of Franklin had com
at last, fastened out to see what wa
going on. He was searched at once an
three large reyolvers, all fully loaded
were taken from him. None of tn
cartridges had been exploded, an
there was no sign of any of the weapon
having been in use. 1t was at frs
thought that he might have replaces
the used cartridges with fresh ones
but there was no sign of powder smu
upon any of the revolyers. Whittake
is a man about 40 years of age, abou
five feet ten inches tall, with sandy hal
and mustache, and not ove~rburdene'
with intelligence.
search for Cut on.
The pistols of the man arrested wer
not discharged. A pistol did not do tn
shooting. 1t was a Winchester rifle
Search for the weapon, which was evi
IDENTIFY left in the building, has been Gu
off by soldiers taking charge OF tn
state house.
Hurried to the Jail.
He was hurried to the Jail, thre
blocks away, with all possible speed
it being feared that IN attempt Nigh
be made to lynch him il h crow
once was able to lay hands upon him
He was very quiet and did not los
his for an instant, notwlth
standing the excitement around him.
smokeIess Powder Used.
Both Col. Chinn and Warden Lii
lard declared that sraokeiess powde
was used in the cartridges that wer
fred at Mr.. GoebeL