Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1905-04-07
BOLD HIGHWAYMEN
Officer STOTKO shot THROUGH
The Neck. FATAL WOUND.
Spokane, Wash, April 4, 81. H.
Let him lie there: he's dead,,

Spokane, Wash, April 4, ga. H.
Let him lie there; he's dead!"
With such comment the yegg men
VINO shot and perhaps fatally wounded
Police Officer 81. A. Stotko went back
70 their work on the big safe in the
Office of Shinn & Co., on the corner of
Post and Railroad avenue.
Officer Stotko passed the Office of
ohlnn q Co. early this morning on his
way from work. 1t was still dark.
AS he passed the Office he was shot
without warning. Altar shooting him
the robbers dragged him from the side
walk where he fell back among the
boxcars on the track and left him for
dead. They robbed him of his gun
and took his star off his coat and
pinned it on the leg of his trousers.
The wounded man lay between the
tracks over half an hour after he was
shot. He could hear the robbers at
their work in the room near him, but
was unable to move. He heard them
fire the shot which tore off the outer
door of the safe, and later heard them
leave.
Merchants Police De Wlof found
Stotko about 4:30. He was on his last
round, and as he passed Shinn's ware
house he heard someone groan. He
asked who was there.
Its Stotko," said the officer.
whats the matter?"
I'm shot,
Stotko was taken at once to the DO
lice station. 1t was found that he was
shot through the neck, the bullet en-
tering the left side of the neck and
penetrating the right shoulder. Stot-
kos body was paralyzed, but he was
still able to talk. He was taken to the
Sacred Heart hospital, where he was
examined by DR.. Gray. After the ex-
animation DR.. Gray held out little
hope for his recovery.
The safe blowing was very similar to
that at the Broadway pharmacy q
short time ago. The knobs were
pounded off with tools stolen from the
new Hazelwood building and nitro
glycerine used. Three bales of hay
were brought up from the cellar and
piled about the safe to deaden the
sound. The men did not have time
after opening the outer doors to blow
open the inner ones. There was very
little money in the safe, but large
number of checks and negotiable
paper.
The robbers left horn snuff box as
a souvenir.
The wounded officer has been on the
police force since November 20, 1899.
Previous to that he was in the en-
ploy of the Washington Water Power
company. He is a married man and
lives with hisw ife at 1928 Eleventh
avenue. Sergeant Hollaway said this
morning that Stotko is a man Of ex-
emplary habits and one of the most
reliable men on the forge. He could
not understand how the robbers knew
how he was an officer, as he was
wearing q black stiff hat and had on
his overcoat when shot. The sentry
on guard evidently saw Stotko before
he had a chance to move.
Mayor Boyd this morning offered a
reward of $500 for the arrest Of the
men who shot the officer, or for in
formation that will lead to their arrest
and conviction.
Later Report.
Policeman Henry A. Stotko, who
was brutally shot down in cold blood
by unknown safecrackers, died at 8:15
I.
him at the time of his death, and was
at the bedside during the 16 long hours
intervening between the time the man