The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-07-09
Mrs. PauIina Ripinski is
Shot to Death on Eve
of July 4th.
BELIEVE STRAY BULLET
Police Believe that Shot Fired
S'TO Honor Fourth"
Struck Victim.

prietor Of the South Side restaurant
at 709 Strong street, lies dead today
after being shot by a bullet which
was fred off, it is believed, in the
hands of reckless Independence Day
celebrant.
No one has yet been arrested and
charged with the crime. No one, ex-
cept perhaps the person who fired the
shot, knows who is responsible.
Mrs. Ripinski was shot on Friday,
the eve of July A, at $3.50 p. M, while
alone in the kitchen at the rear of
the restaurant, by 32 calibre Short"
lead bullet, which entered her shoulder
on the right side and pierced the Jug
ular vein in the neck, causing instant
hemorrhage. Her scream and groan
attracted the attention of her two
sons, lying in the bedroom nearby,
and hurrying to her they found her
lying on the floor unconscious, unable
to speak, and in a dying condition.
She died a few minutes later on her
way to the Kenosha hospital.
An Accidental Shot"
Chief of Police Logan stated this
morning that he had accepted as the
most reasonable conclusion, that of
Lieutenant charles F. Rock, who after
working upon the case, reported that
he believed Mrs. Ripinski was shot
accidentally by some one who was
firing a gun in a vacant lot south
west of the kitchen in celebration
of the Fourth
The conclusion was reached by the
police lieutenant, who is in charge of
the detective division, after he had
worked upon other theories and re-
iected all Of them. At first it was
thought a case of "hold-up," then the
question jealousy as a motive was
considered, but all were rejected as
not fitting the case.
Was Alone Back of Store.
Mrs. Ripinski was alone in the store
with the front door closed and the
rear door open. 1t was about $3.50
D. m. on the eve Of the the Fourth.
Ripinsh had been in the STORE about
eight o'clock to get some change to
go to the corner at 701 Strong street
for shower bath. He was there
when the shooting took place. He
heard nothing until the police am
bulance came and drew up in front
of the restaurant.
The two Ripinski boys, Joseph IS,
and Stanley 16, were with their mother
all evening in the store. No strangers
came in. Amout two or three minutes
before the shooting took place, they
had gone to bed. They heard the
usual explosions of celebrations.
But what first attracted their at
tention was loud report followed
by a scream, then by q groan. They
rushed from their bedroom, and there
in the kitchen just back of the res
taurant they found their mother in
pool of blood. She could not speak.
They ran, back to their room and got
shot gun, and rushed back again,
thinking they were hold-up men in
the place, and then summoned the
police.
The call was received at the police
Office by Sergeant Frank Schneider
ger who was on desk duty at 1886 p.
m. Police officers Pecan, Mitchell
and Behnke responded. They found
Mrs. Ripinski lying on the kitchen
floor in the rear of the restaurant,
surrounded by blood.
Dies on Way to Hospital.
The dying woman was unable to
utter a word. She was rushed to the
Kenosha hospital but died on the way.
It was found on the examination
made at the hospital by Dr. Chris
Jefferson that a bullet had entered
Just below the right shoulder. 1t had
cut into the jugular vein in the neck,
cutting its way from right to left.
Hemorrhage had commenced immedi-
ately, indicating that the woman
had dropped the instant after the
bullet struck her.
A Mysterious Case.
Lieutenant Charles Rock was not on
duty that night, but he was summoned
from his home.
At first the case looked like muir
der mystery, and promised to be as
difficult OF solution as the murder of
George Balacz and Paul Jurik at 463
Pearl street some six months ago, a
murder which is yet unsolved.
The woman had died before she had
been able to utter a syllable which
might clear the mystery. No one was
seen in the place prior to the shoot
ing to whom could be attached a sus-
picion. Her relation to her husband
and sons was one of tenderness and
affection, borne out by the state
ments of neighbors and friends who
had known them for years, as we'll
as by relatives.
There were no clues to substantiate
the theory of hold-up, though that
was one of the first lines worked upon
bgy the police The place was not
such one as the reckless gunman
will pick out for the scene of des-
perate holdup. A humble little store
60 sEaang factory escapes" there was
no promise there Of rich haul. More
over in the cash register there was
$31.65, while the daily receipts on the
register showed $29.39.
Motives of jealousy were likewise
rejected.
Find the Solution.
The facts which lead Lieut.. Rock to
come to the conclusion that the shot
had been fired accidentally conch-
sion which was accepted by Chief
of Police Logan, as satisfactory, were
as follows:
1. The back door was open. The
screen door was closed but not locked.
There was no bullet hole through the
screen door, but it is assumed that
Mrs. Ropinski had opened the screen
door, which opens to the left. A storm
was raging outside with brilliant dis
nlav of lightning. there was also ex-