New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-06-02
a SECESSIONIST SHOT IN THE EIGHTH
WARD,

shooting of man named John Swain for using violent
Secession language Tie melancholy affair took place
in lager beer saloon in the bas- ment Of No. l9J
Prince street, kept BY John II. Immens. IL appears
that Swain, who keeps bakery in the same building,
engaged in conversation with young man named
Henry Merritt sign painter, and member OF nose
COMPANY No 49, III tho course OF which he denounced
the Government of the United States, claiming tuab
" aly man who was lot Il SouiherDeT, and would not
side with the South in bauling down the Stars ana
StriTes and tramplng them under foot III dtfeLse OF
what he claimed TO be their rights, was ID
coward aud was ft oily 10 be Chased with snch
arb trary Abuliionisis Abe Lin,oln.'
Imn ediately, alter utteriDg these sentiments ana
much more of The same sort he went toward the door
with intent to leave, when Merritt VINO was ea'iy
exasperaied with snch ireasOna lie deDuntalob seized
a horse-pistol aud fred Swain as be Stop ed atu
turned toward the bar The bill entered The lett
lreast near the heart killing bin almost instantly:
As he iell TO the floor he exclaimed, -, my HOdi
and exI tired. Merritt at once LETT the place out Tie
1et crt If tie pistol had attracted large crowd oil peO-
rle aud Sergeant Wade of the Eighth Precinc with
body of police but they did not succeed in arresiug
Merritt. At 6I O'Clock Merritt appeared at The Sta
ton House and delivered himelf up 70 Capt Holmes,
and was forthwith locked mp. Both men bore excel
lent char 4cters in the Eighth Wsrd Tue excitement
throu1 out the Ward especislly in the neghborhood
Of the saloon, was very great lill past midnight.
Coroner Schirmer, hela an Inquest on saturday
morning, al the Eighth Ward Slatlon'doute, When
tie following testimony wes elected;
Edward c. INN. Jepo,ed am 20 years Of aud live at
No l9 Prince sre where ssnda soon for ny iAihsr yes
erds, afternoon sbou; O'Clock, Samuel Merritt Mr. Salmon
Mr. Swain aud m,.lf in the faonn the three were ait
table dnnsiug sgeIDie eni d.eu'.iog P'hti they
lnoS ledgrd II at he secesson au would like TO
Two Southern ,1a ns 80
about il and high words snued wsned
u1 4S s sf sa 81 Eat bs DID not ,y the
nthng aud waiting lor him 70 ,ay IL do not TO
Mv thrsan The decrared he psto ives held p iptsa by
Mr. Meni abon, minute ere ii vas hTtd and had 10
idea that Mr. Merritt going TO shoot the drc"aed Ny
Swan up minute then etDed against tn, wal.
| be was shot thew were both very much excited
offensive sneusg- paced between them they d.
.sw in the hand. Of mi bierrt l never before
T"n ont Of he fslodp without saying word, did
see him lay the pi,to bot laying afterwards
ing US; IN few minutes and t9oA possession
OF tie pistol sd Iep' "a'co over tue IAse naa eee s a.
ssid when p,tol OH M,nit and Swain both az So
dor; did not see lie pistol Mr.. mris hand until
toe were stsndng near the door did not see MI
1t; / csnn.t cay toe pistol belongs 70 Af hr,iHt
Police eepo-ed Yesterday afternoon about 0eloeA man
stopped Station aud that nsn had been bot
N .aoon Pic &c street ohcer aui'sn around 70 inc
pare END followed coud and when entering the
made iuques found the Isoi aud TIE two Win.e,
Imm-us nd Sslon Mr. lnmenss a1"d n Tue p,to 90 no,
belong to hun; the two "i9e'. S.fe onfhi mere oS ny
and hat but four in the ,sloon al the Jim
himself deceased Salmon sLd Merits Mr. Merritt came TO the
q
me- he aid he they OokDs for LiG aud he
came q give himself up. o.,
No a Maedoug Mr. Immense saloon ye.Iriday
Ana 'cef h.ys las s of ss ra in TO-
griber had n fO about 'e yesr. be a Trend 81
% vas no p else present we sat down and called
Of 9s S I'D S al s eH5
glass Of beer and he did aud ihn CONNIE cod .Ains poll
tis Swsn ore said be would Lac the Ansican
Gag uamped 90, ano pike seont d.,olytng too
| "a b. had uy,dS Son p smoke about g0tus
there live something TO that puTPoIL be drank MS
gone about four minutes when be retgrned 70 tine ,.oon
he without either hst cos; when be- came In the inst
time and think he was so the SECOND time o won't be cor
tain were here drinking more beer snd he hsd 'eeond
tss be appeared very nsd when be eme IN and ,esnsd =.
we a. set table Swain aud Merritt ,ps nearly op
heir ur.Snept and believe Mei had .om.hn,
United States nothing Swain said be would Ike
men. but / preparation for shoourg on ether
side at that time or any obsr dd not eo MrId. popt
would the INST say OF the pistol wa; ing on mo
Il law near The middle Of ,e table they bon sitting tbs
the pito of did Lot tho they were 'i
ting bot only iner g. because they were nsnans would
noticed Il the chaiTs moHs when they sfoss de-
ceased had stood up he must hsss come rsst down sgsn
the table about three and hal feet IN dapee5. MeI.
hit got up inmedia ely from the chair and started Tor tue
sS5 snd 0' .ad We Do1 t y. 90 swoyp End shei
,andng few minutes the sidewalk got full of PeOple;
the ,c; fell down gat behind where be 1T
ting do pot know ~hoiheI be ten directly Oh the moor Or o.
chair, did say word when the pistol was hIed DID
not see before was aging on the isole heriit et the
premises Old during the evening went to the
station Delivered myse witness ana subse
quely he ia: considerable oaeve nta.se p1ed bo-
tween the ao, but Of personal 'iIlence.
p>rsonsy At ali that TenemoeT did not see Meint shoot
SwLn. .-..
siicba. j. snnivsn deposed-Am psolmAn Of this ts,hl
precinct; yesterday, shoot ~ O'Clock sent TO No ls
found the Deceased ing the floor VI the
Saloon . back ked tn proprietor who bad Killed Swsn,
and said Sam heInt bot he lid not know where Meiuu
he ed that only three brde himse
snt MI Salmon, whom ted brought
to the Station House as could get at, anee found
pistol the table tue shown looks ke 1t
boe pistols took pos,es Of AID gave 10 The Sergeant
tn. crowd around the saloon told that Merit down
Prince toward Mkcdpuga attempted to had MeIi but
10 back TO the ooD and remained there
uDti. o clock when relieved 40 bringing mmeLs
and me Station House esked lmnen VINO II
tst .hnt Samuel Merritt salmon contr.
dced him and gave another but don't hnow what
twas.
The Jury found that the deceased TO biz death
from a istul-shot wound inflicted at the hands Of
Samuel Merritt. The de eased was about fyrty-twO
years Of II, G and formerly lived at the South. The
pi oier after the verdict rendered, sd lis name
was Samuel H. Merritt; bis aye II years; lie was
native Of New York, aud ierided ut No. 3J7 West Six
teentl street; his occupation that of painter.
Ia relation TO the Charge preferred against him he
declared himself "nOt guilty. Merritt u "a
dark.eomplexiOned man about thirty years OF
aye and has long been IetideGt Of this city.
Where be obtained the pistol Is mystery, as the
weapon is long tall stocked Horse pistol which coald
scarcely be carried in the pocket. Tie proprietor of
The saloon teziihes that no such weapon Ia bis
house to lis knowledge. The accused was committed
~ answer.
UAprOIrc WAP ITEMS