Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-03
oFFUII FIGHTS EXTRACTION
HELD FOR THIRTY DAYS BY
NEW YORK COURT.
Mayor Of Rockville, Prisoners I'm
Gle, in Metropolis-Law Of
ficers After Him.

NEW YORK, November S.-Nicholas D.
0ffutt.' good-lookng young fellow of
twenty years of age, was arraigned here
today and held for thirty days to await
| extradition papers from Maryland on a
charge of having murdered Frank Kretz-
mer, the proprietor of a general store at
Rockville. Nd, last Saturday night.
Offutt was taken into custody at the
time. He escaped from the police by a
ruse <while he was being taken to the
town lookup, and fled to Washington and
thence to this city. He was taken into
custody at the West 23d street ferry upon
arrival
The prisoners uncle, Lee Offutt, who is
mayor of Rockville. was present when the
young man was arraigned in court. He
said he was sure Offutt would be given
his liberty upon his return to Maryland.
Special Correspondence of The Star.
ROCKVILLE, Md, November s. 1905.
Sheriff George W. Mullican received
telegram from the chief of police of New
York city late yesterday afternoon in
forming him that Nicholas Offutt, who
Saturday night shot and mortally wound
ed Frank Kretzemer, a young Hebrew
in New York and was being held pending
the arrival of some one to take him to
Rockville.
Several hours later Mayor Lee Offutt,
an uncle of the young man: Sheriff Null
lican and Constable Peyton Whalen left
for New York. They are expected to re-
turn to Rockville some time this after
noon, bringing young Offutt with them.
RequisitiOn papers were not taken along.
Mayor Offutt felt satisfied his nephey
would waive all formalities and consent
to return at once
The grand pury for the November term
of the circuit court for this county con-
venes here next Monday morning. 1t is
thought young Offutt will be promptly in
dicted for murder and that his case will
come up for trial at the criminal term,
which begins Thursday, November ~.
Because of the prominence of the young
mans family the trial is certain to arouse
widespread interest. The case is not a
bailable one under the Maryland law
The coroner's jury which yesterday aft
ernOon met here to inquire into the Cir
cumstances surrounding the death OF
young kretZemer decided:
THAT on the 31st day of October, 1908,
at Rockville, Montgomery county, Nd,
Nicholas Offutt feloniousy and volun-
tarily, and of malice aforethought, shot
Frank kretZemer in the stomach and In
testines. infiicting wounds from which he
died November 1, 1908, at Washington,
D. c."
The jury deliberated but few minutes.
The testimony failed to show provoca-
ton for the shooting. i
John II. Hilton, who was in kretZe-
mers store while the Halloween cele-
brantS were there, testified that Kret-
zemer's offense toward Offutts little sis
ter consisted in his raising the mask
which hid her face.
He swore that soon after the children
left, Offutt appeared at the door and in
vlted kretzemer outside, and that just as
the merchant stepped to the sidewalk
Ofutt struck him twice with his fists
kretzemer ran back into the store. Of
futt went away.
Rose Pachino, who was assisting kret-
zemer at the store Saturday evening;
John H. Poole and Augustus Parker
agreed in every particular concerning
what happened in the store. They swore
that when Offutt entered the store he
first struck KretZemer, then grabbed a
weight and attempted to hit him with it,
and finally drew his revolver and fired
endeavoring to escape through a back
door. They agreed that Kretzemer made
no attempt to fight, but was all the time
trying to keep out of Offutt's way and
seemed badly frightened.
Ernest Hilton testified that he talked
with Offutt shortly before the shooting
and told him he had done wrong In
striking Kretzemer. He tried to persuade
him to go home and not return to the
Hebrews store. Offutt insisted on going
back.
DR.. Claiborne H. Mannar, who saw
kretzemer shortly after he was shot and
who yesterday performed an autopsy on
his body, described the nature of the
dead mans wounds, giving it as his opin-
ion that they had caused his DEATH
The inquest was conducted by Justice
of the Peace Joseph Reading. acting as
coroner The jury was composed of ia
cob Poss. foreman; Samuel A. Matlack
John r. Harriss, Wallace f. Ricketts, G.
William Riggs. Philip J. Case, Calvin
Hicks, Everett M. Ricketts,. Lawrence
Flack, William E. Morgan and r. Ben
jamin Bean.
States Attorney Bowie F. Waters par
ticipated on behalf of the state. Edward
c. Peter and W. Outerbridge Spates, who
have been retained to defend Offutt, were
also on hand.
Among those at the inquest were Sam
uel kretZemer of Baltimore brother
of the dead man, and other relatives