Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-03-06
WOULD AVENGE
FANCIED WRONG
FRITZ BUCK SHOOTS POINT
BLANK AT SPOKANE MAN
LED TO DEED BY vAGARIES OF
UNBALANCED MIND.

Judge Norman Buck was called to-
, Spokane this morning by news to-
the effect that his son, Fritz ]. Buck,
IL suffering from some alteration of
the mind, had taken shot at John
Ii. Shaw of the Shaw Borden COM
/ pany and prominent Mason, alleg-
I ing as he fired the shot thar ne was
I about to avenge himself for being
/ prosecuted by the order for a period
Of 25 years. Fritz Buck is Il brother
4 Of Story Buck in this city, and was
himself a resident here for many
years while his parents lived In
] Lewiston.
4 Following is the detailed story in
( yesterdays Spokane Chronicle:
/ Carried away with the idea that
/ he was the victim of persecution at,
the hands of the Masons, whom he
i claimed had bounded him for years
and driven him from one place to
another, Fritz ]. Buck attempted to
shoot John H. Shaw of the Shaw
Borden company, one of the most
1 prominent Masons in the city, this
morning at 8 o'clock, as Mr.. Shaw
was entering his store at coo River
side avenue.
AS Shaw approached the door
Buck stepped up behind him and
said;
Shaw, your Masonic order has
been after me for the last rs years,
and we will settle 1t right here
Mr.. Shaw heard the words, yet
hardly realized their meaning. He
, saw the upraised hand. He saw
the upraised hand He thought the
man was about to strike him, and
! he ducked his head to one side.
i That act saved him. There was a
sharp report OF IS, ard the bullet
tore through the cellar of Shaw's
coat, pierced the platc-glass window
and plowed the wall back of the
show window. Tint the bullet did
not do more damage is remarkable.
as the shot was fired almost point
blank.
Apparently the young man made
no effort to fire the second shot
Shaw fed into the store. Officer
sanborn came running Up and Buck
handed him tho gun saving:
''Im the man you wat
He was taken to the police station
at once and BODIED on the charge OF
making an assouit with i,tent to do
bodily harm.
That he is unbalanced on the sub
iect Of Masonry was evidenced by
/ his talk following s arrest.
"You can say to Mr.. shaw that
am glad did not hit him. but / had
J good Intentions. he said. Il tried
to hit the highest Mason in the city,
, and this strictly a fight between u
human being and the great order Of
Masons. | have evidence of persecu-
tions which viii acquit me before
) any jury.
''This has been brewing for a
: long time and was inevitable. If the
(, courts will let me get witnesses from
Valparaiso. can prove the justifi-.
cation for my act
!, The intended victim was alnost
: overcome by the shock OF the attack.
which was made without warning,
: He hurriedly retired to his private
, Office. where he remained until a
3 cab was secured I'd take him home.
The shooting caused great excite
ment
Fritz Buck is carpenter by
trade and Is a son of Judge Norman
Buck While a charge Of assault has
been placed against him. the opinion.
among the officials is that he should
be examined before the judges Of the
superior court and committed to an
asylum for treatment, as the act was
) that of demented man rather than
the work of criminal. He has lived
i in Spokane at intervals for seven or
Z eight wears, and was always regard
" ed as honest. Industrious and kind
: hearted OF late he has been brood
! ing over fancied wrongs inflicted by
Y Masons until the climax was reach
ed today.