The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-04-11
fchist Waited Outside Of Church
Ind Assassinated the Preacher
4 After the
Sermon
MADE HIS ESCAPE
presation Held at Bay With
Loaded Revolvers After Two
Had Been
Shot.

la, minister anu eQlJOr OF lHe
istian journal, Belgian religious
lication, after preaching a sermon
hhe Second Presbyterian churcn
sion, on "Martyrdom,'' in which he
Jared himself ready to lay down his
for the Christian cause, was shot
Ia as he stepped outside the church
Michael Rewdicz, religious Rus
d fanatic. Rewdicz also shot down
er John Gay of the Church Mission.
is in a hospital with three bull
in his body and probably fatally
1nded, while the murderer of Skala
escaped. More than 100 officers
searching Western Pennsylvania
him.
5kala, the editor murdered, has
IN considered the leader Of his peo-
kday Rev. Andrew Kovas, the pas
announced that he would be ab-
6t this Sunday and Editor Sakald
Suld occupy the pulpit instead. The
Rurch was crowded, as Skala was
3aDst popular. Rewdicz, who Is under
xfood to belong to many Russian SO
Nictes attended services and TOOK
executions to remarks made by SKA
IL III his sermon. Rising, he demand
ia that he be heard. Il will answer
yx,t,r questions after church and out
SfxlS Tho church, said Mr.. Skala te
{hS excited member This seemed te
|1X3sfv Rewdfcz, and he sat down.
Ikala appeared to forget all about
incident, for when church was
:' :uySr he quickly left the building with
Elder Gay, both having been invited
nv MINER with one of the Pensioners
xiey were forcing their way through
S8ut $50 members of the eongrega
S3zSn who had stopped to chat outsfde
doors. when Rewdicz came towart
Nm. What can / do for you, my
"a man. said Mr. Skala
&empting to seize Rewdlcz
nd. The Russian was much
Eited. however, and continued
gesticulate, and, planting
|mself in front of MIR. Skala, he pull
a revolver and shot the editor
fough the breast. Mr.. SKI y drop
"a dead in his tracks and Gay, wht
Srted to run, was shot through the
ck by the frenzied man. Gay fol
"a lay apparently dead, while Rev
4 ez shot him twice more and stepped
Fay from the PROSTATE man with
& Hid laugh, evidently thinking his sec
md victim dead.
Many persons were hurt through
krampling in their haste to get ava,
rhen the crazed man began shooting
There were a few who remained near
ind some threw stones at Rewdicz
rho vet had some charges left In hi
|3ovolver, and he waved 1t threatingl
(1 he backed up the steps into the Ill
S{1e mission church. A crowd Of so
ssoon collected, but the murderer hell
f6em at safe distance with his re
zSolver for about thirty minutes, an
Ht the same time he prevented tn
Sody of Skala being lifted from wher
5f fell, and also prevented the givin
|s0f assistance to Gay, who shove
|Some signs of life. The congregation
nd some outsiders threw stones
8Hreaking most of the windows of tn
Xhurch in their desire to get Rewdica
md at the length of half hour tn
3Shurderer now with a revolver In eac
land. stepped out of the church door
md drove the crowd down the stree
md then started on run for ca
u ne at the top of hill.
' The crowd chased him a fey
's5s slocks, when he turned and fired se'
&ral shots at those who pursued. A
The top of the hill he came up wit
|&& suburban farmer named Case, VIII
had a buggy, and, making him aligh
Rewdicz took the vehicle and fled Il
10 the country with 1t. Late In tn
SA Afternoon the horse was found wal
z1ering about some miles north
Pittsburg. The murderer is known
he we'll supplied with ammunition, an
there has been abundant evidence ths
he will shoot on the slightest provoc;
ton.