Gunshot wound.
Dayton Daily News, Dayton, Ohio; Sunday, 14 DEC 1924, page 1 (Newspapers.com):
HENRY GEBHART IS SHOT DOWN AFTER WOUNDING RELATIVE
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Fatal Bullet of Constable Earl Severs Ends Reign of Terror in Carrmonte Home Saturday Night
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SLAIN MAN HAD THREATENED WIFE AND CHILD, IS REPORT
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Aid of Law Summoned by Youthful Brother-In-Law After Escaping House – Offender Possessor of Criminal Record.
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Henry Gebhart, 36, of 12 Crawford st., former boxer, ex-convict and alleged bootlegger and gambler, was shot and killed Saturday night by Constable Earl Severs, after shooting his brother-in-law, Marvin Balizet, 22, an affray at the Balizet home, 24 Carrollton av., Carrmonte.
Gebhart had been separated from his wife, Mrs. Burdette Gebhart, 24, since June, 1924, and she was living with her parents at the Carrmonte address.
Shortly before six o’clock Saturday night he appeared at the house, intoxicated, and entered the building to accost his wife and four-months-old baby in the front room.
“I came to finish things tonight,” he is reported to have shouted. “You and the baby will be under six feet of earth by tomorrow morning.”
Gebhart was armed with two revolvers, one in each hand. The wife and baby fled from the front room to the kitchen, joining Mrs. Laura Balizet, Mrs. Gebhart’s mother, and Kenneth Balizet, 17, her brother.
Gebhart followed into the kitchen and, pointing the two guns at the group, announced he would “finish with all of them,” it was stated.
Altice Balizet, 15, another brother of Mrs. Gebhart, heard the noise from upstairs, where he was taking a bath, and made his way downstairs and out of the house unnoticed.
He rushed to Constable Severs’ home about a block distant and finding the Severs was away, informed Mrs. Severs of what was transpiring and went to tell his brother Marvin at the Dixie garage.
Marvin procured a revolver and went to the house. He entered and went to the kitchen. Gebhart fired twice at him according to the story told by witnesses.
One of the shots wounded Marvin in the right thigh, the wounded man rolling down a stairway to the basement. From that point, Marvin fired at Gebhart but the bullet missed.
In the meantime, Mrs. Severs had phoned the county jail and Sheriff Howard E. Webster sent Severs, Constable W. J. Sidwell, and J. E. Watts, state prohibition inspector, to the rescue.
Altice found the officers and directed them to the house, where they divided forces, Sidwell and Watts remaining at the front entrance while Severs went to the rear.
Severs opened the kitchen door and told Gebhart that if he raised his pistol, he would kill him. Gebhart aimed.
Severs immediately drew his revolver and fired three shots, two of which passed over Gebhart’s head and lodged in the wall while the third punctured his right lung, entering just below the arm socket.
Toppling to his knees, Gebhart drew his other pistol and aimed at Sidwell who, with Watts, upon hearing the shots, had rushed to the rear of the house.
Sidwell jumped upon the kneeling man and hit him across the forehead with the butt of his revolver.
Gebhart died about 15 minutes later.
Gebhart had boasted he’d “get” Severs if the constable ever came for him, it was declared.
Sheriff Webster and Albert H. Scharrer, the prosecuting attorney hurried to the scene and after a careful investigation announced there was no ground for action against the officers.
Scharrer said the evidence showed Gebhart was “crazed with drink” and was entirely responsible for the shooting.
After examination of the body, Coroner E. E. Kimmel turned it over to C. E. West, undertaker.
Marvin Balizet was taken to St. Elizabeth’s hospital, where his wound was treated. He was released the same night.
Gebhart had gone under the alias of “Hart,” it was stated, and bragged about himself as “Two-gun-man Hart.” He was an alleged bootlegger and had appeared several times before Squire Bert Badgley on charges of violating the liquor laws, the officers stated.
Tom Gebhart, brother of the slain man, was sent to the Ohio State penitentiary at Columbus, about four years ago for shooting and wounding Police Sergt. Ed. Poland. Poland was seeking to arrenst him, near the fairgrounds, when the shooting took place.
Gebhart had been to the house several times before the visit Saturday night, it was reported, and had often threatened to kill his wife. He had $225 in his pockets when he was slain, including a $100 bill.
Everett Baker, a neighbor, told Scharreer he saw Gebhart come to the Balizet home Saturday night and that he was “crazy drunk”.
The Gebharts were married Dec. 1, 1922, and separated in June, 1924. Mrs. Gebhart filed a suit for divorce in July, 1924. On Oct. 1, 1924 she had him arrested for non-support and Domestic Relations Judge Roland W. Baggott ordered him to pay $10 a week for support of his wife and child. He paid less than half that amount, it was stated.
Gebhart served a term at the penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., for blackmail, was arrested on Nov. 17, 1910, and served other times, for obtaining money under false pretenses, was arrested in Indiana for burglary and in 1921 was held for selling mortgaged property, police records show.
In his younger days he was an amateur boxer, appearing at a number of ring events in Dayton.
Constable Severs Saturday afternoon had informed fellow officers at the county jail that during his service as a constable he had only once been forced to draw his revolver.
While working as a B. & O. railroad guard in 1920 Severs shot two men dead and wounded another. He shot a colored man who was attempting to steal whisky from a freight car in Dayton, the victim dying after being removed to Troy, and slew Charles Schulthies on Easter Sunday of the same year, when Schulthies attempted to break into a car of merchandise at Hamilton. Both Schulthies and his companion, Hibby Lentz, were armed and in addition to killing Schulthies Severs wounded Lentz.
[ Photos as referenced ]
Constable Earl Severs, who shot and killed Henry Gebhart Saturday night, is shown at the upper right. Beside him is Gebhart, shown as he appeared several years ago as a boxer in Dayton rings.
Below at the left is Altice Balizet, 15, who escaped from the home in which Gebhart was stating a reign of terror, to summon the aid of Constable Severs.
In the center is Marvin Balizet, brother-in-law of Gephart (sic), who was wounded by a bullet from the ex-boxer’s pistol.
At the right is shown the latest picture of Gebhart.