The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-07-31
KEOkUk MAN IN
SHOOTING SCRAPt
William PfIug Held by the Quincy Po-
lice In Connection With the
Woundng Of Mrs.
May Hoy.
$ STORIES ARE DIFFERENT
Man and Woman Declare Shooting
Was Observation-Disclosures OF
Wounded Woman to
Prosecute.

Mrs. May Hoy. age 81 years, wife
of John Hoy. SIS Jersey street,
Quincy. teamster. was shot in the
left breast curing a clandestine meet
ing with William Plug, formerly OF
Keokuk, and recently employed In
the Electric Wheel works, in Indian
Mound park at $3.50 o'clock Mondar
afternoon. according to this morn.
ing's Quincy Wing, whose account Ct
! the affair Is given below. Mrs. Hoy
is in st. Mary's hospital where she
| is in q serious condition and may
die.
The husband of the wounded
woman, despite her statement that
she accidentally shot herself while
examining a revolver which Plug
carried, stated that he would this
m orning swear out q warrant for the
arrest of Plug on a charge of assault
with intent to kill. The bullet lodged
in the left lung and barely missed
the heart, according to DR.. F. T.
Bremen, who made the examination
Stories Differ.
The stories told by Plug and Mrs.
Hoy differ, and their own stories,
told at different times, are not the
same.
A few minutes after the shooting,
Plug told o. l. Wheeler, city forester,
that he had accidentally shot lie
woman She is said to have made a
similar statement. But at the police
station when questioned by Chief
Melton and Detective Piercy, Plug
claimed the woman had shot herself,
and that he was ten feet away when
she pulled the trigger. He could not
explain the powder burns on his left
hand.
Mrs Hoy says she shot herself ac-
cidentally. She found the revolver in
her companions hip pocket, when
they were sitting together among
some bushes in the park, and drew
| 1t to examine 1T, and accidentally
pulled the trigger. But Plug says he
took the gun out to the park to
practice target shooting.
Shells Lost.
How many shots were fired is not
known. Ali the cartridges had been
removed from the gun and concealed
Detective Piercy made careful search
| Of the ground within many feet Of the
place where the shooting took place,
and could find no cartridges. The bar.
rel Of the pistol was filled with leaves
as If an effort had been made to bury
1t and later it had been decided not to
attempt to conceal the weapon.
The police were first notified that q
woman had been overcome by the
| I,,x 1o{1 how ! hot
the condition Of the woman was per
and this time notified that woman
had been shot.
In Intense Pain.
The wounded woman was rushed tc
st. Mary's hospital She suffered q
great loss of blood and was in intense
pain when taken to the hospital.
The news Of the shooting was given
to the woman's husband and other
members Of the family by Wing re-
porter. The family had supposed that
Mrs Hoy was shopping downtown
and when they learned Of the shooting
Mrs. Hoy's mother-in-law, Mrs. Will
liam Hoy, became hysterical
| At first Mrs. Hoy refused to talk
I
mitted that she had gone to the parl
with Plug. II did it, did IT," she
cried. Hes innocent, 1t was just ar
accident"
"Oh, May, why did you so with
him?" asked the broken-h earted hus
band. But the hayward wife merely
turned away her head and was silent
Then her voice quavering. she said
Forgive me. John"
Tearfully the woman told her story
She had met Plug at the corner O.
Fifth and Maine streets, and he hat
suggested that they go to the park
There, they went into little frequent
trees. While sitting together she hat
found the gun. and accidentally pullet
the trigger.
mo Worse Than Others"
When her husband again reproachet
her. she said: well, I've done NJ
more than lots Of other married wo
men,"
Mrs. Hart. her sister-in-law, toit
briefly Of her acquaintance with Plug
He had come from Keokuk a few
months ago. and began boarding II
the Hoy home. Although oigar-mak
er by trade, he went to work at tn
Electric Wheel Co. About a week ag'
the Hoys decided to have no NOR
boarders, and Plug moved to board
ing house at Fourth and Chestnu
streets.
| Family surprise.
Never, she said, had there been an,
indication Of intimacy between hin
and Mrs. Hoy The whole affair wa
an intense surprise. She declared tina
Pflug had never been popular with tn
other boarders or with the members O
the Hoy family. but was secretive an
mysterious in manner.
Plug is alleged to have said at tn