COWBOY AND PUGILIST

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 173, 31 October 1910, Page 7

COWBOY AND PUGILIST

HOW KETCHEL DIED. New York, October If. Stanley Ketchel, the world's middleweight champion boxer, is dead, as the result of a murderous attack that was made upon him yesterday morning. Ketchel, who, a short while hack injured hie foot, and whose fight w'itli Hill Lang had to be postponed as a consequence, had been recuperating at a ranch five milea out of Comvajv a small thown 30 miles from Springfield^Massachusetts. On Friday night Ketchel tutd" OireHurtz, a man who is employed by the owner of the ranch,, had a wordy encounter. Ten men afterwards went to bed, amd nothing more was thought of the matter, though others who were present now recall the ugly mood that Hurtz was in when he retired for the night. Ketchel was up early yesterday morning, and was having breakfast at halfpast six, when Hurts entered the ranch house and, pqinting a rifle at KeteheL told him to throw up his hands. Although taken by surprise, Ketchel remained cool. Instead of doing as requested he rose from the table, with his back half turned to Hurtz, when the latter fired a shot, the bullet striking Ketchel below the right shoulder blade and entering the right lung.

Hearing the report of firearms, a man named Bailey rushed in, but was just in time to see the assailant disappearing through the doorway. "He shot me!" feebly cried the wounded boxer, pointing in the direction Hurtz had gone. Ketchel then briefly related what had happened, when lie became unconscious, and in that condition was conveyed to Springfield. Here he was admitted to the local hospital, where, however, he died at 7 o'clock last night. Hnrtz, the man by whom Stanley Ketchel was killed, is still dodging the police. The police, however, are not the only people who are looking for Hurtz. There are many others at Conway, up Massachusetts way, who have been impressed not only with the foulness of the crime, but also with Millionaire Dickerson's grim offer of £IOOO for the murderer's body; nothing if taken alive." Th? authorities have been trying to discover something of Kurtz's history, but beyond the fact that the man recently left the navy it is not much that they have found out so far. He arrived at Dickerson's ranch only last Wednesday, and was accompanied by a W'linr.u whose name is given as Fannie Hurtz. it is not yet quite clear what part this woman played in the tragedy, but it is firmly believed that she had a hand in it. '\s a matter of fact, she is suspected of having lured the dead boxer to a chair which rhe had placed in such a position that it-; occupant could not see anyone who left the house by the front door. It was while sitting so that Ketchel was shot. It is believed that Hurtz was simply the tool of this woman, and that it was at her instigation that he picked a quarrel with Ketchel.