South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-05-12

OOAl44SlAns testimony In which ono
officer cOntradicted The statements Of
another impugned their respective
evidence 10 a degree that will demand
a quiz by the county grand Jury and
perhaps one or more indictments for
perjury. featured yesterdays inquest
into the circumstances surrounding
{ Saturdays fatal shooting Of Zigmund
! Wisniewsk.
Herman Schricker. police officer.
/ testified 70 firing one shot at the
/ fleeing Wisniewski. aimed at the
! ground He swore that Co. officer
Russell Meyers. a member OF the
party, fired four times. Meyers. fol-
! lowing Schricker on the stand de-
clared he was not a witness 10 the
shooting and had not discharged a
single shot. BY Inference, Meyers
laid the blame for the shooting upon
Schricker. but admitted Andrew
Rokop. who drove the officers TO the
! scene Of the shooting. may have fred
the fatal shot. Schr1cker had also
named Rokop as a party TO the
shooting.
Hear Five Witnesses.
With a total or s5 witnesses sub
! poenaed and but stories OF FIVE heard
Justice Al. Hosinski. in charge OF the
! inquest, adjourned the hearing at
$50 o'clock to be continued at nine
O'Clock this morning. Prospect of all
of the witnesses TO be heard has
formed the prediction that the hear
ing will not be completed before late
in the day.
Justice Hosinsk. in charge Of the
inquest, made good his promise OF
an exhaustive and searching investf
cation into the mystery in which the
Wtsniewski killing has been en-
shrouded. The lad, in company with
two other companions Is alleged 10
have attempted an entry into Frank
StrZelecki's soft drink" parlor. 252S
W. Division St, forced Strzelecld 70
call for the police, and then attempt
Ing to escape arrest by fleeing from
the scene, was shot in the head by a
revolver fired by one of the arrest
ing officers.
DR.. W. H. Michish was the first 10
take the witness stand. He told Of
having. with DR.. T. J Swants. issist-
ed in conducting an autopsy over
the body of the dead man A lead
bullet, hattened at its head by the
impact against Wisniewsxi's skull,
was introduced by the doctor in evil
dence as the cause of death. He
was unable TO give expert testimony
TO determine the calibre Of the bullet
Frank Strzelecki and his wife fol-
lowed on the stand in the order
named. Strzelecki endeavored 20
clear himself OF any responsibility
| that might be shown 70 be his In
doing so, he contradicted himself on
numerous occasions and the justice
taking him TO task several times
4 concluded his testimony with the in
/ junction that he would probably be
recalled TO the stand II a later
time Strzelecki. from all appear
ances was the principal witness II
! the Importance Of opposing attorneys
retained by himself and the Wis
niewsld family was 70 be considered.
Mrs. Strzelecli endeavored 70 show,
! as did her husband. that Wisniewski
and his companions had not been
drinking at their place the evening
| before.
! Schricker was the fourth witness
/ 10 take the stand. He described the
/ details that led up 10 the shooting,
/ the pressing into service Of Andrew
Rokop and his machine. making the
trip with officer Ralph Poure. CO.
I Officer Meyers and a reporter.
At the Strzeleckf place, WisnieU
ski. his companions John Gatowka
and Leo Ciesiolka. were seen in front
Of the place and the party Of eight
went inside Ito secure Strzelecli's
identification. Schrcker's story OF
the shooting, in substance, is as fol-
lows:
I'VE we're about 70 leave when
wisniewski made a break for the
door. Meyers ran out followed BY
myself and Poure. Meyers gave
( chase ahead Of me and fred four
shots. I fired one shot in the direc-
ton Of the ground An instant after
7 fred. I saw Wisniewski fall 70 the
! ground.
How many shots were fired IN
al7 questioned Hosinski
Five or six" was Schricker's an
swer
"Did you see any one else shoot
ing besides yourself and Meyers
"a lash showed a shot was fred
from the middle OF the road Then
followed a series Of questions and
answers. IN which Schricker either
stated an untruth or his act was in
! consistent With the part 20 he played
by an officer.
@. where were YOU standing
-. - he ou-b directlv AZ
the front Of the building
O. When you fired. then what did
you do?
A. was putting my gun back In
it, holster when 7 saw Wisniewski
drop. I did not fire again.
Meyers Springs Surprise.
( Fosinskl did not press Schricker
( on the first OF the two answers.
! which showed that the officer made
no attempt 70 run down the fleeing
man, other than 70 get a vantage for
a shot. But he did take Schricker
| tot account for his statement of
| putting a gun back. retaining from
firing a second shot when he could f.
see the man still running.
/ Schricker was excused. Three
hours Nd already been consumed 4
I by the first four witnesses II was 4
! then near O'Clock and Meyers. .
I next 20 be heard. sprung the sur
/ rrise OF the afternoon session. 4
] Meyers. IN a low. determined voice +
/ declared that efforts had been made .
/ by the officer that had preceded 4
] him on the stand 20 throw the re- +
sponsibnlty IN his direction and .
that such statements that would .
| incriminate him were without foun-