Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1902-07-10
A TRAGEDY
AT lERNICE.
George Jackson, an Aged Miner
Shot 10 Death July Fourth.
WOMAN SHOT IN THE HIP.
Mrs. AL. Johnson the Victim Of Shoot
inS Accident. p. ]. Smith Narrowly
Escapes Losing both Eyes. Ex-Judee
John S. Line Shocked by Lightning.

Another tragedy was added to the
list at this place Friday night, July
4th when Geo. Jackson an aged mi
ner who had been working here for
the past four months was shot and
fatally wounded by Peter Ritzcoski.
About midnight of the 4th Jackson
and three others went to the house
of Ritzcoskie, after they had been
drinking more or less, and demand
ed drink. RitZcOskie who it ap-
pears had been running speak easy
during the day, refused to give them
anything. This led to the exchang-
ing of hot words which resulted in
RiZtcoskie and another man in the
house putting Jackson and his COM
panions out. Ritzcoskie then step
ed out on the porch and fired four
shots one of the bullets striking
Jackson on the thigh and taking an
upward course penetrated vital
spot in the abdomen. Nearby neigh
bors hearing Jackson's groans came
to his assistance and carried him to
his boarding house. DR.. Campbelle
was summoned ut once and after
vainly trying to locate the bullet he
was placed on the morning train and
sent to the Sayre Hospital hut died
while being taken from the train.
Ritz oskie was arrested ON the charge
of murder at noon the following day
by II. w. Taylor and f. Il. McMa-
hon, Coal and Iron policemen, and
taken before Squire Lawrence at
Dushore and given hearing where
he confessed to firing the fatai shot
| but claims it was during fight and
he only intended to scare the men
away. He was committed to the
county Jail to await the action of the
grand jury. Soon after the hearing
Taylor and Mcmahon hurried their
prisoner into a closed carriage and
started for Laporte and Ritzcoskie
was soon under lock and key, thus
i'm about twenty hours from the time
he fired the fatal shot he was safely
behind prison bars.
The prisoner is an ordinary look
ing pOlander of about 45 years of
age and speaks broken English, he
sa wife and five or six children,
and had worked in the mines here
for about six months. jackson the
victim resided at Hatch Hill near
New Albany, and was about 60
years of age. He leaves an aged
widow to mourn his death.
Have you ever noticed that when.
you meet II doctor he says, chow are
you." A newspaper man inquiries,
what's the latest news The law
yer hits you on the back and ejacu-
lates, ''what have you got" The
preacher asks, .'where are YOU going"
and that is the hardest question of
all to answer.
Thursday evening at about $3.50
while standing on her front porch
watching the fireworks, Mrs. A. l..
johnson was struck by stray bullet
the missel penetrating the left thigh.
Drs. Randall and Campbell We're
summoned and extracted the bullet
which had embedded itself in the
bone. The bullet proved to be a 32
caliber and was fiattened out to about
the thickness of n nickle. BY whom
it was fired is hard to say as there
was great deal of fire-cracker and
pistol shooting all over town during
the evening. The police are work.
Ling on the case and it is hoped that
they will succeed in bringing the
guhty party to justice. At this
writing Mrs. johnson is getting
along nicely, to the delight of her
many friends.
Thursday forenoon while running
/ hot babbit ina bolt hole at the elec-
tric plant, P.FJ. Smith was badly
burned in the eyes and about his face
by the hot metal exploding when
4 poured into the hole that was sup
posed to be dry. DIR. Randall was
called and took the babbit from his
eyes and ii is thought he will not
lose the sight of either eye which