The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-04-11

MINISTER At
CHURCH DOOR
vagabond, Inflamed by Preach
er's Zeal, Fired Bullet Into
Latter's Brain
FRIEND Of SLAIN MINISTER
WAS ALSO FATALLY WOUNDED

s'luluU " OluIu JuIulOllll
WAS ALSO FATALLY WOUNDED
Culprit Stood Over His Victim for q
Few Seconds In Crazed Contempla.
ton Of His Deed and Then Fled from
the Scene and Escaped.
Pittsburg, April ia sermon on
martyrdom, in which Frank skala, an
editor and prominent mission work.
er, had declared himself willing to lay
down his life for the Christian cause,
was followed yesterday by his assas-
sination in highly sensational man
ner. and the shooting down also of a
fellow church leader. John Clay.
Arm in arm, the two missionaries
were leaving the little Congregational
church in Woods Run, suburb at the
head Of more than a hundred for
eginers. A raggedly dressed and COL
larless man -poked his way through
the crowd as it reached the corner Of
Eckert street and Mcclure avenue,
and when he was but step behind
the leaders he pressed revolver to
Skala's head ands fired twice. The
bullets took effect In the jaw and
temple and in the midst Of his follow
ers he fell dead. Gay, who threw up
his right hand as IL to ward OF the
weapon, was struck first in the
thumb, and then second bullet was
buried in his head. He fell uncon-
scious across the lifeless body of his
colleague.
For a moment-for several NOM
ents-the assassin stood over his prey
In crazed contemplation of the deed,
fiourishing his revolver and then fed.
lodging behind posts and doorways.
The slayer was Jan Radowitch, q
character known to most of the mis-
sion for his shiftless habits, sloven-
liness and radical opinions. A NOM
ent before he had meelsly read from
juvenile leaflets In the Sunday -schSdf
led by skala; previously he had sat
In back pew of the church during
the regular sermon; and at the COM
mencement Of the services Skala had
shaken his hard in greeting. In all
this Radowitch had given no warm
ing of his murderous intent.
There were no police in sight when
the murder was done. the church peo-
pie were too frightened to grab the
assassin, and after the wild flourish
OF his weapon and stamping his foot
on the bodies, he made of down the
avenue to the Fort Wayne railroad
tracks and was soon lost to view. A
large armed posse of police, detec-
tives and church people was soon in
pursuit but up to late hour last
night they had found no trace Of him.
After the assissin's disappearance
the mission crowd reassembled about
their fallen leaders and passionately
mourned their loss. Skala's body was
removed to an undertakers room and
Gay was taken to st. Johns hospital.
His wound is dangerous one but it
is believed at the hospital that he
will recover.
Skala was very prominent locally
as mission worker and associate
editor of the Bohemian Christian
Journal, which he and Rev. James
Losa. published at Coraoplis. He was
a Presbyterian but had filled the pull
pit at the Congregational mission
house as substitute today as he had
often done before.
The Rev. Mr.Losa was summoned to
the undertaking rooms soon after the
tragedy, and in violent emotion he de-
ltvered q funeral sermon over the
body while hundred followers wept
aloud. DR.. William A. McEwan, head
Of the Presbyterian missions here,
said that Mr.. Skala was one of the
most successful leaders in the field.
He came here from Moravia, Austria, 4
seven years ago and after thorough
at Park college in Missouri,
he settled in Coraoplis to work among
the foreigners. He was Is years old.
He married one Of his pretty converts
to Christianity, and besides her,
leaves q child.
Gay is colporteur for the Bible
Institute of Allegheny county and is
we'll known for his extensive work
among foreigners.
None of the church workers be-
lieves that there was any method in !
madness. He was q man
who had lived at the Salvation Army
barracks and as charitable parasite |
but was always at variance
with the teachings of his Christian
leaders. ~ is doubtful IL he had ever
seen Skala before yesterday. He is
said to have been detained once at q
hospital for examination into his
mental condition but was released af-
ter brief time. He wore ragged
coats. with odd patches sewn with
coarse white thread.
1t is believed by some of the con-
that the sermon Skala !
preached with the emphatic declara-
tion that ANY moment l am willing
to lay down my life for the Christian
stirred the foreigner to test
his Christian fidelity. Skala had TAX
EN- for his text. II am the bread of
life" and had preached upon the the !
old time martyrs.