Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-07-31
MAN IS SHOT BY
SPECIAL POLICE
:. A. fisher, CUSTODIAN OF
PEST HOUSE, sHooTs MIL
WAUkEE EMPLoYE.
CLAIMS SELF DEFENSE
Says Victim Attacked Him With
Knife and Gun; Had Gone Home
After Gun Previous to time
Of Trouble.

John Smith, section hand employed
BY the Chicago. Milwaukee & st. Paul
/, railroad, was shot and probably fatal.
ly injured this morning by L. A. Fisher
! custodian OF the city pest house. The
, shooting ID understood to have been
| the result OF an argument between the
! two men and third party giving the
| name OF Charles Crickbaum.
/ Smith and Crickbaum met Fisher
! shortly before IL o'clock near the
union depot and engaged in an argu-
ment with him. The men then split
up, and Fisher went to his home at the
pest house and got .3S caltber re-
| vOlver
T! Returning to the north side OF the
river, he met the two men between the
! Wabash depot and the Wabash bridge.
He is said to have told Crickbaum that
he was going to arrest him, and
showed his star, furnished him as q
special city policeman.
Smith objected to the arrest, and
told Fisher that he was not big
enough to arrest them both, for that
was what he would have to do in case
he took one.
At this point the facts Of the case
become muddled. Some people who
were near the scene aver that Smith
attacked Fisher, while others say that
Fisher drew his gun and began shoot
Ing without cause.
Three shots were fired, according to
Crickbaum, the last one taking effect
in the back OF. the wounded man. The
bullet penetrated below the heart and
came out In front. In passing through
the body, the bullet passed within an
inch Of Smiths heart. His left lung
was perforated. @ a
Asks to BE Arrested.
Fisher went from the scene Of the
trouble to his home and 'phoned to the
police station, telling what he had
done, and asking for an officer to
come and arrest him. The police were
all out on the case by this time and
only the desk sergeant In charge.
Fisher was told to come to the police |
station and give himself up, which he
Immediately did. ~
He was met by Mayor Pat Leeny, |
who told him that he did not think
that the city had case against him.
Fisher then turned in his special
police badge and proceeded to the I,
officials take charge Of him.
The sheriff stated that he was will |
ing to make the arrest but that he
would like to know what for. Fisher
the told Of the shooting and asked to
be allowed to go down town for his
dinner. This request was granted
Fisher Makes Statement.
On his return to the court house this |
afternoon, Fisher made statement of
his side Of the affair.
my part OF the action was made in
self defense. Smith attacked me with !
a gun in one hand and knife In the |
other. / shot first at his feet. and as
that seemed to have no effect on him,
I turned the gun where 1t would have !
some bearing on the argument. Smith |
and l had not been In any s-ouble |
previous to this, and know no reason |
for his attack on me-"
Crickbaum accompanied the injured |
man to the hospital, and then disap.
peared. 1t is thought that he left the
city.
Asked concerning his relatives,
Smith replied that no one is left who
will cry over his death, and said that
no effort should be made to find his
people.
Several men who had seen the pair
before the trouble stated that 1t was
their belief that the men had been
drinking.
+ At the hospital this afternoon 1t was
that Smith has fair chance
Tor recovery, although his wound is in
4 place frequently fatal. No great loss
Of blood was sustained, and this may
zavo his 1ifA |