In the Day: Former Ellwood chief involved in more than one shooting

ELLWOOD CITY ― If you remember the name of Ellwood City Police Chief Ernie Hartman it is probably because of his role in the infamous shootout with bank robbers at the north end of the Fifth Street Bridge in 1941.

That event ended with two bank robbers dead and one wounded, and the details have been repeated time and time again over the years. Hartman's niece Tracie L. Haswell of Ellwood said her uncle received newspaper articles about the big shootout from all over the world.

Infamous incident: Louise Carroll: Remembering the 1941 bank robbers shootout in Ellwood City

But Hartman also was involved in another encounter with a robber that is lesser known.

The story of Hartman's encounter with another robber happened in September 1939 when Hartman, then a lieutenant, fatally shot a robber.

According to an article in the Sept. 16, 1939. New Castle News, at 9:15 p.m. the day before the police received a call from attorney Allen D. Keller that the Morris Keller home at Sixth Street and Park Avenue had been robbed of valuable jewelry and other articles between 7 and 9 p.m.  Local police were sent to various streets heading out of town to watch for the suspects.

Hartman went to the intersection of Line and Wampum avenues leading to the New Castle Road and saw a man, who identified himself as Joe George from Youngstown, trying to hitchhike. In the day it was known as thumbing a ride.

When Hartman approached the suspect to search him, the suspect threw tear gas into Hartman's eyes.

Hartman said he thought he was shot and fired his gun at the retreating man.

John Runyon owner of Runyan's Service Station heard two shots fired and then four more in rapid succession. Runyan ran outside and found Hartman lying on the street and called for help. Hartman was taken to the local hospital where he was suffering from painful eye burns. The next day it was reported Hartman had not regained his sight and the extent of the burns had not been fully determined.

Other officers, including state troopers, were called to the scene and conducted an unsuccessful search of the neighborhood.

At 2 a.m., J.E. McDanel of Jefferson Street notified police that an injured man was lying on his front porch. Police took the man to the hospital where an examination disclosed he had been shot through the lungs.

Later that night Officer Ricer found a gas gun and a flashlight in the bushes where the fatality happened.

In Hugh Holliday's garden on Haig Street some boys found a box of candy, two boxes of handkerchiefs with the initial K and jewelry later identified as the loot taken from the Keller home.

On Sept. 19 it was reported there was no change in Hartman's condition. He had not regained his sight and a hospital attendant said the extent of the burns had not been fully determined.

Also on Sept. 19, the robber died of his injuries and then was identified as Walter Rausch of Sampson Street in New Castle by his son Don. The body was taken to the J.I. Porter mortuary. No funeral plans had been made.

On Sept. 25, Hartman was discharged from the hospital, but he needed to remain in bed for some time. The doctor reported his vision would not be impaired.

In October 1939, a coroner's jury held an inquest into Rausch's death and found Hartman acted in the line of duty and in self-defense after being shot in the face with tear gas.

Hartman said when he was searching Rausch he felt a gun in the man's pocket and as he backed away a red flare flashed in his eyes and he thought he had been shot in the head.

"I started crossfire, then began to strangle and it came to me that I had been hit with tear gas," Hartman said.

The next year Hartman became the chief of police and served as a policeman for 18 years.

Hartman and his wife, Verna Haswell Hartman, lived in an apartment on Seventh Street between Bell and Lawrence avenues. Haswell said she was told that when the fire alarms went off, Hartman would run to the fire station and make it there before the firemen. They later moved to a cottage on McKim Street.

For 38 years, Hartman and his wife ran Hartman's Maytag Sales & Service at 205 Fifth St.

"Even though they owned a Maytag store and owned a brand new washer and dryer that they kept in storage, my aunt washed clothes on the washboard," Haswell said.

The Hartmans did not have children, and Haswell said Hartman didn't particularly like children.

"But he thought a lot of my son Johnny and told my parents that he was well-behaved and they could bring him back anytime to visit," Haswell said.

Hartman died in 1989 shortly before his 61st wedding anniversary. Verna died in 1998 at age 90.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: In the Day: Former chief Hartman involved in a lesser-known shooting