In late June 1928, Milton Trumbo, a miner, who was described as a “crazy drunk,” fired his shotgun into the chest of his close friend, Charles Kramer, also a miner, then turned the gun on himself. Kramer had been trying to pacify Trumbo who had made threats to his own family and to police who were trying to arrest him. Both men were taken to the hospital in Pottsville where Kramer died. After being on the critical list for several weeks, Trumbo recovered and was jailed awaiting a trial for murder. While in jail, Trumbo hanged himself, thus ending the prosecution of the case.
This story is told here through selected newspaper articles from local and area newspapers.
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From the Pottsville Republican & Herald, June 28, 1928:
“CRAZY DRUNK” MAY RESULT IN TWO DEATHS
Pine Grove Man Shoots Companion The Turns Gun on Self
Pottsville, June 28 [1928] — Milton Trumbo, 51, and his friend Charles Kramer, 50, are in serious condition here today from wounds inflicted by Trumbo while he was, according to State Police officers, “crazy drunk.” The men are miners.
Trumbo yesterday obtained a shotgun and terrorized the Pine Grove neighborhood, hear here. Kramer, a friend, sought to pacify and disarm him. He was shot and critically wounded.
Trumbo barricaded himself in his home and threatened to kill anyone who approached. State Troopers finally resorted to the use of tear gas bombs to force Trumbo’s surrender.
After shooting Kramer, and before surrendering, Trumbo turned the gun on himself.
Little hope is held for the recovery of either man.
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From the Pine Grove Press Herald, June 29, 1928:
TRAGEDY ON CARBON STREET
Wednesday afternoon there was enacted on Carbon Street a shooting affair that may prove fatal to one or both Milton Trumbo who shot Charles Kramer were friends for many tears, both employed at the Lincoln Colliery.
Trumbo was ill temper[ed] Wednesday from various causes and threatened to do himself bodily harm and annihilate the members of the family, it is alleged, for which he was threatened with arrest, and borough Constable Lyman Zimmerman was prepared to serve a warrant. When the constable appeared with officer Spangler, Trumbo was barricaded in his home and threatened the officer.
A call was made to Pottsville for a state officer or two to capture a desperate character who was barricaded in his home and defied arrest.
From early afternoon Trumbo’s actions inspired gossip and excited the curious. Charles Kramer, also known as “Swivel” and a World War veteran appears on the scene. Kramer, it is said, expressed no fear of Trumbo and came as a self-imposed pacifier, and gained the foot of the stairs of the Trumbo home but no further and engaged the man in conversation for some time.
It is believed the sight of the officer further angered Trumbo and that Kramer’s extended conversation was a ruse for delay until officer help arrived, and then he fired at Kramer with a shot gun inflicting probable fatal wounds. Trumbo then tried suicide but used poor aim for vital spots. Both were in pools of blood when taken by the officers. Dr. F. J. Walter was summoned who dressed their injuries until the ambulance from the Pottsville Hospital arrived, and the men taken to that institution, where it is reported Kramer died during Wednesday night. Kramer is survived by his widow, who was Catherine Smith and six small children.
The Carbon Street people of that section spent a hectic Wednesday afternoon and regret that their usually quiet neighborhood had to be marred by such a tragic affair.
Trumbo is in a serious condition at the Pottsville Hospital with serious charges against him. He has a family of grown children of quiet behavior for whom much sympathy is expressed.
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From the Elizabethville Echo, July 5, 1928:
SHOOTS FRIEND-PACIFIER
Coming home last Wednesday afternoon, in what police say was an intoxicated condition, Milton Trumbo, of Pine Grove threatened violence on members of his family and bodily harm to himself; and when a friend approached him in his barricaded home, to pacify him, shot him to death.
Local police officers approached the home but were unable to reason with the man, and State Police were called from Pottsville. While awaiting their arrival, Charles Kramer, a friend of Trumbo for many years and employed with him at the Lincoln Colliery mines, near Pine Grove, gained entrance to the house and tried to pacify him. Kramer, it is said, got as far as the stairway to the second floor, where he talked with Trumbo for some time, but the arrival of the officers it is believed caused the man to think his friend was only parleying with him as a ruse to gain time, and he shot him in the chest.
Before he was dislodged with tear bombs, Trumbo inflicted a serious wound on his body, and both men were rushed to Pottsville in a serious condition. There Kramer died at midnight, with his friend in critical condition.
Kramer is survived by his wife and six young children and Trumbo is father of a family of children who are also respected residents of Pine Grove.
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From the Pine Grove Press Herald, July 6, 1928:
INQUEST IN SHOOTING
An inquest into the death of Charles Kramer, aged 50, of Pleasant Valley, who died in the Pottsville Hospital on June 27 [1928], of gunshot wounds, inflicted by Milton Trumbo, of Pine Grove, was held at the office of F. J. Walter, Pine Grove, last Friday evening. During the takin of testimony, the statement made by the fatally wounded man before his removal to the Hospital, to the state police was legally drawn up and witnessed. The verdict rendered after the hearing of the facts in the case was that Charles Kramer come to his death from gunshot wounds, from a gun in the hands of Milton Trumbo.
Following the inquest held into the death of Charles Kramer, of Pine Grove, on Friday evening, the state police will lodge information against Trumbo. Information charging him with murder will be lodged against him at the office of Alderman Davis, of Pottsville. Trumbo at present is a patient in the Pottsville Hospital suffering from self-inflicted gunshot wounds of the head, fired after he had fired the fatal shots at his friend, Kramer. At the time of his admission to the hospital, his recoveryw as doubtful, but to date his condition is improved slightly.
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From the Pottsville Republican & Herald, July 11, 1928:
MOVED FROM HOSPITAL TO PRISON
Milton Trumbo, of Pine Grove, who has been a patient at a Pottsville Hospital for the past two weeks following an attempt to commit suicide after killing his friend, Charles Kramer, during a drunken rage, was committed to the county prison yesterday afternoon., following a hearing before Alderman Davies, of Pottsville. He was taken directly from the hospital to the alderman’s office and then to the jail. Kramer was shot with a shotgun when he attempted to pacify Trumbo during an attempt by police to arrest Trumbo for a breach of the peace at Trumbo’s home in Pine Grove. Kramer died almost instantly.
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From the Pottsville Republican & Herald, August 20, 1928.
MAN ENDED HIS LIFE IN THE COUNTY JAIL
Pottsville, August 20 [1928] — Milton Trumbo, aged about 65 years and awaiting trial at the September term of Criminal Court, hanged himself in his cell at the county prison here this morning. This disposes of one of the seven homicide cases listed for the coming term.
Trumbo was in good health when his cell was visited at 6 o’clock this morning and when Elmer Johnson, keeper, placed his cell on the blind at that hour which means the closing of the outer doors so that the prisoner may change clothes, etc.
At the time of the visit of Dominick Savaglia, whose duty it was to feed the prisoners in the section when Cell 8, which was occupied by Trumbo is located, the prisoner was found dangling from the iron door of his cell, his leather belt being used to strangle himself. As soon as the outer door was opened and his body was found dangling from the cell door, doctors were called and he was pronounced dead. The body was removed in charge of Claude Lord, the undertaker, who will prepare the same for burial.
Trumbo was arrested about two month ago for shooting Charles Kramer, at Pine Grove, after the two had an altercation over a division fence. Realizing what he had done Trumbo attempted suicide, but was unsuccessful. He was in the Pottsville Hospital for a time suffering from a bullet wound and upon his recovery was taken to prison to await trial. It is believed that the impending trial unbalanced his mind and that he took the shortest way out.
By his rash act the county is saved several thousand dollars worth of expense.
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From the Elizabethville Echo, August 23, 1928:
TAKES LIFE IN JAIL
When attendants of the Schuylkill County Jail at Pottsville entered his cell with breakfast on Monday morning, they found Milton Trumbo, 56 year old miner of Pine Grove, had committed suicide by hanging himelf on the door of his cell. Trumbo had used a sheet from his cot to commit the act.
The man was arrested on June 27th [1928] after he had fatally shot his friend, Charles Kramer, who attempted the role of pacifier after the man had threatened to harm members of his family.
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From the Pine Grove Press Herald, August 24, 1928:
MILTON TRUMBO SUICIDES
Milton Trumbo, aged 56, of this place [Pine Grove], who was in the county jail facing a charge of murder committed suicide at an early hour on Monday morning by hanging himself with a sheet from his bed to he door of his cell. He was found suspended in the air, his two feet from the floor, at seven o’clock when jail attendants went to give him his breakfast, and although the body was still warm when found, it was impossible to revive him. At six o’clock Elmer Johnson, guard at the prison, visited his cell and closed the outer wooded door. This done every morning at that hour so that prisoners may dress. Trumbo seemed to be in good spirits at that time and spoke pleasantly to Johnson.
When Dominick Savaglia took Trumbo’s breakfast to him shortly after 7 o o’clock he found him hanging at the end of his bed sheet. The other end of the sheet was tied in a huge knot to the bars at the top of the inner door.
The body was still warm when the guard found it. The alarm was sounded and Trumbo’s body was cut down. Dr. O. J. Carlin was called. He pronounced Trumbo dead at 7:30 o’clock.
Deputy Coroner Claude A. Lord removed the body to this place. The coroner announced that no inquest would be held. The prison authorities say that Trumbo had been a good prisoner. He caused them to trouble but at time appeared to be brooding over his act. It is believed that Trumbo bided his time, waited for the guard to close the outer wooden door and then hung himself immediately afterwards.
Trumbo’s trial was listed for the next term of court, when he was to stand trial for the fatal shooting of Charles Kramer, also known as “Swivel” Kramer, aged 50, a husky world war veteran, of Pleasant Valley, on June 27th of this year [1928]. The shooting was a most sensational one. Trumbo had been drinking heavily, had been threatening the lives of his family with a shotgun. When Constable Lyman Zimmerman tried to arrest him, he threatened the constable and barricaded himself in the house and would not come out. As neighbors and friends were trying to gain entrance to the home, Kramer who worked at Lincoln Colliery with Trumbo, heard of the trouble, and offered his services to Constable Zimmerman, but the latter warned Kramer to keep away from the place, but Kramer said he and Trumbo were close friends and insisted on going to the house and talk to the man. In the meantime, Constable Zimmerman telephoned to the state police for help.
Kramer went in and the men talked for about half an hour and when Kramer was about to leave Trumbo shot him as he was coming down the stairs. The state police, who had been summoned in the meantime, used tear bombs to get Trumbo to come out and when they gained entrance they found that Trumbo had turned the gun on himself. Both men were taken to the Pottsville hospital, where Kramer died that night. Trumbo, whose condition was critical for a time, recovered and was removed to the county jail where his trial was scheduled for the coming term of court. It is believed Trumbo’s attorney would have endeavored to have lunacy proceedings instituted and tried to get him into the home for the criminally insane at Far View.
The funeral took place this Thursday morning from his late home on Carbon Street and was strictly private.
Interment was made on Manbeck’s Church Cemetery, north of Rock. To survive are the widow, three grown sons and two daughters.
The Kramer-Trumbo tragedy is now a closed book. Both families have the sympathy of the community.
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