The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1904-10-06
CLOSE CALL FOR
|. A. SWEAR|NGEN
SHOT FOUR TIMES BY BURGLAR
SUNDAY MORNING.
ALL BULLETS TAKE EFFECT
Bloodhounds Brought From Knoxville
But Arrive Too Late to Do Eff
fective Work--Scent Had
Been Destroyed.

/ Upon entering the kitchen of his
home about u: 80 Sunday morning,
L. A. Swearingen was attacked by a
/ burglar, shot at four times, and only
by a miracle escaped with his life.
He left his meat market shortly after
midnight with the proceeds Of the
days business and some other funds
in his pocket, in all about 5000.
Just as he stepped into the door of
his home, Mr.. Swearingen says he
saw a flash of fire from behind the
door and felt that he had been hit in
the face. II began striking as hard
as I could, right and left" says the
gentleman, "and the gun flashed rap
| idly several times. l knew that I
was hit but the wounds did not hurt
to any great extent. / jumped back
out Of the door and ran into the street
as soon as l could gather myself and
called loudly for help. While was
on the west side of the house the
would-be murderer left the house and
hurried away in the opposite direc-
ton"
Mr.. Swearingens cries for aid
brought Mr.. Blair, neighbor, and
others to his assistance. Mr.. Swear
ingen was bleeding terribly from the
wounds on his face and head and a
physician was necessary. Mr.. Blair
| took the wounded man to DR.. J. T.
| Coveny and the wounds were dressed.
| He found four wounds. One is across
| the bridge of the nose and up through
the left eyebrow; another cuts across
| the temple; another is on the side Of
the head and one on the back part
1t was certainly small calibre revol-
yer with which the shooting was done,
for the width of, the wounds is not
great. The balls struck the head in
glancing courses, the one on the nose
tearing through the eyebrow being
the worst. Several stitches were
necessary to close the wounds, but
Mr.. Swearingen was not greatly in
convenienced by the wounds and was
about the streets Sunday.
The matter was Immediately turn
ed over to the police and as soon as
careful examination of the premises
ats made it was decided to get the
!. HofffTffre blot dfh0unds from Knoxville.
Mr.. Hoffmire and his dogs arrived in
the city about five o'clock in the even
ing. The dogs were Immediately TAX
en- to the scene of the assault, but
they failed to work. There was not
even a track left that the dogs could
catch the scent from. Police officers
had been stationed about the home TO
keep the place clear of people, but
this was impossible and the track of
the thief or murderer had been de-
stroyed by hundreds of people cross
ing and re-crossing the trail.
Mr.Swearingen is at a total less to
account for the assault excepting up
on the theory of robbery by some per-
sen who knew that he was carrying a
| large amount of money and that he
was alone at his home. He caA think
of no enemy desiring so great an in.
jury to his welfare as to seek his life.
He has been in business in the city a
number of years and has some enc
mics in business way, but that any
| one would desire his life is a thought
| that has not occurred to the gentle
man before
The announcement that blood.
hounds were en- route attracted hun.
dreds of people to the scene of the
| shooting all day long. When it be-
! came known that the hounds were to
be brought to the city, men and boys
began taking up stations in the vicin-
| ity of the home. The crowd grew as
the hours advanced and by five o.
clock when the dogs arrived it was
| impossible almost to crowd into D
street on the west of the home The
| crowd amounted to nothing short Of a
mob and 1t was impossible to do any
thing with the people. Those behind
crowded to the front to get look
in," and the dogs were fairly run
over by the people The dogs were
taken to the jail for safe keeping and
crowd Of several hundred curious
people followed after them and
crowded about the jail as though
something extremely sensational had
developed
The police officers have charge of
the case and it is probable that some
thing will be developed before long.