Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-09
"CROSSPATCH" O|DIT FACING Bic DEFICIT
'Baby Bunting" Killed When Annual Report of the Secre
She Pulled Trigger. tary of the Treasury.
IALL KALICOONECK MOURNS CONTROL OF EXPENSES
Wee Pistol Wede Alone Fails Joint Committee to Cut Appopa
Attend Funeral tions Suggested.
SITS IN WINDOW AND wEEPs NEED FOR TARIFF REVISION
When Accidentally Kill Of
ed Twin an adeor.+. p.uo,,.
SITS IN WINDOW AND WEEPs
She Believed Pistol Was Not Loaded
When She Accidentally Kill
ed Little Twin

full if jolly old Santa Claus himself will
be able to dspel the gloom that settled
over Kalicooneck, n. j., last Saturday
afternoon following the tragic death OF
little Joe Switz at the hands of his cousin
and playmate. Carrie Koennemann.
Every mention of Christmas now only
serves to recall the fact that it was while
rehearsing their parts in "A Trip TIC
Storyland' holiday entertainment plan
ned for production in the district school,
house the day before Santa's invasion,
that Baby Bunting was shot and killed by
Cross Patch.
Joe Switz was seven years old and was
one of pair of boy twins that were the
pride of that part of Bergen county. He
and his brother Sammy We're as like as
peas in pod, noted throughout the
countryside for their good looks and ath-
letic build. With their parents. Mr.. and
Mrs. John SwitZ. and two other brothers
and sisters, the twins lived In a one-stoly
house that doesn't look big enough for one
very small person.
Carrie Koennemann. cousin OF the Swltz
children. is twelve years old, and one of a
family of five. The KoennemannS live
Just across the lot from the SwitZ home.
Mrs Koennemann. mother OF Carrie,
supports herself and her four children by
working in a tobacco factory in this city
She leaves home at & o'clock every morn
ing, walks nearly half mile to the sta
ton and takes the train for New YORK
reaching the house on her return about
80 each evening.
Pressed the Trigger at Play.
Carrie has two sisters and one brother
of play she pressed the trigger that sent
the bullet through her playmate's heart
she plunged the whole town in grief.
They buried Joe yesterday. and the
whole town turned out to attend his
funeral. Every resident of the town was
in the sorrowing procession that march
ed from the SwitZ home to the cemetery
on the hill. overlooking Kalcooneck.
Kalicooneck consists OF about thirty
houses with seventy-five inhabitants OF
Bohemian extraction. engaged in farm
way between Little Ferry and Hacken-
sack \. J. All the residents of the place
are related. if not directly. through mar
riage. Kalcooneck has been there for
more than twenty years. but even now the
trolley conductors on the line that passes
the cemetery are unable to give much in
formation concerning the little hamlet.
1t was not hard to realize yesterday
that those who gathered about the grave
had more than n curious interest In the
wept The tragedy had gone into every
household
All work in the settlement has been
at standstll since Saturday afternoon.
The Christmas entertainment at the
schoolhouse has been abandoned. School
was closed yesterday and the boys and
girls had the right OF line in the funeral
procession. There were ever so many
floral pieces. and punches of ribbon paid
for from the pennies Of Joe's playmates.
Brother Is Grave Digger.
Eddie koennemann, the seventeen year
old brother Of Carrie 10 grave digger in
the local cemetery. In his official capac-
ity he was called upon to dig the grave
for the boy killed by his little sister Mrs.
koennemann went to work usual
yesterday morning. fearful of losing her
place in the factory if she remained at
home She returned in time for the
funeral.
Carrie was awfully frightened after
of the affair. At first site insisted the
boy had shot himsef. Then she said his
brother had done the deed. Then she
said they were fooling and the revolver
went off and killed him.
Later on she admitted having pulled
the trigger. Coroner Curry of Hacken-
sack has decided to hold an inquest to
find out what did happen. There will be
no arrest
Carrie has been hysterical for the most
part since the shooting happened. but has
been assured by her brothers and sisters
and the family of the dead boy that moth
ing will be done to her. She told re-
porter yesterday how the thing happened
She is rather pretty little girl.
Il guess l was mixed up when I told
them stories about Joey doing it himself
she said. Il didn't know what had hap
pened. and every one asked questions. and
l couldn't remember things right. l was
awfully afraid
Joey was to be BABY Bunting and
Sammy was to be in one of the pictures in
the Christmas play, and they came over
to my house Saturday afternoon. I was
to play Cross Patch and we were all
going to practice our pieces.
Joey and Sammy came over here most
ly every Saturday. l found the pistol on
the mantelpiece Ma was always afraid
of robbers. At night my brother Eddie
would fill the holes of the pistol with bull
lets and in the morning before he went to
work he'd take them out again.
Il thought it wasn't loaded when
picked ii up and pointed it at Joey. We
was all laughing and playing and lIavin'
a great time. I don't remember pulling
the trigger but it must have been me
that did 1t. There was a loud noise and
some smoke. Then l saw Joey fail and
ruined out"
Sister Finishes the Story.