Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-01-06
F. ] Watson, Of Minneapolis,
Mimi Sends Bullet From
Automatic Gun Into Police
mans Body.
LIFE AND DEATH
STRUGGLE ON STREET
Policeman, After Being Shot,
Choked His Prisoner Into
Insensibility Then Collaps-
ed and is Taken to Hospital.

While attempting to take r. J. Wat
son. stranger in Albuquerque TO
jail az $3.50 o'clock this afternoon.
Alex Knapp, a well known member OF
the city police force, was shot aud
fatally wounded As far as can be
learned there we're no eye witnesses
10 the shooting. The policeman was
shot through the perlcardium and at
I 30 this afternoon, when he vas TAX
en- TO the st. Joseph's hospital. phys
icians held out no hope for his recov-
cry. The shooting was done with a
% Colts automatic revolver. Watson
fired the shot while struggling with
the officer in front OF shinlck's black.
smith shop on Copper avenue between
Second and Third streets.
Al five o'clock Watson was taken TO
-. Joseph's, where Knapp had been
taken few moments before a. un-
dergo an operation In the hope OF
saving his life. Watson Wss Wken To-
the hospital to have KNIT atntlfy
him as the man who had shot him.
District Attorney G.. S. Klork went
to the hospital to take an ante NOR
tenn statement. when Watson was
taken from the police STATEN 10 the
hospital he was stilI unconscious
Immediately following the firing Of
the shot Knapp and Watson engaged
IN a life and death struggle with
his left hand Knapp gresped Watson's
right hand, iu which was tightly
ciasped the bulldog automatic. with
his right hand Knapp grapsed Wat
sons throat, attempting with an his
strength to crush the lie out OF the
man. Equally desperate, Watson en-
deayored with all his power 10 free
his right hand from kuapp"s iron
clutch and send second bullet into
the policeman's body. II was sew
oral moments before bysiindors real
lied the situation Those who arr
rived first thought Knapp was en-
deavorlng to beat into Submission an
unruly drunkard.
Knapp and Watson struggled tor
more than ten minutes while bystand-
ers took turns IN an attempt TO wrest
the revolver from Watson's hand
Watson seemed 10 have The strength
OF Ave men There was murder In bis
face. WAth all the strength OF his
mind and body he seemed 20 be hold
ing out in the hope thnt the police
man would lose his strensth and per-
nit him TO kin him.
Finally one OF the bysanders sue.
gested that some one Cut away the
pocket OF Watson's OverC0al ia which
he had put his hand win the gun
The suggestion was acted upon and
finally a strangle hold was secured on
Watson's wrist by this lime Watson
was unconscious The gun was taken
from his clenched hand
After Watson had been choked into
submission and the gun aiken from
him. Policeman knapp collapsed H0
tell over on top Of WatHus body In
a faint, saying in a low voice: "im
done. Ooys, ] ann cone. iie got me-
To nearly All those who ttchcd the
struggle this was the mr.. Initiation
that krepp had been sh
Colonel NJ. l.. stern nd another
bys.1uder grabbed Waton and half
carried half dragged hi. Unconscious
form e. the city jail. archtd by
Policeman Jim Martin, was dis
covered that the man hG0 aew hox
of L. NJ G. cartridges 20 calibre.
metal cascd. one OF then Iad plowed
its WY through Knaus breast,
piercing the pericardium
Watson had but few papers on his
body, In fact the only per IN hls
pockets that gave his n1ne was "a
Wells Fargo express receill dat.,. to-
day and issued al the load express
Office, stating that r. J. Watson had
shipped TO j. Gaulet, of Minneapolis.
Mimi a package valued hfty d0l-
lars and upon which ho hl' paid two
dollars ana twenty-five cents charges.
watson had eighty-three collars and
! nfty-hve cents IN money .n his pock-
cts, many OF The pieces of LIVER being
Columbian half dollars apl Canadian
coins a bar of soap bor the name
Of the Commercial hotel Flagstaff,
| Watson evidently had been in Al0u-
! querquc but two DAYS.
/ lie waB found by Police ln Knapp
lar 3 o'clock, Sitting In fult Of the
First National bank, elihe drunk or
"doped" or both. Some re Ia the
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