Old Newspaper Clippings


From: Times, December 28, 1922

NEAR TRAGEDY OCCURS SATURDAY NIGHT

AUTOMATIC USED IN CELEBRATING XMAS NEARLY CAUSES DEATH OF TWO

          There came near being one of the worst tragedies in the annals of this city's history Saturday night about 8 o'clock, when Mrs. Bev Stelle and Gail Barker were shot by an automatic pistol, fired by Paul Shaffer, proprietor of a small restaurant on the southwest corner of the square.

          A number of small boys were in front of the Shaffer restaurant just before the accident occurred shooting fireworks.  Mrs. Shaffer stepped out of his place of business with an automatic pistol with the intention of showing the boys some real fireworks.  He started shooting into the ground, but as he continued firing, the reaction of the gun raised it, causing him to shoot at the brick pavement.  At about this time Mr. and Mrs. Stelle, accompanied by Gail Barker were walking up Washington street toward the square, on the opposite side of the street from the restaurant and had reached the alley just opposite the Shaffer restaurant, when the shooting began.  One of the glancing bullets truck Mrs. Stelle in the jaw lodging in the jaw bone, another of the bullets went through Mrs. Barker's clothing and grazed his abdomen.

          Mrs. Stelle was taken to the Walker Hospital in Evansville immediately after the shooting, where it was found necessary to extract three teeth to dislodge the bullet.  Mrs. Stelle is not dangerously injured, but is suffering considerably from the shock.

          Gail was not seriously injured, but likewise suffered quite a shock.

          Mr. Shaffer was immediately place under arrest.



Back to Hamilton County  Back to Newspaper Clippings