The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-03-23
WILTON MERCHANT DIES, SWEARING
HIS BROTHER -lN-LAW FIRED SHOT;
NEW YORK GUEST IS UNDER ARREST

over SCOTe-Ded0 wan f18Q
Been Victim of Melancholia
for Some Time
After having made affidavit within
few hours after the tragedy that me
had been shot by his brOther-in-law,
Morris Meadow of New York, and per.
sisting in this statement to the. end,
Moses Polonsky, a successful and pop
ular general merchant of Wilton, pass.
ed away at the Bismarck hospital at
3 O'Clock this morning as a result of a
wound inflicted by 22-calibre revol-
yer bullet.
The shooting occurred in PolOnsky's
apartments above his store in Wilton
at Z o'clock Monday morning. Surgi-
cal aid was summoned at once, and
it was discovered that the wound was
so serious that it would be necessary
to remove the injured man to a hospi
tai here. The Washburn Lignite Co.
mine train was impressed into service,
Polonsky was made as comfortable
as possible on a cot, and excellent
time was made in the run to this city,
where the bullet was EXTRACTED at thu
Bismarck hospital The wound, how.
ever, had been fatal and Polonsky con
tinued to sink until 3 this morning,
when he died.
WAS ALONE WITH MEADOW
Polonsky was alone with Morris
Meadow. brother Of Mrs. POlonsky,
when the shooting occurred. In an
affidavit made i'll the presence Of Sber-
iff Ole Stefferud before being placa1
aboard the train at Wilton, Polonsky
swore that Meadow fired the shot
Meadows sister, Mrs. Polonsky, and
the dead mans sister, Mrs. Tillie
Warshaw of Philadelphia, and her ten
vear-Old son. all of whom were in the
Polonsky apartments when the shoot,
ing occurred insist upon Meadow
innocence and declare their conviction
hat Polonsky, who had been suffering
from melallchOlia for some time. dic.l
rom a wound selfinflicted.
SUFFERED BREAKDOWN
Folomsky established his general
IHcICIldHuISC uuoluCob Ill w HUH l0OOut
i've years ago. He proved popular aid
progressive and he prospered. AS his
business developed, he gave more and
nOres time to the store, until finally
he hard and unremitting labor told
lpon him P,olansky, it is said, ,su 4.
1enly was seized with suspicious that
his wife, woman who is liked and
Field in the highest esteem by evefy-
one in Wilton, was untrue to hiE,
Where are said to have been absolutely
no grounds for this hallucinatiOn,
which grew upon Polonsky, until his
wife, either in fear for her own physi-
cal safety or her husbands reason,
| sent east for her brother and her hus
bands sister.
Meadow and Mrs. Warshaw and tie
alters son arrived some time ago.
it is said that there had been several
heated arguments as a result of the
iamily's insistence that Polonsky dis
;ose of his Wilton business and return
! % New York or Philadelphia. The las.
conference Of this type was held Sur
day night, when none of the household
,etired until two in the morning. The
| shooting occurred five hours' later,
when Meadow. it is said, was the only
one who was awake III the apartment
aside from Polonsky.
INQUEST TODAY
| An inquest will be held here today.
and the remains will be taken tOmOr-
row morning to Wilton, where they
will be transferred to the Pingree-Nii.
ton line for their final journey to the
Jewish cemetery, near Wing. During
the half-hour when the body will rest
in Wilton between trains business OF
| Ill kinds will be suspended out of hon.
! or to the deceased, and his late busi.
ness associates will form guard 70:
the bier.
MEADOW IN JAIL
Meadow, accused by the dying man
Of his murder, is held in the Mclean
county Jail at Washburn, following 4
preliminary hearing held yesterday
by States Attorney John Williams
The young man, it is understood, had
planned to leave yesterday for New
York
There were no witnesses of the
shooting. The only evidence of any
kind which bears upon the case is the
dying mans affidavit and his reitera-
tion Of his contention Of Meadows
guilt after Polonsky was brought to
The hospital here.
FORT RICE FARMER KILLED
Mandan. y. d.. March %. = With
two bullet holes through his body,
either of which would have caused in
stant death. Olaf Johanson. 45 years
old. single. was found dead in the liv-
ing room of his farm home. seven
miles southwest Of Fort Rice at 8
o'clock last night. The body was
found by neighbor's boy. who drop
ped into the house on his return from
Fort Rice. r.,
Jollanson is believed to have been
dead six hours before his body was
found. The fact that both bullet
wounds through his body were mortal.
lead officials to believe that the man
was murdered and precludes the posi-
biity of a suicide theory. The coroner
was called at midnight. Because Of
the impossible conditions of the roads
further information concerning the
shooting is not available.
Johanson had farmed near Fort Rice
for the past II years. He has a BROTH