The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-01-02
John Banski Aged 16 Draws
Revolver on Father and
He is in Serious
Condition.
SURRENDERS TO THE POLICE
Father Seriously Hurt Makes State
ment at the Hospital Declaring
That Story Told by
the Boy is True.

John Banski, sixteen year old boy
residing with his parents at No. 300
Ounce street was forced to choose be-
tween father and mother just before
midnight last night in New Year IS
Day tragedy and as a result of his
choice the father, Michael Banski, As
years of age is at the Kenosha Hos
pital suffering from two bullet wounds
and young Banski is in the county
Jail awaiting a hearing on charges Of
attempted murder,
Young Banski made statement af
ter his arrest, early today, declaring
that he had opened fire on his father
with a twenty-five calibre revolver
when the father was making an as
sault on his mother in which he be-
lieved the mother was about to be
killed.
Surgeons in charge of the wounded
man at the hospital were unable to
make any positive statement this
morning. An examination showed that
lhe had bad scalp wound on the.
top of his head and another bullet had
penetrated the left lung just above the
heart.
Officials went to the hospital this
morning and the injured man made
statement in which he practically sane
toned the statement made by the boy.
He added to it that he had been forced
e.. a. 81
Shooting Takes Place in Kitchen.
The shooting took place in the kit
chen of the Banski home just after
eleven o'clock Wednesday night. Ban
ski and his wife had quarreled during
the evening and they were in the kit
chen Of the home when young Banski
was awakened by his mother attempt
ing to call for help.
II was awakened just after eleven
clock Wednesday night by my mo-
Their attempting to call for help" de-
clared young Banski in his statement
tc the police. 81 jumped out of bed
and ran to the kitchen and saw mo-
ther lying on the floor and my father
Lad his hands about her throat and
was choking her. She called to me to
help her and attempted to separate
them. Father appeared to be very
mad and when / saw that / could not
separate them I ran back into the
bed room and got the revolver out
from under my bed. Mother was still
crying when | returned to the kitchen.
My father appeared to be greatly ex-
cited. | thought he was killing her
and without waiting any longer / fred
short over his head with the re-
volver He paid no attention to the
shooting and | fred again. / don Il
know whether | tried to hit him or
not. He continued to choke my mo-
ther and | shot again and that time
he got up and came toward me and
] fred again. | think I hit him in
the left side. My mother got up off
the floor and grabbed him and threw
him down and he got up and ran out
of the house,
Pedestrians Find Wounded Man.
Banski after he fled from the
house, following the shooting fell in
the snow near the door and two men
who happened to be running toward
the house, after hearing the shots, went
70 the nearest telephone and notified
the police. The wounded man was re-
moved to the hospital in the police
ambulance. Officers who went to the
house found young Banski attempting
to care for his mother. He made no
effort to escape arrest a.nd told the of
iieers that he was ready to go with
them il they desired him to be placed
urder arrest He told the story Of the
shooting and showed considerable emo
ton IT hope father was not ser
iously injured he declared to the of
icers, but feel that If / had not
shot, my mother would have been very
seriously injured.
The elder Banski was propped up on
pillows at the hospital today in an ef-
fort to breathe little easier. He
was able to talk and police officer
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