Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-10
ATTEMPTED MURDER
Serious Charge Placed Against
John F. Beach.
PLACED BEHIND BARS
FIRED FIVE TIMES AT ERNEST
GICHNER.
Three Of the Shots Take Eject anS
the Victim II in Serious
Coalition.

Condition.
without word Of warning. II 10 alleged.
John p. Beach. an architect inspector. shot
Ernest 0achner. . contractor. three times
yesterday afternoon about o'clock. 0ich-
ner II at the Providence Hospital In . serf-
Gus condition - the result Of three wounds,
and Beach II locked up In the NTH pre-
cinct station. with q charge against him
OF assault with intent to kill. He win b
taken to the Police Court tomorrow. II
Gichner lives until that time. and Will be
committed until the outcome Of the wounds
II known. Should the wounds prove fatal
1t Is expected that an inquest win b held
at once. In which event Beach will be held
for the action OF the grand jury.
Beach and Gichner have been working on
the repairs and improvements on the new
marine barracks on 9th street. between G
and streets southeast. Gchner Is a sheet
Iron and cOrnice contractor. and he was
looking after his work yesterday afternoon.
Beach Is an inspector for Hornblower &
Marshall architects. and was engaged in
that service when the shooting occurred.
Beach was working at his desk at the office
OF the contractor inside the barracks about
CLOCK yesterday afternoon. when Gich-
ner went into the Office and was looking
at blue print on a counter.
Suddenly. 1t Is alleged, without one word
OF warming Beach pulled out a revolver
from the other fred at Gichner's heart
The bullet struck low. and Gichner turned
to run away. The revolver was a quick
action affair and the second shot was fired
at once, striking Gichner In the side, the
bullet later being found to have pierced
the liver and lung. When Gichner had
turned completely around and started away
the third shot was fired, striking Gichner
ha ok Notx fI,D
shoulder blades. Before another shot could
be discharged Gichner managed to get out
of the office and ran around 1t into an
arcade nearby.
Pursues and Fires Again.
The man with the revolver followed him
and fired another shot, as Gichner turned
into the arcade. but the shot went wild,
striking one of the pillars Of the building
One additional shot was fired, but this also
missed Gichner. The five chambers of the
revolver were emptied and there was no
more ammunition at hand. Beach returned
to the office, hid the revolver in a drawer
and started to leave the office.
As he was departing. he was met by Capt.
L. NJ. Gulick of the marine service, and
said. under great excitement:
Il have shot him and I am going to give
myself up to the officers"
Beach was Immediately taken into Gus
tody by the marine officers and placed in
turned over to Sergeant Montgomery and
Officer Springman of the fifth precinct sta
ton and they took him to that station
house, where he Is locked up
Gichner ran about three hundred yards
before he fell to the ground from weak
ness He was picked up by some of the
guards Of the marine barracks and was
carried to the marine hospital, where the
injuries were hastily dressed. When 1t was
found that he was not marine he was
sent to the Providence Hospital nearby.
where he was given necessary treatment.
All three bullet wounds were found to be
serious but the one in the side was con-
sidered to be the most dangerous. Gichner
suffered great pain during the night.
Fred S. Gichner brother of the wounded
man, who has a store at 1214-6 D street
northwest, was notified OF the affair and
FASTENED to the hospital. His wife also was
informed of the matter later in the even
ing, and she also went to the hospital. The
wounded man lives at % Seaton street
northwest
The shooting was done with an liver john
son, five-shot. thirty-eight caliber revolver.
The two stray shots were recovered by the
officers and the hospital doctors probed for
the other three. The coat of the injured
man, showing the three bullet holes. the
revolver and other articles were obtained by
the police.
Alleged Cause Of Shooting.
The cause Of the trouble is problemati-
cal. but from the statements of the injured
man, who was conscious last evening, and
from others who have been working on the
same job. 1t was learned by the police that
there had been serious differences between
the parties before. On the preceding day
Gichner criticised something which the in
spector had done. 1t Is stated. and dis
pute arose. Beach exhibited wound on
his head, which he said he received at that
time. the dispute having led to blows. The
shooting of yesterday is said to have been
the direct result of that dispute. The In
jured man stated that he thought the
trouble had ended when he went to the of
flee. Nothing was said about IT.. but the
shots. he said. were fired without word.
The trouble between the contractor and
the Inspector was about some work which
the Inspector had passed at first and which
he afterward would not accept. 1t Is said
this had occurred several times, and that
Gichner told Beach he did not like 1t. This
was resented by Beach, and SO he informed
the other when the dispute arose.
1t is the theory of the police that Beach
was much incensed by Fridays dispute and
purchased the revolver in the city and car
ried 1t to the contractors office, expecting
trouble. The Waterman at the Office stated
to the police that he had never seen the
revolver before and he was positive 1t was
not In the drawer where 1t was afterward
found prior to yesterday. Frank Casey,
who was employed at the work, told the
police last night that he saw Beach return
with the revolver and put 1t in the drawer.
Native Of Austria.
The injured man is a native OF Austria,
where he was born thirty-three years ago
He came to this country seventeen years
ago, and has been engaged in engineering
work since. He first went to Baltimore.
later was in st. Louis for a year. and still
later was ranchman in Mexico. He
Joined the army at the time of the Spanish
war and served for about year. He was
at one time an inspector for the govern
ment on the new government printing Of
flee and has been located in business here
for about three years. He has always been
an athlete, according to his brother. who
was seen by a Star reporter last night. and
upon his strong constitution Is placed the
hopes for his recovery.
Beach, the man under arrest, Is q single
man. and lives at 2019 5th street northwest.
When he was seen by a Star reporter at
the fifth precinct station house last even
ing he refused to talk about the matter
He told the officers of the station that he
was advised to do that and he followed the
advice steadfastly. A guard will be main
tanned on the cell during the next few
| days. Beach was visited by friends last