New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-11
MISSION WORKER SLAIN
lad lust Declared His Readiness
for Martyrd0m.
CHARITY PARASITES ACT
bohemian Editor Dies at Head of
Followers in Pittsburg Suburb
colleague Wounded.

Pittsburg. April 1O.-A sermon on mar
tyrdom in which Frank SkaIa. an editor
and prominent mission worker, had de-
clared himself willing TO lay down his
life for the Christian cause. was fol
lowed to-day by his assassination in a
highly sensational manner. and the
shooting If a fellow church leader. John
Cay
Arm in arm, the two missionaries We're
leaving the little Congregational church
in Woods Run, suburb, at the head of
more than hundred foreigners. A rag
gedly dressed and collarless man pOked
ms way through the crowd as il reached
the corner Of Eckert street and Mcclure
avenue. and when ne was but a step he
hind the leaders he pressed revolver To
Skalas head and fired twice. The bull
lets took effect in the jaw and temple,
and the editor fell dead in the midst Of
his followers.
Gay. who threw up his right hand rs
il to ward off the weapon, was struck
first in the thumb. and then a second
bullet was buried in his head He fell
unconscious across the lifeless body Of
his colleague.
For several moments the assassin
stood over his two victims in a strange
contemplation of the deed. fiourishng
his revolver. while the panicstricken
crowd fed to shelter behind posts and
doorways.
The assassin was Jan RaGovitch.
character known to most of the mission
for his shiftless habits. slovenly dress
and radical opinions A moment before
he had meckly read from Juvenile lea
lets in the Sunday school LED ~ Skala.
previously he had sat in back pew of
the church during the regular sermon.
and at the beginning Of the services
Skall had shaken. his hand in greeting.
In all this Radovitoh had given 10 warn
ing OF his murderouj intent
There ver, no police in sight when the
murder was done. the church people
were too frightened to capture the as
sassin. and aftcr the wild flourish % his
weapon and stamping his toOt ON the
bodies h. made OF down the avenue 70
tin, Fort WAYNE iidiirCad tracks and
,vas soon los, 10 view. y large armed
posse Of p-lice. detectives and church
people was soon in pursuit. but up to ii
ia;e hour tonight they had found no
trace Of him.
After the assassin's disappearance tha
mission crowd rcassambled about their
fallen leaders and passiondtely mourned
thcir loss .skala's body was removed
D. L. -
taken To st. Johns Hospital His
wound is a dangerous one. but il is be
Heved at the hospital that ne will re
cover
Skala was prominent locally as q mis-
sion worker and associate editor of The
Bohemian Christian Journal" which he
ana the Rev. James Lcsa Published at
Coraupolis He was It Presbyterian. but
Lad filled the pulpit ut the Congrcsa-
tional mission house as substitute to-
day. as he had often done before.
The Rev. Mr.. Losa was summoned to
the undertaking rooms soon after the
tragedy, AMI in violent emotion he de
Iivered a funeral sermon over the body
while a hundred followers wept aloud.
None OF the tluItH NbI htlH btlltN -
that there was any method in Rado-
vitch's madness. lie was man wh1
had lived at the Salvation Army bar
racks and as a charitable parasite else
where. hut was always at variance with
the teachings Of his Christian leaders
II is doubtful II he had ever seen Skala
before to-day. lie is said To- have Leen
detained once Ak a hospital for cXdm.nI-
ton into His mental condition. but 90
have been released after brief time
He wore ragged coats. with odd rdtchgs
soWn with coarse white thread
II is believed 10y some of the cougrc-
cation that the sermon Skala preached.
with the emphatic declaration that any
moment God would want my life / am
ready To lay my life down had stirred
the foreigner To- test his Christian hdel
ity. Skala had taken Tor his text II an
the bread "f life" end had predchci
upon the oldtime martyrs.