The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1905-08-31
SHAFT FOURTEEN
SCENE Or MURDER
mfNHKn 81 fYAtlAN HALLWAY
oANo Kills ANorHrH
rtvt BULLETS IN MS BODY
eans Gene ID husten Few nayn ACC
ana Were AZ Work a ere
fine n MshkskA
county.


Coroner Chas. Fuehiineor returned
Saturday evening from buxton, OF
"No IA Junction where he held an
ingies, ever the femaihs ot the mut
defed italian. Frank rrucl. wao was
shot 10 death about 1850 o'clock FRI
day nlght by d companion cr buddy Y
John uueadn.
The coroner had much trouble IN
securing evidence Ia the case on nc.
count ut the diiIiculty IN getting the
italians OF the working gang 70 tell
anything about the affair. they would
not talk about Il What was learned
hAd 70 he taken through the mouth Of
an interpreter. and 4 was next 10 I'm
possible for the witnesses to give al.
rect answers to the questions put.
Mr.. Foehlinger and his fury spent the
afternoon IN the effort TO draw out
the details OF the story as they were
IN fact The gentleman has reason
20 believe that the interpreter told
what ne pleased and that ne directed
the nature Of the replies that the itai-
ian witnesses should make They
seemd TO fear the Interpreter and
facts that had been told Ia half Eng.
lish and signs before the appearance
81 this man could not lie verified by
the most persistent questioning after
he was called In to translate what the
witnesses said
story or shootnu.
The story OF the murder so far as
II has been possible TO gather the
facts, reveals one Of the most cruel
and unproyoked, cold blooded and
heartless murders ever perpetrated in
the history Of the county. Fruci,
aged thirty years, and the murderer
Quoqdo, mad been closest of compan-
ions since they had been working
with the construction gang on the
building OF the Northwestern switch
10 the No. IA nine. Quoado is a.
young fellow apout twenty-five years
Of age, He was a silent chap and
although he seemed a willing worker,
he appeared 70 be sullen, and was
non-communicatiye with all excepting
his companion, jFruci
The two meg were living in the car
together WITH Eve other ItaIans,work-
ers ON the same job Friday night all
OF A3nwlnen had retired with the ex.
CIV Of these two, VINO sat by the
oheh doors talking to themselves, hull
ing, cracking and eating some hazel.O
nuts which they had been gathering
near where the camp was located.
what had passed between them Is not
known, One Of the inmates Of the
car, John Mimic by name, was the sole
witness OF the shooting. He says
that FrucI said impatiently to Quoqdo,
"oh. shut your mouth" TO which In
junction the other made reply,I won't
shut my mouth, I'll show you" With
that he pulled gun mad both men
sprang from their seats and Quoqdo
opened fire, the muzzle OF the gun al.
most touching the person Of the un-
fortunate Frucl. He fired two shots
IN rapid succession IN the shoulder
and the head, as Indicated 70 the cor
oner by the signs Of Mimic, as he told
the story before the interpreter came.
Fruci then fell 20 the floor and Qroqdo
bent over him and fred the remain.
ing shots OF the gun into the PROSTATE
body, all six balls taking effect. Fruci
must have died Immediately The
balls were Of thlrty-eight callbre and
flat-nosed, making bad wounds.
The italians In Tire car were arctIs,
cd by the shots, but we're dazed and
could do nothing. All happened all
most before Mimic could move from
his tracks Having shot his man
Quoqdo sprang hastily to the trunk
where they had their clothing togeth.
er and grabbed something, possibly
clothing. and leaped from the car and
was gone into the darkness Of the
night
The Italians were terrified, and for
some time they let their unfortunate
comrade lie in a great pool OF blood
on the floor Of the car. Finally one
man came to the construction fore
man and awakened him. He faid
something about Fruci being dead.
but the foreman was half asleep and
did not grasp the statement. He .rrn-
ed over and went to sleep again.
Some time afterwards the man again
returned and made 40 much fuss
about Frnci being dead that the fore
man got up and dressed to Investigate
the trouble. Even then he did not
know that murder had been done.
when he found the body and realized
the situation he had to 80 distance
Of about two miles TO Buxton to the
local oficers and they In turn notified
the peace omcers IN OskaIooga. IL
was thrpe o'clock Friday morning be-
fore word Of the sAooting reached
this city. IL Is singular, with about
forty graders and workers IN the
camp so few heard the reports Of the
gun.
The inquest.
Coroner chas. Foehlinger being no.
tined, drove to The scene Of the mnr-
der. took charge of the remains and