The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-09-04

John Cyzak, member of the Kenosha
police department and man who has
shown his nerve by his actions in ar
resting half dozen desperate char
acters, got his" just after two
O'Clock Sunday morning when he was
shot down in cold blood by Frank
Spina, drunken Italian, at the home
of Spina on Brockett street. The po-
lice officer is now in the st. Mary g
Hospital in Racine. His wound is al
most identical with the wound receiv-
ed by former President Roosevelt in
Milwaukee last fall and while the ply
sicians are hopeful that he will re-
cover his condition is still regarded
as grave.
Cyzak received his wounds in fear
less performance of his duty and
half dozen of the other members Of
the Kenosha force, including Chief
Owen O,Hare, came near. meeting the
same fate. Police officer William
Maher came nearest being sent to
hospital as a bullet from the same re-
volver which felled Cyzak struck him a
grazing shot on the right shoulder and
just "pinked" him in the neck.
The members of the force arrested
Spine a half hour after the shooting
after one of the most desperate bat
ties ever fought between a criminal
and police officers in Kenosha in which
more than twenty shots we're fired.
Police officers believe that the shoot
ing of Cyzak came as the result of a
cunningly devised plot to get him out
of the way on account Of the manner
in which he has done his duty in secur-
ing the arrest of foreign law breakers.
The shooting took place just after
two O'Clock Sunday morning. Cyzak
was on his beat on the west side and
word was sent to the police office that
q couple Of shots had been fired near
the corner of Breckett and Ridge
streets and Cyzak was at once ordered
by the night sergeant to investigate
the case. He picked up Deputy
4 Sheriff Kopen as he was going to the
/ house and just before Cyzak and Ko-
pen reached the house shot was fred
out of one of the windows. Cyzak ran
ahead and with no show of fear. en-
tered the house. To reach the place
where the shot had come from it was
necessary to go up four steps. Cyzak
ran up the steps with his revolver in
one hand and his fashlight in the
other. AS he opened the screen door.
he flashed the light. AS the light
flashed some one opened fire from the
upper part of the stairway. Cyzak
rolled over at the first shot and fell
to the landing below, the blood squirt
ing from great wound in his left side
just under the shoulder. Kopen was
Just entering the house and four more
shots were rained down on the two
officers, but none Of them took effect.
You stay here and watch the
house" Cyzak shouted to Kopen,' but
for Gods sake don't go up the stair
way" The wounded officer made his
way to the curb and mounted his
bicycle and rode to the nearest box.
He sent in riot call and exhausted
from loss of blood sat down on the curb.
When the wagon arrived with police
officers Bradley and Maher, Cyzak APP
peareG to have collapsed, but they re-
viyed him. as'It's at the Spina house
and you will have to be careful. He s
got a gun and he shot me. Kopen is
watching the house." Officers Brad
ley and Maher at once called an am
bulance and at the same time called to
their aid every member of the depart
ment. Chief 0 Hare hurried out in a
taxi cab and reached the Spina house
just after Bradley and Maher. In the
meantime Cyzak was removed to the
Kenosha hospital and placed in charge
Of DR.. M. A. Bernstein DR.. Bernstein
made an examination, but could not
locate the bullet.
Later Cyzak left the hospital and
went to the police Office and he was at
once taken ia the Racine hospital Oh
the newspapers train and an X-Ray
examination located the bullet in the
fatty portion Of the body along the
Afth rib.
After the wounded man had been
safely placed in the ambulance and