The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-08-19
|OFF|CER SHOT
BY THUGS PAL
Jerome Hostetter has Slight
Chance for Recovery
WAS COVERING HOLD-UP MAN
When Second One Shoots
and Both Escape.
Shooting is Sequel to a Hold-up on sil
Yer Street-Oficer Locates Men I'm
Erie Coach Near Hump Yards.
Bullet Removed Today-Story of
the AFFAIR.
lRILLIsTIN.O

(BULLETIND
At 1880 Jerome IIostcttcr sudden
ly collapsed, due to either delayed
shock or the perforatlon of the bow
els by the bullet, which doctors had
hoped failed to injure those organs.
His life now hangs on a thread and he
may not live out the day
shortly after the news was receiver
of the sudden turn taken by HOstett'
for the worse, came word from Lima
that two men, who boarded an Erie
freight here ut II O'Clock this morn
ing, had been arrested The warning
was given by OperatorJ. G.. Sutton
at Nj tower. The men are said to
answer exactly the description OF the
thugs who shot down Onicer Hostct-
ter.
Lying at the Marion city hospital
on Blaine avenue with fighting
chance for his life, is Jerome Hostet-
ter, aged 45, and married, member
of the local police froce who, while
covering n hold-up man in the West
end Erie yards last night, was shot
down by the thugs pal. Both the
thugs escaped and have not yet been
located.
Last midnight n little more than
an hour after the shooting occurred,
IL was said that Hostettcr could not
live. Today, after the bullet was sue
cessfuly removed by surgeons. there
is just fighting chance for the man
who was shot down while bravely do
ing his duty and dong 1t in way
that many men would shrinkfrom.
The shooting of Hostetter was the
sequel to n hold-up which occurred
at the corner of Silver street and Ken
ton avenue shortly after Q o'clock last
night when Leroy Hoffhines, crane
man at the Marion Steam Shovel plant
was relieved of his gold watch and a
pocketbook containing several dol
lars, in silver and paper money. Hon-
hines was permitted to go on his way
after he had been relieved of the
money and watch while the hold-up
men started in the direction of the
railroad yards.
Police Are Notified.
As quickly as possible Honhines
telephoned to police headquarters and
Officer Jerome Hostetter, one OF the
older men on the force, with OFFICER
Bert Powell, started for the West End
to hunt for the thugs. Hostetter sent
Powell north and picked up Harry
Fisher, a new man on the force. To-
gether they started down through the
Erie yards with revolvers ready for
action and carrying dark lanterns,
They had not found any one about
the numerous rows of freight cars un-
til they approached two passenger
coaches on siding near the hump
wards. Between the two cars was
gondola, or coal car. Fisher went
through the first passenger car while
Hostetter a short distance ahead,
walked along on the ground.
II0sietter Finds Thugs.
While Fisher was still In the car
Hostetter was walking along the sec
ond passenger coach and seeing one
of the men with his face close to the
window, drew his revolver and COW
cred before the fellow in the car
could dodge either down or back.
While his revolver WIS pointed at the
supposed thug in the coach and HOS
letter was waiting for Fisher to come
and help him get the fellow out the
second man, who was hidden by the
inky darkness of the car, fired through
the window without warning, the ball
from revolver with rined barrel,
entering Hostetter's left side, near the
stomach.
Hostetter staggered and his revol-
yer was not discharged. The man
who had been covered lodged back
and together he and his companion
made a bolt for safety, evidently cer-
tain that they had either killed or dis.
abled their pursuer. AS they left the
car Officer Fisher saw them and op-
ened fire as they commenced to run
The fire was returned but the officer
was not hurt.
Displays Great Courage.
Hostetter was leaning against the
car when Fisher came TO his aid. He
then displayed a quality of courage
that physicians say is nothing less
| than remarkable. Knowing that no
was badly wounded, and suffering in
tense pan, Hostetter walked from the
| hump yards to the Kenton avenue
crossing, nearly mile, and securing
cab was moved to the Marion city
hospital.
At the hospital Drs. III. j. Lower
Mcnamara and II. l.. Uhler made an
examination. II was hardly believed
| that Hostetter could live until morn
| Ing but although he suffered much he
seemed to gain strength and THIS