BY GLANCING SHOT.
BULLET INTENDED FOR A NEGRO
REBOUNDS FROM A RIB.
INNOCENT BYSTANDER MAY DIE.
SERIOUSLY WOUNDED BEFORE
MISSILE HAD SPENT FORCE.
Intended Victim Almost Unharmed, While
Man Who Stood Near Has Only
Slight Chance for Recover --
Because Dishes Were
Not Washed.
A bullet fired by Andrew Johnson, a negro, last night at 814 Independence avenue, pierced the side of Edward Maymon, another negro, and struck Morris Hieth, a white man, in the abdomen. Hieth may die. The shooting took place in the general store off Jacob Louis, Hieth's brother-in-law. Hieth was taken at once to the emergency hospital, where Dr. W. A. Shelton made an examination and discovered that the bullet had penetrated the intestines. The injured man was later operated upon by Dr. St. Elmo Sanders at the General hospital. Maymon went to his home, 548 Campbell street, after being treated and said he didn't intend to lose a day's work.
Maymon runs a rooming house at 548 Campbell street. Johnson and his wife room there. Maymon has several roomers and only one kitchen, which each person is supposed to clean up after it has been used.
"When Johnson and his wife go t through using it tonight," said Maymon, "they left all the utensils dirty. I spoke to him about it and told him the place must be left clean. He got mad, one word led to another and he left, saying he would 'get' me.
"In a few minutes I went up on Independence avenue to get an officer and met Johnson. I knew from the way he acted that he had a pistol, so, when I got close enough to him, I knocked him down twice. Just then a wagon drove between us or I would have taken his weapon away. In front of Louis' store he shot at me, but the bullet went wild. I ran into the store and he started up the street, but came back, walked into the store and shot me. I felt the bullet pierce my side and heard a man behind me say, 'Gott im Himmel. I'm shot.' I left and went home."
H. M. Green, 631 Campbell street, was a witness to the street fight preceding the shooting and also the shooting. He said had the wagon not separated the men Maymon would have bested Johnson and there would have been no casualties.
Jack Spillane, a former police officer, was on Independence avenue near the scene. He saw Johnson, revolver in hand, as he ran out of Louis' store east to Campbell street and north on Campbell street. Spillane chased Johnson for two blocks and fired two shots at him, but neither is believed to have taken effect. Johnson ran through a saloon at Fifth and Campbell streets and disappeared.
Jacob Louis, owner of the store at 814 Independence avenue, is a brother-in-law of the injured man. Hieth is a laborer, works for the Santa Fe railway and has eight children. He has been here only eight months, coming from Russia. Hieth and his family live over the store in which he was shot.
"Heith was standing on the east side of the door facing south when the negro ran in after a shot had been fired," said Mr. Louis. "We thought it was all over when the other man returned. He entered the door with his revolver drawn and when within ten feet of his victim, shot at him. Hieth was standing a little behind and to one side of the negro who was shot. He dropped to the floor and said: 'Gott im Himmel. I'm shot.' and immediately became unconscious. The negro, Maymon, walked out as if nothing was the matter."
The bullet pierced Maymon's left side, striking the tenth rib and making only a superficial would. The holes where the bullet entered and came out are about three inches apart. The same bullet then glanced off and struck Hieth. Probing failed to locate the bullet.
George Martin, a negro who rooms at Maymon's house, heard the first quarrel in the yard and heard Johnson say he was going after a revolver. "He was gone about twenty minutes," said Martin. "I think he must have gone down town or some place else after the gun. When he came back he had it and said he was going to kill Maymon. He went into the house looking for him and I advised him to go to bed but he seemed bent on murder."
Johnson is a tall, brown skinned negro. He wore a black soft hat and a light overcoat when he disappeared after the shooting. Up to a late hour last night he had not been captured.
