The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-05-28
TALE OF HUNTER KILLING BOY
nut LADS had FOUND A GUN
AND ONE HAD FIRED 1T.

Two Urothers came Racing TO . staten
island saloon with story Of Men VINO
HAD SHOT Playmate Dead-One hoy
Finally Admits That lie Fired Gun.
John Ekowski 10 years old; Philip
Cough. Ii: md Philips brother. John. ~.
who worl in the Greenridge brickyard
at Greenridge. Staten Island. had half
holiday yesterday and went swimming
In the Fresh Kill Creek. an inlet from
Staten Island Sound. That was early
in the afternoon. About o clock Philp
and his brother John ran breathlees into
Joseph Sabatis saloon on the Fresh Kill
road.
Quick! Hurry" they gasped alter
nately. we was swimming down in the
creek with Johnny Ekowski and two
dagoes come along with guns and one Of
them shot Johnny"
Sabati questioned the two boys. They
said that they were sure Johnny was
dead. Sabati telephoned for the police
and the Coroner and went down through
, the meadows to the creek. Thither Cor
, oner William H. jackson and Lieut..
Cook Of the Tottenville police station
came too. John Ekowski WIS dead on the
bank of the creek. big hole torn in his
side
! Coroner jackson questioned the two
! boys and they told the same story they
had told Sabati. Two men with guns.
they said. who seemed to he looking for
birds. came walking through the tall
grass. The three boys were roosting on
| the bank OF the creek Suddenly one OF
the men threw his gun to his shoulder
and fired. John Ekowski fell fat on his
! face and they could get no answer from
! him. When they looked up the two men
had vanished
The Coroner got philip and John to
point out the spot where they thought the
two men had stood. Then with Lieut..
Cooks help he made circuits OF increas-
ing diameter around the spot. The grass
grows rank on the meadows and as the
Coroner and the lieutenant pushed their
way through il they left behind them a
| trail Of bent grass which showed plainly.
Half an hours search showed no other
such trail.
Neither the Coroner nor the policeman
thought it likely that in the short time the
| boys said had elapsed since the two
men had been there their trail could have
closed up completely. They went back
4 10 question tne Two DOys again lney
were standing beside Johnny Ekowek .
body and gouging their fists into their
eyes.
-what did those two men look like?-
asked Coroner jackson.
-They looked well. they looked like
Philip vaguely. and they both had guns
and one OF them pulled up his gun SO
and"
Yes" said the Coroner. we've heard
all about that But what did they look
like? You say they stood over there
wound shows that the shot was fred at
close range. Didn't you see their faces
or how they were dressed?"
The boys shook their heads. They
could answer no more questions. they
said. Finally wearied with the constant
his hand as boys do at school
Il done it.. he said.
Then he told the story. His brothe n
bewteen sobs put in word here and there
that made it clearer.
There is an old bathhouse near the
swimming hole. II has not been used for
years and the platform in front Of 1t is
crumbling. The boys lay on this summing
themselves Philip, casting his eyes
toward the little house, saw a gun stock
and pulled it out. 1t was a double bar
relied shotgun.
Philip raised the heavy gun 20 his shoul-
der and pulled the trigger. There was a
flash and n bang which almost deafened
him. When the smoke blew away John
Ekowski was lying half Oh the platform
Blood was pouring from his side The
two other boys dragged him TO the grass
and tried TO help him. He did not answer
or open his eyes. Then they were scared
and ran to the saloon.
Where ia the gum" asked the Coroner
Philip pointed to the creek. We threw
II in there. he said
The three men improvised a graphing
iron with some rope and hooks and after
an hours work in the water. which was
about eight feet deep. a. the tide was
coming in. they found the gun. II was q
double barrelled shotgun such as the boys
had described One cartridge had been
fred. the other was intact
Philip was put under arrest and sent 10
the rooms Of the Children's Aid Society
in Tompkinsville. His brother John
went with him. He is held "a a materia
witness; Philip Ekowskis body was sent
| IN hia homo An fhroa hCya livo at ~