The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-11-01
During Town Gayety Mich
olaS Offutt Mortally
Wounds Merchant.
FANCIES INSULT
OFFERED SISTER
Walks Into Srore and Fires
Five Shots at Frank
KretZmer.

Rockville's Halloween celebration
came 10 an abrupt and tragic end last
night, when Nicholas Onutt. nephew Of
Mayor Lee ORutt. and descendant of
an old Maryland family. incensed, it IS
believed, by a fancied insult 10 MS
tWelve-year-old sister, walked inlO the
general store OF Frank Kretzmer pull
ed a .44-caliber revolver from his pocket
and fired five shots point blank at the
proprietor.
Kretzmer was rushed to the George
town University Hospital. where 1t IS
expected he will die within a few hours.
Struck in Back
Four of the shots struck Kretzmer,
one penetrating the right hip. another
passing through the left breast, just be-
low the heart, and the most serious of
all, striking him I'm the back and pass
ing completely through his body. The
two physicians, DR.. George i. Lewis
and Or. e.. II. Manuar, who were sum
m0ned Immediately. pronounced the
wound through the body most serious
and Kretzmer was placed on board the
first Washington bound car and brought
TO the Georgetown University Hospital
The shooting occurred while the main
street OF Rockville was crowded with
people. celebrating Halloween. or spend
ing a Saturday night IN from the coun-
try. Notwithstanding the rapldity with
which those within hearing ran to the
scene. Onut apparently walked away
after the shooting, ana UP To a late
hour last night had not beel captured,
although CHIEF Tanin Aa-en Hewitt.
or Rockville. started out at oace IN
pursuit.
Tears Mask From Girl.
According to such accounts OF the
shooting as could be gathered last
night Ellen, the twelve-y -year-old sister
OF Nicholas OFUt, went out with a party
Of children, invading all parts OF the
village ia celebration Of Halloween.
About a quarter Of 10 O'Clock, Ellen.
together with several other children, en-
tered the store Of Kretzmer, as they
had done others during the evening.
Kretzmer. according TO the stories told
last night either tore or playfully re-
moved a mask from the face OF Ellen,
and few minutes later the children
went out into the street
Just what happened between the going
of Ellen Onutt ana the entrance Of her
brother is not known, but the suppO-
sition of the Rockville authorities last
night was, that the brother. hearing Of
the affair at the Kretzmer store, had
decided that IL must be paid for, and
arming himself with the revolver. start
ed out TO find the man he fancied had
insulted his little sister.
Hurries to Store.
But a short time elapsed between
the incident. in which the Halloween
ceIebratOrs figured, and the much more
terrible one, in which bullets played
such prominent part II is said that
Ohutt became mCensed quickly. and
that he hurried to the store as fast
as he could go. No one knows how he /
found KretZmer. what passed between |
them, or whether or not the man who !
was shot tried TO defend himself.
The whole matter, from the first lit /
tie episode until the time when Ofrutt /
stalked out Of the store took scarcely 1
more than a half hour, and news of it /
spread with great rapitEy, putting /
damper upon all the gayeties Of the |
evening, and stirring up the crowds as /
they have not been stirred up before in /
years
When DIT. Lewis and Dr. Mannar ar
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