A Cat and a Woman

Caused Steubenville Man To Make Use of His Shotgun

Steubenville, O., June 21.

Meler Osman shot and killed Mike Demick, shot and seriously wounded his wife and then attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself. Osman quarreled with a neighbor, Joseph Benitski, over a cat and ran into his house to obtain a shotgun with which to shoot Benitski. In the room where Osman kept his gun he found Demick, who was a boarder in the Osman residence, caressing Mrs. Osman. Obtaining his gun, Osman fired a load of fine shot into Demick's chest, causing almost instant death. Mrs. Osman ran and was shot in the back. Osman then turned the gun upon himself and fired, but failed to inflict a dangerous wound. He pointed the gun at his head and was attempting to fire a second shot into his body, when a policeman, who was attracted by the cries of Mrs. Osman, entered the house and arrested him.

The Hamilton County Ledger, Nobleville, Indiana, 22 June 1909, p. 5