The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-06-29
Alex Lewandowski Kills
Josephine Kordazewski
and Self.
MEET HER IN HEAVEN
Slayer Fulfilled Threats Made
to Girl Sunday at
the Park.

was not returned, Alex Lewandowski,
an ex-soldier living at 673 Elm
street, shot and instantly killed Miss
Josephine Kordasewska, aged 81, on
the street in front of 701 Racine ave-
nue. at 1880 o'clock Sunday night. The
man then turned the gun upon himself
and sent a bullet crashing through
his own head, dying a short time after
at st. GATHERINGS hospital. At the
time of the tragedy the young woman
was returning with two men friends
from Kosciusko Park, and was on her
way to 722 Lindermann court, where
she made her home with her sister
and brother-in-law.
Relatives of the girl explained that
Lewandowski had courted Josephine
Kordazewski, but that she had not
smiled upon his attachment, and had
several times refused him.
Threatened Her in Park.
"Well, if you won't marry me, we'll
meet soon in heaven" the man had
said to her threateningly, when he met
her Sunday in the park where she
spent the day.
The words had impressed the girl,
and when she came home to supper, she
told her brother-in-law, John Waiiorka,
of the encounter, repeating the strange
threatening sentence which Alex had
used.
She returned to the park for the
eveninb but became alarmed when she
saw Lewandowski lurking darkly in the
vicinity, watching her with an ugly
drawn look upon his face. When she
started to go home, she did not see
the man, but remembering again his
yelled threat earlier in the day, she
besought two of her men acquaintance
to see her safely to her door.
The precaution was in vain, for they
had not gone far when Lewandowski
doomed ominously in the horizon. The
two companions of the girl sought to
drive him off, but in vain, the en-
counter ending in double tragedy.
The police received the call to the
scene of the shooting at 1915 o'clock
Sunday night, which summoned them
to come instantly to 701 Racine ave-
the night police, responded with six
men, Officers Harold Rock, Lawrence
Bauschelt, Clifford, Pecan, Schneeberg-
er and Pitsch. Arriving on the avenue
they found, about twenty-five feet off
of North street, the dead body of the
girl lying on the street. She had
been shot in the head and death had
resulted instantly. Excited citizens
in the vicinity told the police that they
had seen a man shoot the girl and then
turn and run east. A few moments
later, the officers found Alex. Lewan-
dowski lying in his own pool of blood
on North Victoria street about block
from where the shooting had taken
place. He was still alive, with a bull
let wound in the right side of his head,
and the gun - Smith & Weston .32-
lying in his nerveless hand at his side.
He was taken to St. GATHERINGS hos
pital and Drs. Cleary and McCluskey
summoned. but before the physicians
arrived, death came. Lewandowski was
too far gone to make a statement to
the officials.
Two men with Josephine Kordazew-
ski at the time of the shooting were
Marcel Dudkowski, SGT Hanson street,
and Alex Kiselewski. Both men told
the police, that they had been followed
by Lewandowski, and that irritated by
his unwelcome chaperonage, one of
them asked what was the matter.
"Are you drunk or crazy?" Marcel
inquired.
Alex, instead of responding, drew his
gun and fired. He made no attempt to
injure the girls companions but took
unerring aim at her. and she fell to
the sidewalk dead.
The young woman worked in Zion
City and had come to Kenosha from
Europe two years ago. He'd body was
taken to Crossin's undertaking par
lors, while that of her dead slayer
was taken to Hansen's. At the room
occupied by Lewandowski on Elm
street his soldiers uniform and dis
charge paper were found. as well as
bank books showing an account of
about $4,000, money which he had
been saving towards housekeeping
fund, with the intention of marrying
the girl of his choice.
An inquest into the circumstances
stances of the combined murder and
suicide was commenced today by Coro-
ner T. T. Parker. The investigation
took another angle this afternoon
when District Attorney Symmonds
ordered an inquisition to find out
whether or not Lewandowski had been
drinking. So far the indications are
that the man was not under the in
fluence of alcohol at the time of the