Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-10-17
Champion Midd|swsight
Is Assassinated.
Shot Down in Gold Blood by
OlsgIua|Isd Ranch Hand.
nurd,r,, nuriz captarsd BY Posse
ii Miles from Scene.

snrine6eld, Mo-; Oct. 16.-Stanley
Ketchel. champion middleweight pu-
rilist of the world. died here at 7:05
EP. M. Saturday, as a result of being
,hot early Saturday by Walter A..
I Hurtz a ranch hand.
The shooting took place on the ranch
Of R. P. Dickerson, a friend of Ketchel,
q near Conway, 40 miles east of here.
An hour before he died. Ketchel re-
sained consciousness. There was then
! thought to be slight chance for his
| recovery. His condition soon took a
j decided change for the worse, how
| ever, and he died quickly.
/ The pugilist died in the Springfield
hospital, where he had been rushed
after arriving here from Conway on
Ia special train.- chartered by Mr..
Dickerson. Three physicians were on
fthe special. An operation was per-
| formed on ketchel at the ranch house
| In an attempt to locate the bullet. 1t
vas not found.
Out in the wooded hills east of here,
Hurtz. Ketchers slayer. heavily armed,
Is fleeing before pack of blood
hounds and posse Of officers and cit
i1ens. Dickerson has placed a prize
Of $4,000 on the capture, dead or alive,
| Of HurtZ, who will be fired upon on
| sight
Hurtz will battle for his life, if he
shoots at all, with the revolver of his
victim. After shooting ketchel, who was
lat breakfast table when he was shot,
int ho
Eyard. He then faltered a moment, turned
land went back into the room where
|Retchel lay upon the floor. Reaching into
Ketchel's pocket he removed the pugi-
lists 38-calibre revolver and struck him
|over the head with it, Then he ran from
|ihs house.
"Ketchel can't tell me how to run my
business shouted Hurtz as he ran away
from the house.
The trouble between Ketchel and
Hurtz Is said to have started when the
pugilist upbraided the ranch hand for
beating a horse. The incident took place
Friday. Ketchel had just come down
10 the ranch which adjoins the one he re-
rently purchased, to spend few days.
Saturday morning while Ketchel was
rating his breakfast. Hurtz came through
the door with a rifle in his hands. and
said to Ketchel:
Throw up your hands"
Ketchel smiled and started to rise and
walk toward Hurtz. Before he turned
completely around Hurtz fired. The ball
entered Ketchels body below the right
shoulder, coursed upward and entered
lung.
Ketchel fell to the floor. The near
est physician was at Conway. 1t was
As minutes before he arrived. 1t was
hours before the special train arrived
from there. BY that time ketchel was
IN serious condition. 1t was not long
after the shooting until Ketchel lapsed
into uncOnsciousness. Before he lost
control Of his faculties he was able TO
say that Hurtz had shot him.
For more than a month ketchel had
been visitor here. Weakened by the
fast life he had led since his defeat by
Jack Johnson. the fighter bade fare
well to the bright lights of New YORK
and came here to recuperate. He bade
fair to "come back" and resume his
place at the top of the middleweight
division.
1t was his greatest desire to retrieve
his former defeat at the hands of Jack
Johnson.
The dead pugilist's real name was
Stanislaus Kiecal. He was born In
Grand Rapids. Mich. Sept. IA. 1887,
and was therefore but little more than
% years old. ..r