The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-07-02
IS HELD IN BONDS OF $4,000
Man Charged With Attempted Murder
Tells District Attorney Story of the
Shooting of Mrs. Frank Blast and
Shows No Remorse For the Deed.

Domineck Pretraci, arrested at
Knowles, Wis, on Tuesday on charges
of attempting to take the life of his
mother-in-law, Mrs. Frank Blast, was
brought before Judge Randall in the
municipal court this morning. He
waived examination and was held for
trial in the circuit court on charges of
attempted murder and his bonds were
fixed at $4,000. He declared that the
would make no effort to furnish bonds.
Pretraci went further He admitted
that he had shot his mother-in-law and
told the district attorney and Chief
0 Hare, who captured him, the whole
story of the shooting.
The capture of Pretraci was tragic.
The story of it was related to Judge
Randall and crowd of attorneys at
the. municipal court this morning byi
Pretraci himself. This was after he
had admitted the shooting and after he
had declared his willingness to waivej
examination in order that he might be-
held for trial in the circuit court.
After the shooting" said Pretraci,
~ beat it. [ managed to get a freight
train and went out to Balm station. II
hung about there under cover until
night, and then caught freight to-
Milwaukee. didn It stay in Milwau-
kee more than ten minutes and [ took,
the first train I could get and went to-
Eden. I had worked at Eden years
ago and thought that I might find a
job there. As / did not want to invite
capture / let my beard grow after Il
hit Eden and little later went over
to Marblehead, where [ stayed four
days looking for work and then [ went
to Knowles, where [ got job in stone
quarry. / had planned to get out Of
Knowles on Tuesday morning. / had
written several letters home and had
three or four times telephoned to peo-'
pie in Kenosha, and I thought possible
that O'Hare might get line on me,
but / had an idea that he had given
up the search. I went to work Tuesday
dinner just after eleven O'Clock. There
was corn crib along the path of the
way to the boarding house but I had
never thought nothing of this before
Just as I passed the corn crib / saw a
revolver sticking right in my mouth
and [ saw O'Hare behind the gun. II
knew the jig was up and fellow came
up and put the handouts on me. Il
made no effort to deny my guilt and
told O'Hare TO get back to Kenosha as
soon as he could. "
The growth of the beard by Pretraci
had entirely changed his appearance
and Chief 0 Hare for minute was in
doubt as to the success of his long trip
and long wait. The chief had reached
Knowles early on Tuesday morning and
when he found the boss Of the quarry
he was told that his man was at work
and urged to hide in the corn crib
in order to get his man without Pre-
tract getting any idea that he was in
the neighborhood.
In his admission to the district at
torney, Pretraci declared that he had
been served with divorce papers only
a short time before his attempt on the
life of Mrs. Blast. He admitted that he
had consulted an attorney and that |
after this he had gone to his father g !
home and babe his parents farewell. !
Then he went to the house where he I
and his wife had lived before the di- I
vorce action was started and got his
revolver He declared that he met
Mrs. Blast on the street IN front of her
home and that at the time of the shoot I
ing she was pushing a baby carriage
in which the little child of Pretraci I
was sleeping peacefully. Pretracci did
not admit firing more than one shot.
The trial of Pretraci viii come up at
the October term Of the circuit court
and it is not expected that he Will |
make any effort to get bonds. He !
seems to be willing to take his medi-
cine.