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The Morning Press, Bloomsburg, PA

Friday, June 26, 1931

 

DEWALD READY TO BE SENTENCED FOR

SHOOTING E. KLINE

 

Pleads Guilty Before Justice

And Signs Written

Confession

 

THREW GUN INTO CREEK

Kline Improves from Wound

in Head and Attends

the Hearing

 

     Chester Dewald, 19, of Fishingcreek township, who Wednesday night shot Emory Kline, 62, of Orange township, in the head when only five feet away, said yesterday that he only wanted to wound Kline so that he could not work, to satisfying a grudge he has carried against the older man who, he says, caused him to lose his job three years ago.

     Dewald pleaded guilty to felonious assault and battery with intent to kill when arraigned before justice of the peace George A. Zeigler, of town, yesterday morning at 10:30 o’clock. Sheriff Arthur Rabb, who took Dewald into custody three hours after the shooting Wednesday night, is the prosecutor.

     Kline, with the bullet still lodged in the back of his head, was at the hearing as was Perry McHenry, employer of Kline and on whose farm the shooting occurred. Physicians who examined  the bullet would sustained by Kline say that it a superficial wound with the bullet  probably of .22 caliber although Dewald says that he used a .38 caliber weapon which he later threw into Fishingcreek.

     A written confession was made by Dewald yesterday in which he gave a minute account of the crime and in which he says that after wounding Kline he fired two shots at both Kline and McHenry although he says his grudge was only against Kline. The latter did not seem to recall much about working with Dewald at a saw mill near Buckhorn about three years ago when he is alleged to have taken Dewald’s job.

     Kline said that when the bullet struck midway up the back of his head it stung as though he had been hit with a stone. It made him dizzy and forced him to bend over, with his hand striking the ground, but it did not knock him down and at no time was he unconscious.

     The bullet then took a downward course and was found lodged in the head when an X-ray picture was taken yesterday at the Bloomsburg Hospital. Kline believed Wednesday night that the bullet had come out but this proved not to be the case.

     Dewald in pleading guilty said that he wanted to “get kid of Kline so he could not work any more” but did not want to kill him. Dewald appeared rather unconcerned at the hearing and immediately afterward was taken back to the county jail. He may be taken before the court at the routine session Monday.

Dewald’s Confesstion

     The written confession given by Dewald follows:
     “I, Chester Dewald, East Fishingcreek township, Columbia County, Pa., aged 19 years, single, woodsman, do hereby make the following statements of my own free will without use of force, fear, threats, promise or coercion on the part of any one, being warned of my rights and that anything I say may be used against me in court.

     I left my home about 2:30 o’clock and went to Orangeville, then to Light Street, Pa., where I left about five o’clock and went to the home of Perry McHenry, Orange township, where I had often visited before. I had supper with them and then went to the barn with Mr. McHenry and Emory Kline. After being at the barn a short time we started towards the house and I then shot Emory Kline in the head with a .38 caliber revolver that I had hid in my hip pocket. Mr. Kline fell to the ground and McHenry bent over to miss any shots that might be fired later. I then shot twice in the direction of both men. I started running in the direction of my home going to Bowman’s bridge and up the railroad track to the intersection of the forks of Huntington and Fishingcreek where I threw the revolver into the creek at this point. I then preceded on towards my home and about three quarters of a mile from home I was apprehended by Sheriff Arthur Rabb. My reason for making this assault on Mr. Kline I had previously worked with him about three years ago at which time he took my job and I always had it in my mind that some time I would get him. I made two prior visits to the home of Mr. McHenry before my opportunity came and my intention was to cripple Mr. Kline so that he could not work any more.

“Chester Dewald.”