The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-04-08
Youth of Nineteen Shoots
Young Girl in Face
While Hunting"
He ESCAPES FROM JAIL
Makes Mysterious Get-Away-Who
Aided Him? And Was Shoot
ing Crime or Accidents

Anna Labuda, a ffteen-year-old Pol
ish girl, is lying at her home in West
Hammond, her face disfgured by bird
shot discharged from the gun of Peter
Max. jr, son Of President Peter Max.
of the West Hammond board.
Peter Max, jr is at large, having
mysteriously escaped from the West
Hammond Jail where he had been
locked up shortly after the shooting.
No one can be found who will admit
having any knowledge Of young Mak's
whereabouts, and as all the police Off
GERS 2eny having had a hand in the
liberating OF the presidents son, it is
generally believed that Max attended
TO this himself.
Max, be 1t understood, as president of
the village board, as chief Of police ex-
officio, and as such, has access to the
keys of the village bastile
In the meantime the shooting, which
was at first reported to have been ac-
cidental, assumes a new significance.
Says Its Accident.
1t occurred at 153rd street and Ingra-
ham avenue and Immediately following
1t Max fled across the state line, going
to the home of his sister, 523 Sibley
street where he was arrested shortly
after the accident by Officers Einsele
and Bunde OF the Hammond force. At
the station the prisoner protested that
the shooting had been accidental. He
said he was out shooting snipe Satur-
day afternoon and that he did not see
Miss Labuda who at the time was on
her way home from her work. What
Max was doing shooting birds in the
village of West Hammond and how he
CHANGED to overlook the girls presence
when it was broad day light and she
was in a direct line with his gun, has
not been explained
In themselves the circumstances
looked peculiar when coupled with the
evident fright of the young man at
what he had done, which was suffi-
ciently great to cause him to flee the
state. The subsequetn fact of his dis
appearance from the jail during the
night has added to the implication
that there was a motive for the shoot
ing.
Girl Cries Don't shoot"
Joseph Lietzen, twelve years of age,
was a witness to the accident. if acct
dent it was. He says that the young
girl when Max raised his gun, cried
Don't shootw putting up both hands.
The girl had scarcely uttered the
words before the shot rang out and
she fell forward half fainting and cry
ing, I'm shot" She was taken to st.
Margaret's hospital where a number of
shot were extracted from her fore
head just between her eyes. At first
it was thought the girl had been dan
gerously injured but on examination
it was found that the wounds were
flesh wounds and she has since been
removed to her home.
1t seems improbable that there was
any love affair between the two as
the injured girl is little more than
child and appears younger than her
age. 1t is generally reported, however,
that the families to which the two
parties to the narrowly averted trag-
edy belonged were on bad terms
May be Accident but Looks Queer.
Friends of both are inclined to the
theory that the shooting was probably
accidental, as young Max is known to
be of the smarty Alec class of youths
who like to show off. On the other
hand there IS the peculiar circumstance
of young Mak's mysterious escape from
JAIL which looks as though he must
have had a guilty conscience and who
ever aided him must have believed he
had committed a crime.
The way that young Max was cap
tured in Hammond is a little story in
itself OJcer Etnsele lives near where
Mak's sister dwells and after hearing
Of the shooting, he supposed that
young Max would try to get to his sis
ter's house so he cautioned his wife
to watch the house and If she saw any
one enter that looked like Max, TO call
UP the station. She did this, and, as
the officer said, the rest was easy.