Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-21
Council Bluffs
MARTINS SHOT WAS FATAL
Officer Shorts Bullet Did Not Touch
John Webster.
DRAMATIC FIGHT IN DARKNESS
Policeman in Hand-tO-Hsnd Conflict
and Already once saved from
Death when Man Uses
weapon.

Investigations made in tho killing Of John
Webster caught I'm the act OF burglary,
show that the shot fired BY officer Short
did not kill Webster, but that the wound
which caused his instant death came from
a charge Of shot fired at close range from
a repeating shotgun in the hands OF Walter
Martin, the 21-year-old son OF the proprietor
OF the grocery and meat market at the
corner Of Broadway and Twentieth street
about 1 o'clock yesterday morning. The shot
fired by officer short went through the
floor at the feet OF Webster, but until the
autopsy yesterday afternoon officer Short
believed he had killed Webster. At the in
stant Short fired, young Martin discharged
the shotgun and II required the autopsy
to determine the cause Of death. Webster
was armed with a butchers cleaver and
Short had been IN a desperate hsnd-to-hand
combat with him in the darkness.
The story Of the tragedy was not cor
rectly told until yesterday afternoon.
Shortly after midnight young Martin and
man named Slgler, an employee Of
the store got off the car at Twen-
tieth street and Avenue A. and as he did
so he saw the rear door Of the store was
open. As he and Sigler stood concealed in
the shadow Of a tree they saw two men
approaching from North Twentieth street
and saw them enter the rear door.
Martin Gets shotgun.
Martin ran across the street to No.
hose house and aroused the firemen. and
told them burglars were in the store and
asked for a gun. The only weapon in the
house was a new repeating shotgun belong
ing to Charles Matheson, captain OF the
fire company. Martin asked that II he
loaded and given to him, and the request
was complied with. VIII Matheson, of the
street railway force. was at the fire house
and accompanied Martin and sigler across
the street
As they entered the alley to go to the
rear OF the store, they met Officer Short
and told him of the robbery He told Martin
! to guard the front door and with sigler and
Matheson he went to the rear
/ As Short stepped into the doorway he
encountered Webster and William, elias
Dutch" Hall and commanded them e
throw up their hands Hall instantly com
Piled but Webster seized oieaver from the
block and sprang at officer Short and q
desperate battle In the darkness followed
Short had no opportunity to draw his re.
volver but struggled with the desperat,
man with the clsaver until sigler rushed e
his aid and parted q blow that would
have Drained the policeman, IT the sam,
time knocking the cleaver from Webster
hand
Webster then seissd q heavy earther
butter Jar and was advancing on shor
when tie lstLer nrsd- A. the same tint
Martin, running from The front roache,
the rear door and fired a. Webster. Tn
revolver and the shotgun crashed stimuli
taneousy and Webster fell to the floor
The autopsy conducted, by Coroner Treyno
and Dr. Matt FINLEY showed that the revolt
yer bullet had not touched Webster, bu
his death was caused by the heavy charg
of shot fired at close range. The charg
entered the right clavicle and crushed I
and passed through the breast bone de
stroying the large blood vessels below an
opening the Windpipe.