Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-02
Authorities Seek Man Who
Shot Frank Kretzemer.
MAY BE IN NEW YORK CITY
Remove Body of Victim to Scene
of the Tragedy.
ACTING CORONER Is PROBING
Begins the Taking of Testimony in
Rockville This Afternoon-De-
tails of Happenings.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ROCKVILLE. Md, November THE
| body of Frank kretZemer who was fatal
| ly shot while in his own store here last
| Saturday night by Nicholas Offutt, was
| brought to Rockville this morning from
| the Georgetown University Hospital
where the patient was hurried for treat
| ment following the shooting. and where
| he died. The inquest began. Justice OF
| the Peace Redding, acting coroner, presld-
| ing. in Rockville at $50 o'clock this after
noon.
| This community is thoroughly aroused
| over the affair. Young Offutt claims that
| he shot kretzemer because the latter in
| suited his sister. Persons who were In
the store while the Offutt child and other
Halloween masqueraders were there de-
clare all the merchant did was to play
| fully raise the mask which hid the girl
| face. Those who witnessed the shooting
agree that when Offutt got after hret-
Zemer the latter ran behind the counter
and declared he did not want to fight, and
that when Offutt threatened to shoot ne
made a dash for the back door, but was
halted by bullets from OHutts revolver
before he was able to reach the exit.
Statements credited to Offutt before and
after the shooting are said to make the
case against him appear even more dam
aging.
Surrenders to Cousin.
Immediately after the shooting Offutt
gave his revolver to former Deputy Sher-
if Beavers and boarded an electric car
headed for Washington. He got OF at
Bethesda and went to the home OF his
cousin Deputy Sheriff Counselman, pre-
sumably to give himself up, but Counsel
man was not at home. A little later Con-
stable Peyton Whalen happened along
and to that officer Offutt surrendered.
| Whalen procurtd team and brought
Offutt to Rockville. reaching here at an
early hour yesterday morning. Onutt
asked the officer to take him to see his
mother, and Whalen consented. Onutt
spending some time conversing with his
mother in an upstairs room, while the
constable waited below. Offutt was also
allowed to consult an attorney before
Whaen started with him toward the jail.
Just after entering the Jail. Onutt re
moved his overcoat. and while Whaien
head was turned, dealt the constable a
vicious blow on the side of the head
Whalen fell to his knees. and Ofutt threw
the overcoat over his head and face and
then bolted through the open door
Whaen gave chase and hred several
shots took effect. Offutt soon disappeared
IN the darkness.
Starts for New York.
Samuel Young, a young farmer of the
upper section of the county. is authority
| for the statement that Offutt left WASH
lington yesterday morning for New York
| city Young says he met Offutt In Wash
| ington. and the two agreed to take q trip
| to New York. He says he left the rail-
way station to make a purchase, but be-
he frot ~, GIG
| Offutt standing on the rear platform. On
the strength of this story. Sheriff Mullican
| teIegraphed a description of the young
man to the New York police, with re-
quest that he be arrested.
The November term of the circuit court
| for this county will convene here Monday,
November g. If Offutt is captured in time
he will probably be tried at that term.
Sheriff Mullican is of the opinion that he
will not long be at large. as he believes
that several pronounced marks of identifi-
cation among them a large scar on the
left cheek. will lead to his early capture.
Sympathy for Family.
I: While the citizens of the community
/ have no word of sympathy for the man
who did the shooting. they without ex-
ception deeply sympathize with the moth
er of the young man and other members
of his family, all of whom are held in
the highest esteem. Mrs. Offutt is said
to be completely Frustrated by the sad
affair, and other relatives of the defend
ant are reported heartbroken.
Offutt is nearly twenty-one years of
| age. He is son of Mrs Elizabeth Of
| futt and the late Nicholas d. Offutt, jr
He is said to have been under the influ-
| ence of liquor at the time Of the shooting
Kretzemer had been in business in
Rockville only about two months. having
l...;.-
James E. Kemp. During his short resi-
dence here he made an excellent i'm
preston on the people generally, and
appeared to be an Industrious. upright
and amiable young fellow. He was about
twenty-three years of age and unmarried.
A brother and sister of the wounded
man called at the hospital yesterday,
hoping they would be able to converse
with him, but his condition was such
| that he could not talk. The three bullets
had caused such serious wounds and
been followed by the loss of such great
quantities of blood that kretzemer was
| in a too weakened condition to do more
| than gaze at his relatives. Bowie Wa
tiers. states attorney. was also a caller
at the hospital. He was there for the
purpose of taking an ante-mortem state
ment, but kretzemer was in no cOndi-
| ton to give one.
| kretzemer was suffering so much from
| shock when he reached Georgetown Uni
versity Hospital Saturday night that an
operation could not be performed, but
yesterday morning. when the surgeons
| found that life was fast ebbing. they
| decided to operate as last hope of saw
| ing the patient. They really had no idea
| that the wounded man could recover and
performed the operation only because of
| the remote possibility that il would help
4 him.
| No Sign Of Improvement.
The patient survived the operation. al
though he showed no sign of improve
ment afterward. and his relatives were
( told there was no chance for recovery.
Last night shortly before o'clock kretze-
mer suffered sinking spell, and in a
1 few minutes the end came. Relatives
| wanted the remains removed to Rock
vile last night. but there was a legal
| requirement necessary before 1t could be
done, and the removal was delayed until
| this morning.
| Peyton Whalen, the constable who ar
| rested Offutt Saturday night, and from
| whom he subsequently escaped, called on
| the local police yesterday to further in
| terest them in the search for the fugitive
| in this city yesterday morning, the Mary
| that he had eaten his breakfast at the
| ed train to go to New York.
First Freezing Weather Early Today.