Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-07-25
Death Intervenes Between the
Law and Peter Johnson's
Confessed Murderer
WOUND ALMOST LIKE M'KlNLEYs
Hokut Shot Himself Thru the stom-
aeh With a a2-caibre Revolver Fri.
day Afternoon-He Expressed Con-
triton for His crime-Physicians
Were PowerIess to Save His Life.
Special to Times Republican

Especial to Times Republican,
Sibley, July 25.-At an early hour
Sunday morning death ended the suf-
ferinss and miseries of Fred e. Hokuf,
the self confessed murderer of Peter
Johnson, who attempted suicide at 1880
Friday afternoon by shooting himself
thru the stomach with 32-calibre
revolver. After the fatal shot was fir
ed Sibley physicians, Drs. Hough.
Hutland. NELL and Palmer We're sum-
moned, who at once stated that they
had no hopes of his recovery. The
wound was found to be almost iden-
tically like the one inflicted upon
President Mckinley when he was as
sassinated. An operation was per-
formed by them during Friday after
noon, an incision being made In the
abdomen and the course of the bullet
thru the stomach to the back, where
ii lodged in the muscles, so close to the
spine 1t was deemed unsafe to probe
for 1t. Word was sent to the relatives
of the very slight chance of Hokufs
recovery and his wife and baby and
a number of his sisters and brothers
and his mother and father went to the
jail to see him. Hokuf seemed pleas
ed to see his relatives. He had brood
ed much over the fact of none of his
people coming to visit him.
1t is stated that Hokuf signif1ed that
he was ready and willing to die after
his folks had visited him, and It 's
also stated that he expressed himself
that he did not mean to kill Pete john
son and that he was sorry he did so.
Hokuf had attempted suicide on pre-
vious occasions once, by eating the
heads off of quantity of matches,
which made him quite sick, and the
sheriff summoned physician for him,
who gave him immediate relief. Ho-
kuf stated himself that once before
he pointed the revolver toward his
heart and pulled the trigger, but the
cartridge failed to explode, and he did
not have the courage at that time to
repeat the operation. A chamber OF the
revolver was found to contain a cart
ridge that had been snapped. which
is evidence that he had probably did
as he stated. Besides the cartridge
Liz iidA VSIii SiifSPPNo eAASAS '" - Y ss'S
other chambers in the revolver that
were loaded.
1t still remains a mystery as to
where he got the revolver with which
to commit the deed His story that
he had the same all the time since his
confinement to the jail, is not gener-
ally believed by the people. Sheriff
Stevens expresses his opinion that the
gun was handed him thru "a window, as
upon examination afterwards it was
found By him that the screen ON the
west side OF the jail had been tam
pered with and raised and left partly
up. He is positively that the screens
were all tightly shut The sheriff states
that with piece OF board from a box
which was In the cell, Hokuf could
have reached thru the cell With his
arm and secured the weapon by being
passed by some party thru the window
from which the screen was found to
have been opened. This is the theory
set out by Sheriff Stevens as to how
Hokuf came by the veal pom, and this
is also the general belief of the citizens
here
The remains of the murderer and
suicide will be taken in charge by his
wife. and 1t Is thought, interment will
be made in the cemetery at Sibiey.