Newspaper article:Crimes WR19170207p2 - Wooster Daily Republican February 7 1917
- Article title
- Stabs Man in Money Trouble
- Newspaper title
- Wooster Daily Republican
- Date of publication
- 1917/02/07
- Page number
- 2
- Organization
STABS MAN IN MONEY TROUBLE
How Butich, Now in Jail Here, Nearly Took Life of Foreigner at Ashland.
Steve Butich, who is in the county jail on a charge of stabbing Police Officer Ed Mills at Rittman a year ago, operated in Ashland under the name of James Arnskinsk. The following is from the Ashland Gazette of Tuesday:
What might have proved a serious stabbing affair occurred in the foreign settlement in the northwest part of Ashland, when a Slav, named James Arnskinsk, aged about 35 years, while in a state of intoxication attacked a native of Servia, Joseph Navorkovic, aged 40, late Saturday night.
As a result of an argument between these two foreigners over a money matter, Arnskinsk pulled a pocket knife from his pocket and viciously attacked Navorkovic, sticking the blade into the right side of the victim's body, a few inches below the shoulder and penetrating the flesh between the second and third ribs. It is believed that the wound would have been a serious one had the blade of the knife not gone through the thickness of the victim's coat, vest, shirt and undershirt, which prevented the blade sinking into his body deeper than it did. As it was, Navorkovic bled profusely, and he was taken to Samaritan hospital, in the belief the injury was inflicted more severe than it was. He was, however, able to leave the hospital the following day.
The affair occurred in the place of Sigmund Pior, on Willow street, where both men have been living for some weeks. Immediately after stabbing his victim, Arnskinsk hurried away from the Pior's home, which is known as "Jigger's place." In the meantime, a friend of Navorkovic went to Fredo's restaurant near the Erie station and called up the police station, stating that one of his countrymen had been badly stabbed and that officers and a doctor should come at once. Officers Schulte and Hayes and Dr. Meuser went in a taxi to Fredo's where they found the foreigner informant awaiting to take them to where the victim was lying. While Dr. Meuser was engaged in giving the wounded man medical attention, the officers instituted a search for the fellow who had inflicted the wound, and they located him at a house on Elm street, where he was found hiding beneath a bed. He was placed under arrest, and was taken to the city prison. While the officers were taking the prisoner to the taxi a crowd of foreigners, friends of the stabbed man, would have mobbed Arnskinsk had not the officers held them at bay with their guns.
While Arnskinsk was being held awaiting trial on the charge of stabbing with intent to wound, the information came to the local authorities from a couple of Navorkovic's Servian friends to the effect that the prisoner was a "bad actor." They stated that he was inclined to be of a quarrelsome nature when he had been drinking; that he had been in various stabbing affrays and that he was wanted at Rittman, O., where he had stabbed a deputy and almost killed him.
A telephone message to Rittman brought Marshal Schorger, of that Village, to Ashland Monday. He instantly recognized the prisoner as the fellow who, with three other drunken foreigners, one night a year and a half ago, while working for the salt works in Rittman, had attacked his deputy, Ed Mills, stabbing him eleven times, mostly in the back and one of his arms. All of the fellows got away except one. Arnskinsk, the leader of the gang went to Akron and three weeks ago came to Ashland from Kent, where he had been working at the division of the Erie railroad.
Police Judge Chorpening decided to let the Rittman authorities have the prisoner on the more serious charge of attempting to kill, so the local court assessed a fine and costs of $8.60 against him on the drunk and disorderly charge, which he paid, after which he was turned over to Marshal Schorger, who took Arnskinsk back with him to Rittman on Monday afternoon.