New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-03
THE FULTON-AVENUE TRAGEDY.
INVESTIGATION BEFORE THE CORONER
AND A JURY.

The investigation into the Circumstances Of the
Death of Charles johnson, who was killed ON sunday
morning by being stabbed with knife III the hands OF
Micl sel German, on the corner of Fulton-sy anu
Ravnond-st. was commenced before Coroner Red
ding and the following Jury in the Governors room,
BROOKLYN City Hail, yester lay afternoon; Garret
Van Dyne Samuel johnson, John Smith, Patrick
I4opard John Radford, Joseph Edwards. Nicholas
Ann ermsn William Gsscoigne and David Ffthian.
Justice Curtis stated that be appeared as counsel for
prisoners and asked leave TO croSs-examne witnesses
if there was no legal objection.
The Coroner denied the request, the ground that
this was IN inquest to ascertain the cause Of death
and not the trial of the perpetrators.
Cherries Livingston, private watchman sworn
Between 10 and II O'Clock passed down Fu'ton-sv.
and saw parties sitting there; between IL and IL
saw them their still; after O'Clock saw them again;
heard one Ierson Fay Where DO you live You'd bet
"ter 20 lome;" / walked down towards DE X alb-
av. and heard one cry out, " IN Killed or 81 ID
" 81 bIed; starred on run and got about 10 or ~
e ct from where the party was aud raped nv cldO
rappeo several times and came nearer; saw Mchaei
MCGormen in tie act Of sis5bng spraug o. him, ana
he st1auC to~aid me; / told lin to drop his KIN fe
srd Be s1id D-n yon. III stick youi hit him 90
the hand he ran and after lin, and Int mn again,
when 10y club spit; when got 10 corner OF Dekalb
aid MaIy-st stfu an mrsp, Dut my ciuo oelhg
4
Myre-ay end Navy ST, and informed an otficer that
uIee men wee stabbed this officer CASTER he
gave the olaim rap and Officers Skldmore and Nesor
81 me up Officer NeisOr and ny self got up to the cor
rer where the stabbing took place; q young man
nemed Campbell Nth this party that came up 10
those Oh the corner, SAW no one attempting to stab or
ineTi, r. but German; one OF tue two men stabbed
think was wi 9 on his sde-tbe other leading on h5
herd; assi led III getting them into q wagon and
taking them 10 the Hosptl y Dung man dressed in
ci u and irook coat was holding The man most ured
up one Of them told his side all RAINING out
never knew Gorman did rot know that that was
his uaire ] Identified him rs the one who had stabbed
the Oh en- at the Staol Hone; he wore str Nv hat
lJusiice Curtis renewed his motion TO cro>s-exifnne
Witnesses, and The Coroner again denied 1t on the
statement of the Dstfict-AtOrney that there could
be 10 pretensiors of legal right 10 do So
Resumed The knife being produced was identified
by the witness. II is a wbite-handed 'hrk with
blade about Al inches in leogth, the point broken off,
and cork-screw. 1t is still covered with blooi.l
attempted 10 grab the knife when came up to GOr.
man; he struck at me and then hit him on the hand
with my club; was about IS feet distant when saw
bin tie knife the man that had the knife had the
ole by tie right hsno and plunged it into him.
Josiah Chester sworn--Am a policeman of the
Fourth District; eree ted Michael German Just as he
was going into God-st from Fulton and De X ilh-
avs; some persons told me that maa had passed
that way and inquire ed for officer, saying that some
men had been stabbed; when took hold of tho pris-
oner he struck at and settled him with my club;
be said had killed three and would like to kill more
Enelshmcn aud lrshmen; threatened to kill me, an
ask ed if could blame him for trying TO escape; san
he meant 10 kill me if he had got loose the two men
living OH The pavement appeared TO be drunk; after
came back to where the stabbing occurred, one of
them still lay there-the other had been taken OIL by
ali officer four persons were lying on the ground
two of them were stabbed; German appeared to be
soler; lie had been drinking as L judged from the
smell Of his BREATH officer Skidmore aided me In his
arrest.
Nm. Henry, Id, swom-Is physician at the Brook
AoI nd lnvf in Tho
post-rnOTtcm examination of the boly; there one
punoturod wound on left side of thorax between 9Th
and 9Th ribs; Two wounds superficial In the 5utocks,
one wound inner aspect of right arm, two or three
inches below the border of the axada; one wound IN
abdominal wall three inches below umbilcus IN the
left lilac region about one inch wide al bottom, two
inches long in an upward direction, though thus wound
was prot udng when bTOus bt 10 the Hospital u mass
Of nteslincs about the size of three fssl upon zen
ing the thorax there fOuud in the left peural cav
ity about -four of blood and in the anterior IN
rior portion Of tic lower lobe OF the left lung pune
tured wound portion of the small intestine was
found reddeDed and the junction of the gegeunun
and ilhum wound dividing the gut iransverseiy, and
about eight inches from il another transhxing the IN
testl es and wounding II ia two points; there was also
a large quantity of blood in The abdominal cavity;
the first wound sewed mp; they were sufficient 10
cause death; the examination was made eleven hours
after DEATH
Dr. Samuel Boyd testified 10 aiding at the exlmina-
ton with Drs. Babcock and EuOs.
The affidavit of Robert johnson, taken by Capt. X
w Call on the morning after the stabbing, was intro
duced. 1t reads as follows:
BROOKLYN, July 1, 1875
Robert Johnson being duly before Of the Cap
tsin Police Of the City Of Brooklyn That on tae
morning Of the LIT day OF July about II O'Clock, himself VIII
lem and Charles JOhson and two OF three ohsr PeTs ms
he know, going 70 the BEDFORD
the Of FulOnay and RsymOndt that they
saw thee lying the side OF the curb stone The Two
bows that were with them up gobome. They
Feared to be very uuk One Of them got up and grabbed
Charles who immediately followed out that he was murdered
went 10 see what tho with my brother when tho
{
sworn before me, X. w. CALL, Capt Police.
TIE investigation was adjourned until this morning
at "a O'clock.
Robert johnson was still alive last evening. The
other man, McDonough, appears to be getting along
very well.