Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-08-04
Shocking Tragedy-Gambling and It's Conse.
quences, &c.

On Saturday morning, at about quarter past
hve O'clock, shocking tragedy occurred at the
Moses, at the time designated temporary bar
keeper, was heard crying murder, as he was run
ming in his night clothes from the hall of the
third floor Of the main building; and on the ap-
proach OF those attracted by the cry, he retreated
to his room and his bed, some twenty feet from
the stairway He was found in his bed with his
throat cut and bleeding profusely. The mating
on the passage floor was literally covered with
blood to the stairway Upon inquiry, the diving
man said that James p. Donnelly, the book keeper
of the house, had killed him that during the
night they bad been gambling, that deceased had
won some fifty five dollars Of Donnelly, and that
the assassination was the result of a desperate
resolution on the part of Donnelly to recover the
money.
Upon the strength of the testimony before Cor.
oner Connery, an examination was made Of the
water closets Of the back yard, and lot of bank
nliis, torn In pieces, were fshed up from the sink
Inc money consisted of one hundred dollar
Dill and number of small bills. the whole
amounting, we understand, to about one hund red
and sixty dollars. The kew of the safe in the
morning could not be found. Donnelly could give
no account Of it; and the dirk knife of which he
was known to be possessor, and with which il is
believed he committed the MURDER was probably
thrown into the river
Donnelly appears to be some IS or IS years of
age, is small man, very pale, and manifestly
very excitable and impulsive. Yet he bore him.
self very well under the trying circumstances of
MS sltuaion-he was neither stolidly ind fferent
"oi ooJeNt vi WEAKLY COHIuseU, out seemed 10 feel
at once becoming regret for the catastrophe and
the necessity of keeping awake all his faculties
IN his own defence. In his evidence before the
coroner jury, Donnelly testified that he belonged
TO Washington city. Moses appears to have been
nearly the same age, and has led a rambling and
irregular life. though not regarded as belliger-
ent or quarrelsome character
The prisoner, when about being sent to Jail
desired to send telegraphic message to a lady
IN Washington, to whom he says he is engaged
TO tie married. His counsel advised him not to
send the message, as it would get the young la
dy's name into the papers. The prisoner there
upon desisted The purport of the message was
10 tell the young lady that lie innocent of the
CRIME with which be is charged.
Donnelly is a graduated physician: he entered
college at Georgetown, and graduated at Mt St
Mary's College, Md Among his effects is an Of
nee sign. He spent several years of his life i'm
Montreal; was born in No. 30 Mercer street. New
YORK. His father is a man of quite moderate
means in Brooklyn, and does now or did short
tune ago, keep tailor shop there. His mother
Is dead. He has three sisters, two of whom are
married. He is the only SON
lie appears to have kept a large quantity of
spurious money about him. and made use of it
when he had an opportunity of doing so. On
Friday be gave spurious 81 bill to Mrs. Smith,
the iandlady On being questioned about the
spurious money by the coroner's court he said
that was usual for all persons in his position in
hotel to have quantity of such money