The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-11-12
PROBABLE MURDER.
Jacob Hite, a Horse Dealer,
Shoots Mrs. Fred krebs Jr.
at Northumberland.
Affair Occurred Sunday Night.

Northumberland was all excite
ment Sunday night, caused by an
affair that will, it is believed ter
inmate in murder. The principals
in the tragedy are Mrs. Fred Krebs
Jr. of that town, and Jacob Eite, a
travelling horse dealer. The victim,
Mrs Krebs, who was twice shot is
now in the Mary M. Parker Hospi-
tai at Sunbury, where her life is
fast ebbing away and the perpe-
traitor is a prisoner in the North
cumberland County Jail.
Tha tragedy has considerable
local interest for the reason that
Hite is we'll known here. He
conducted stock sale on the fair
grounds last Friday. The account
in full as sent from Sunbury to
Dapville Morning News of Monday
is as follows: More than a half
dozen stories about the shooting
are in circulation. All are different.
The shooting happened at the home
of Mrs. Fred Krebs, Sr., motherin-
law of the victim, which is next to
the last house on the road leading
to Danville, about a mile from the
VanKirk House. Fred Krebs Jr.
lives on Duke street near the Kess.
Ter House.
The elder Mrs. Krcbs when inter
viewed Monday morning gave the
following statement: II was down
at my sons house between q and S
O'Clock Sunday afternoon. Fred
was getting ready to go out on the
railroad and his wife said she would
come up and stay with me all night.
She wasn't ready to go then, and
as wanted to attend to my fires l
went. Along about E O'Clock she
came up. We had supper. Be-
tween 6 and 7 o'clock Hite came.
He seemed to be in very pleasant
mood and the three of us sat and
talked until about 7 o'clock, when
/ went upstairs, leaving them alone
in the sitting room. l soon fell in
to doze, but heard the clock down
stairs strike eleven. Soon after
don believe it was half an hour
l heard three or four shots down
stairs. | was startled and just as
/ was getting out of bed to &c
downstairs to see what had happen
ed Mrs. Krebs, covered with blood,
came rushing in my bedroom and
cried, i am dying, / am shot, l am
shot, for Gods sake get me to my
sisters where l can die in peace.
Before could reach her she raised
the side window and stepped out or
the porch roof. She remained or
the roof about half a minute and
then came back into the room, re-
peating Il am dying, l am dying
get me to my sisters Although
badly frightened and excited by
this time l tried to do what l coult
for her, but her pitiful pleading fol
her sister was more than l cculc
stand and l said we'll, will go ge
your sister, Mrs. George Atherton.
/ left the house and started for Mrs
Atherton's as fast as I could run
l had gone about square when
heard noise behind me, and upor
looking around saw Mrs. Kreb
staggering after me. l waited foi
her and helped her to Mrs. Ather
tons the best could. The dis
tance is about a half mile and we
were both almost exhausted whei
we got there"
Mrs. Krebs was taken to th'
Mary Parker hospital where sh'
was attended by DR.. Will Shindel
Examination showed that she was
suffering from two wounds caused
by bullets from a thirty-two calibre
pistol. The one struck on the lef
side of the neck and lodged nea
the right side. The other struck
under the left breast, shattered ri
and lodged under the right shoulde
blade. Both bullets were recover
ed.
The elder Mrs. Krebs said tina
she knows Of no motive for the
crime. The only statement he'
daughter-in-law made after the
shooting, she says, was that while
she and Hite were talking, Hit
jumped up and said, you viii
never live to see the sun again,
and then shot four times. One o
the shots that went wild OF the
human target struck the brick chin
ney. The other went through tn'
side of the house. The bullet wa
found in the side yard Monda,
morning by the woman's husband
rront;nued ON 9Th page 4h Column.