South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-04-14
OFFICER EyONERATED
IN SHOOTING AFFRAY
Coroner SWantz Clears Charles
Bercn Who Shot in
SeIf-defenSe.


policeman. who shot and killed
Leonard Oderee. S13 W. Fifth st,
wednesday night. was exonerated
from all blame in the shooting b.
the verdict Of Coroner T. J. Swantz
Friday morning.
Swantz said that il was a clear
case OF shooting in self-defense and
had not the officer fired when he did
he would probably not be alive to-
day. Failure Of Oderee TO work the
cartridge ejector properly is the
ONLY thing that saved Berons life,
as on examining the gun, Swantz
found that a cartridge was stuck
Just before il was supposed to slide
into the barrel.
That Leonard Oderee, known also
as DeRycke. who was shot by Officer
Boron OF the Mishawaka police. in
the raid on the Oderee home We'd
nesday night. threatened TO get any
man who opened the door. and that
they might get the whole d" po-
lice force, was the statement OF Off
Ger Boron in the inquest held by
Coroner T. ]. swantz at the Misha-
waka police station Thursday after
noon.
Boron said that Mrs. Oderee told
him her husband was in the house
with a loaded shot gun. and that
he had given her until morning to
live. Mrs Oderee 1ld Boron that
Oderee had gotten out upon the
front porch roof and had looked into
the upstairs windows. in an effort to
locate her.
Upon the arrival of the officers at
the house Boron said in his state
ment that officer Charles MOntine
and himself had been stationed at
the front door. and when young
Bauwen broke in the front door they
threw a fiashlight into the room, the
house being darkened, but could
not locate Oderee. Bauwen ran
around 10 the back door and began
beating upon 1t with a hammer.
While he was doing this Boron
sneaked through the parlOr and into
the sitting room. Just as he entered
the living room he heard a shot and
then the voice of Bauwen, crying
Good bye mother - Good bye
mother"
Boron stepped to the kitchen door.
and as ne did 50 the muzzle of a
gun was thrust against his breast.
He brushed it aside with his left
arm and fired twice with the re-
volver in his right hand. Oderee |
dipped without a sound, and when
officer Montine Joined Boron and |
threw a searchlight into the kitchen |
they found Oderee stretched out
dead with a gun beside him.
Detective John Weaver stated that |
officer Charles Gerard and himself |
had taken their station at a bed
room window on the west side of I
the house. and when they heard the |
first shot they smashed in the glass
and threw a light into the room. |
Weaver. who was holding the light /
said that he saw Boron raise his 1
left arm and a second later heard 1
the report of the pistol. He could /
not see Oderee at this time.
Montine and Gerard made state
ments that cOrroborated with those
Of the other two officers. Neither
of the men saw the actual shooting
t1ey being at the front and side of
the house.
Mrs. Oderee's statement 10 CorO-
ner Swantz was To the effect that her
husband. who had been in a trouble
some mood all evening, threatened
to shoot her. and gave her until
morning to live. She asked him to
carry her mattress upstairs and it IS
this fact that is believed TO have
led Oderee 10 the roof thinking he
might take a pot shot at mis- wife
and save trouble in the morning.
Mrs. Oderee said that two years ago.
Oderee had threatened to kill h.
but that the police had prevented
him.
II was stated at the inquest that
Mrs. Oderee when admitted TO the /
house after the bodies had been re-
moved spied some blood on the
kitchen floor where her husband had
been ], ing. jumped on il and shout