The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-27

BUMPS ON HEAD; THINKS
A BULLET PUNCTURED IT
George Squires, Grocer, Victim of
Hold-Ups, Tells Narrowing
Tale of Shooting.
INDENTIFIES TWO MEN

Claiming that he had been shot in the
back of the head by two masked men who
entered his store at the corner of Mar
tindale and Sixteenth streets last night
about o'clock, George w. Squires tele-
phoned to the police station for assistance.
Patrolmen Mullin and Blumburg found
Squires in the back OF his store with his
neck streaming with blood and a bad
bruise on his forehead DIR. A. w. Ball.
of 1880 Columbia avenue, was Immediately
called and dressed the injured mans wound
il the back of the head. The wound was
made not by a bullet but by some square
instrument.
Despite the doctors statements, Squires
insisted that he had been shot. and a cap
said to have been worn by Squires, per-
forated by bullet, sent to the police
station early this morning. Two men, Ezra
Fletcher, 14i5 Columbia avenue, and Ed
Clair, 144O Columbia avenue. were placed
under arrest at their homes early this morn
ing by Patrolmen Mulln and Blumberg and
Detectives Lancaster and McGuff and taken
before Squres and identified. The men
were caught as the result of descriptions
furnished by Squires Fletcher has just fin
ished serving a workhouse sentence. Clair
is a stranger.
Sources story of the accident is a Pc
culiar one in that he claims that he was
shot in the back of the head while his
wound is a three-cornered one such as
would have been made by falling against
some object. Although he afflrms that a
shot was fired, no one in the neghborhood
but his wife heard the report. AT the time
the hold-up occurred there were many peo-
pie in the neighborhood but all said tina.
they had heard no shot. The two patrol
men who were the first upon the scene
and who were but square away said they
wee attracted by the screams of Mrs.
| Squires, who out of the back door
when the robbers entered at the front
Squires's story is that about 9 o'clock
| he was counting his money which amounted
| to something like $50. He had just placed
| the money in a sack and put ii in the
| safe when two men entered. One of them
! was entirely masked by a black cloth,
while the other had a black muffier pulled
| I'D around his eyes. The men leyeled
| two revovers the storekeeper and COM
manded him TO throw up his hands. Squires
| claims that he thought the men were some
| OF the boys of the neighborhood playing d
| Joke upon him and that their revolvers
| were only candy guns. He says he asked
them What's the matter. boys? What
| the ioke?" when of them struck him
| fn the forehead with the butt OF his re-
yolver and the other shot him in the back
| of the head. The men then took TO flight
| without attempting TO take the money from
| the safe.
At the time of the alleged hoId-up. Mrs.
| Sauires was i'm the back part of the room
| She says that when she saw the object of
the men she ran out OF the back door and
| screamed few minutes later she says
| she heard a shot and rushing in found her
| husband lying on the floor unconscious.
| with his head bleeding. When the police
| arrived Squires was walking about the
store.