The Bismarck tribune., 1928-11-22
SUSPECTED OF
KILLING THREE
OMAHA PEOPLE
Enraged Fireman Wrests Ak
from Attacker, Knocks Him
Unconscious
ADMITS BEING IN OMAHA
Description of Fiend Fits Man
Held in Chicago Bridewell
Hospital
ADMITS BEING IN OMAHA

Chicago, Nov. 22.-(AP)-A negro
hatchct-man, beaten down by his
own hand AK, was held here today a.
a suspect in the Omaha, Nebr.,
"hatchct" slayings.
The prisoner, confined to the
Bridewcll hospital under close guard,
said he was Harry Gonsha, 20 years
old. He was arrested early yester-
day after he had robbed the home
of Alfred Samuelson, city fireman.
His description, even to his CLOTH
ing, fitted that of the man sought
for the series of Omaha attacks.
Gonsha carried q hatchet in his
belt when he entered the Samuelson
home. Fleeing, he was overtaken
by Samuelson, who wrested tie hand
AK from the negro's hand and struck
him several times, knocking him un.
conscious.
Wires Omaha Police
After questioning Gonsha, Police
Captain James DohertJ telegraphed
Omaha police: II believe your AK
man is under arrest here"
Gonsha, who was not seriously in
jured Then his hatchet was turned
upon him by Samuelson, was some-
what hazy concerning his movements
of the past week, Captain Doherty
said.
"Sure, I've been in OMAHA" he
said, in reply to a question, then
added, "but not since about last
June"
Can't Remember
He said he came to Chicago from
Milwaukee. II think it was yester-
day, l don't remember exactly" he
added.
where did you get the AK" the
captain asked, and the answer was:
II got it next door, in a basement"
d THE. theft Of - HAND AK from
some place near his victims home
was an act of the Omaha axman in
each of his three attacks.)
Gonsha was asked how long he
had been in Milwaukee before COM
ing here and he said -Four days,
maybe two; / don't remember" He
was not sure, police said, where he
had been before that, but thought it
was St. Paul, MINI.
Omaha, Neb., Nov. 22.-(P)-Al-
though Omaha's hatchet slayer did
not swing his weapon yesterday
morning, as he had for three pre-
vious mornings, bringing death to
three, seriously wounding another
and injuring a fifth, police and citi-
zens maintained another all-night
vigil.
The only development in tracing
the negro hunted as perpetrator Of
the three crimes in as many days
was the report that man, hatchet
in hand, attempted to stop an auto
mobile driven by Frank Spiker in
the northern part of the city last
night.
Spiker sped by the lnan and called
police. A posse was organized.
but search that lasted far into the
night failed to locate the man or
reveal any clues as to his where
abouts. The man threw his hatchet
at the car, but Spiker was unharmed.
Mrs. L. T. Hankins also reported
to police that a man who somewhat
resembled the slayer appeared at
her door a few hours after he had
freed Mrs. Harold Stribling Tuesday
one of his latest victims,
and refused to leave until she pro-
duced gun. After he fled q small
Ak, believed to have been taken from
the woodshed on her place, was
found leaning near the kitchen door
where he had been standing.
Stribling, husband of the woman
the killer he'd abducted from their
home and held captive for three
hours, after slashing Stribling with
a hatchet, is improving at a hos
pital where he underwent an opera
tion yesterday to relieve pressure
on his brain caused by four fractures
from the hatchet.
Funeral service arrangements are
going forward for the three other
victims of the slayer's hatchet. Mrs.
Waldo Resso and her sister, killed
in their beds Monday morning, will
be buried tomorrow at Weeping
Water, Neb. The funeral date Of
Joseph Blackman, IS, drayman..
killed Sunday morning, remains in
definite.
Rewards totaling Sits have been
posted for the killers arrest.
HTNI nnM nIHEn