The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-06-19
AUSTRIAN SHOT
IN lNTESTlNES
WOLFE woRKovicH SHOT AND
ROBBED in RAILROAD YARDS.
ms ASSAlLANT ESCAPES

Mans Statement FEARING That He
Will Not Live-LittIe Hope Enter
tanned for His Recovery.
Wolfe Workovtch, IN Austrian la.
borer, lies on a cot at st. Vincent's
hospital in this city. his %intestines
punctured by a bullet which he receiv.
ed while resisting an attempt at rob-
berry at a o'clock yesterday morning
in the upper end Of the local railroad
yards. "A very poor description, given
by the wounded man between his
means Of pain and entreattes to be
left alone to die, is the only clew tho
city and county authorities have as to
the identity or whereabouts Of the
Austrian's as~sailaat.
Little hope for the Austrian's recov-
cry IL held out By the attending physi-
clan, although at q late hour last
night he was still alive. The bullet.
fired from q 80 caliber revolver, wa
recovered from tile heshy part Of the
wounded mans back soon after the
ARRAY yesterday morning.
The dying statement Of the Aus
trian, made through an Interpreter, Is
the only story Of the affair that 10 oh.
tainable. The statement, was taken
yesterday morning at the hospital bY
County Attorney Wilson. with Chief
of Police Talgo. Sheriff Herford. q. ..
Mitchell and Matt Thomas, the inter
prefer. as witnesses.
Robbed Him q $40.
In 1t Workovich says that he was
walking along the track in the upper
end or the yards about daylight yes
terday morning when Q stranger &C
costed him and demanded money. He
says he resisted and the stranger
placed q revolver within two inches
Of his body and fred. When he fell,
Workovich says, the stranger took a
pocketbook containing $50 from one
Of his pockets and fled. He overlooked
another pocket book containing $40,
which the Austrian carried in his
other pocket.
Workovich states that he is Graeco
Catholic by religious faith, has three
children, and that his wife; died since
he came to Billings.
He describes his assailant as
swvede, who spoke broken English
and when asked fora more complete
description pointed to Chief Of Police
Talgo, saying he was about Talgo's
ljsize. He declared that the Swedt
wore q short muistache and had blond
hair.
Showed Remarkable Pluck.
After the shooting Workovtch walk
ed to the Twenty-ninth street cross
ing, where he fell and wal discovered
! by. a railroad man who was passing
!, by. The injured man was taken =
! Smiths barn, where he was placed Il
an ambulance and taken to the hoi
: pital.
: County Physician Clark was hu,
riedly1 summoned and removed tn
! bullet. Later the county and city AZ
thorities were notified ana the man
, statement Of the affair was taken, q
) 1t was feared that he would live bu
a short time.
! tt Is believed that the Austrian
: assailant Is the same man who pu'
chased two 80 caliber cartridges frol
Behrendt Bros, store Wednesda
evening shortly after supper. as th
description Workovich gives Of u
man who assaulted him hts the ma
J. who purchased the cartridges.
Acted susplclously.
Theodore Behrendt, who waited Q
the man when he came into the stor
says that the stranger, evidently
swede, asked in broken English Il
some .3S caliber cartridges first an
Behrendt handed him . box. II
q swede gave him back the box an
2 said he only wanted two. He pulle
out a gun Of cheap make and four
Y that the .3s caliber cartridges WEI
too large for the gun. Behrendt the
:, gave him two so cartridges to try
the gun and the man walked out
\ the store, the gun II one pocket a.
the two cartrldges In the other.
AS his actions excited Behre,nsdt
suspicious. he was at nhrs.t incline
to cal up the police and notify the
Of the affair, but finally decided .!
~ Whan no heard AZ the RhOOtiI