The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-25
Unidentified Foreigner Is Shot
Down by William Niemi, With
Whom He Wrestled.
SLAYER FLEES, BUT IS
CAUGHT BY PATR0LMAN
Sharp's Deputies Close by, but
None of Them Offer to
Help Bluecoat.

Shot down and killed in the CONNER
cial bar, at 63 Commercial street. at
1i:io O'Clock Monday night. apparently
without the slightest provocation, the
body Of an unidentified Finiandcr lies at
the O'Donncll morgue. while his slayer.
William NicmI. alias llill, aged 20 years.
also Finandcr. is locked up In The city
prison. TWO eye Witnesses 10 the shoot
ing are being held by the police while
another witness, the bartender at the sa-
loon where the murder occurred. was re-
leased on his own recoEnizancc,
Nicm used an old fashioned JS-calibcr
revolver. Nieini and his victim, with
two other Fins. had been drinking In the
Commercial bar for about thirty minutes
Niemi and the unknown Finn engaged In
what appeared TO the byStanderS TO be
friendly scufflc.
Suddenly. and without word OF waru-
ing. Niemi drew "A revolver from his hip
pocket and fired point blank as the man
forehead just above the temple on the
left side and tore its way clear through
the skull. The stranger dropped without
even a cry.
Shot Stops Slayer.
Nicmi ran out OF the saloon, the smok-
ing revolver in his hand and dashed
north on Commercial street. Patrornan
j. A. mcMartn WAS at Commercial and
Second South streets and seeing the
man run, Immediately gave chase.
and as he followed. Patrolman McMartln
fired shot in the air.
Throwing up his hands. after putting
the revolver in his pocket, Nicmi ran
beneath the iron stairway on the nortl
side of the orpheum p ethcater and
crouchcd there as the officer pounced
upon him.
While Nicmi was in flight. fully a
were stationed al points along CONNER
cal street and Orphcum alley, where
they could easily have laid their hands
on the murderer. Deputies Novel; and
Russell were so close to Nicml they
touched his arm as he passed,
Niomi, when questioned in his cell an
hour after the shooting, said hc had
only met tho stranger Monday night and
that the victim had invited him and two
friends into the Commercial bar
Tells Why He Shot Him,
He gave as his reason for shooting tho
man the fact that the stranger had tried
10 scufnc with him. In his shirt pockets
were found over dozen cartridges Only
ono chamber in the revolver had been
tho others being fully loaded.
The murdered man had no papers or
other means of identification. In tho
band of his hat was found five 50 bills
and In a trousers pocket two dimes, this
all OF his possessions. Coro-
ncr Hanks was notified and an hour after
the shooting authorized the removal Of
the body.
AXcl EkStrom, rs second East street,
and IuSo Johnson. who rooms over the
Commercial bar saw Nicml, the victim
and two other Films at the bar drink
ing Not being able TO understand the
Finnish language. in which the men
were converSing, they were unable 10 tell
Nicmi and the victim were
but from the actions OF the
two. the witnesses declare. they were
fairly good friends Ekstrom and john
son assisted In the pursuit of Nieni,
John lTermansen. junior member OF tho
firm Of Wilman & HermanSon. proprie-
tors OF tie Commercial bar was behind
the bar at the time Of the murder. He
had just served the stranger with Il
glass OF beer and egg, and had turned TO
walt on some other customers when the
shot rang out. Hermanson saw tine
stranger drop TO the floor and Niemi dash
out the front door.
The stranger, from remarks he made
in the saloon where the killing occurred,
had Just come In from ToplIft. Utah,
whero he hnd been employed at some
stone Quarries.