, 1864-02-12
TRAGIC SCEEES 1T TIE Il. T,
PRODUCE EXCHANGE,
a Policeman, Merchant and the Jani-
ter Of the Exchange Stabbed BY
Specuiator in Corn.
The Perpetrator Arrested
and Taken to the
Station House,


with his bankers, because Of what he called
the detamatory representations of certain
rivals in business. lie managed, however,
10 work through this difficulty, and deter
mined TO gain control Of thu available supply
OF corn here. SO Is to rcndcr It next to i'm
possible for those who had sold to him, to
I'LL thtiT contracts unless on such terms as
would suit lis Interest or convenience On
Friday last, ut about noon, he male his ap-
Pca1ance Oh Change end commenced buying
bliskly, until he had purchased twenty
three loaas at prices varying from .S3 to
tt,at day, and the balance Of the purchase
a.otey within ten daYs uc also sold siagle
load ut S1.D, cash. About l O'Clock p. IN.
he grew very much excited, having been
greatly annoyed by some unknown parties,
aho had y. en- pcltiug him With lnmps Of
dough and quantities Of grain; also by the
persistcncy Of G merchant, who had been
offering load OF corn at $1.40, but with
whom he had repeatedly declined to have any
direct business transactions. ue began to talE
organized to crush him; about his fidslit5 to
principle; bis determination to fight out the
battle Of principle even ii it cost him his Lie;
lis enemies might take his corn and his
money, but he would maintain lis character,
Which lie priced above everything else. Efforts
were made to reason with him, but these CT
forts only increased his nervousness and men
tai excitement. &c appealed to his God Tor
protection, md refused to be pacifed or rea.
soncd with, warning all parties to avoid in
ter1ering with him or his rights. At this
time the excitement on TIE floor was intense,
Of Put him out" were heard on al sides; !;
lie dcticd any one to put him out; he was
fighting for principle, and he would not be
put dow n. Two merchants then took hold OF
Lin, drew him to the stairway and down the
stairway to tho street, whence he started By
himself for his o1Iice.
On Saturday, Ec was suspended and denied
Tie privileges Of the floor OF Change BY u
formal yote OF the Directory Of tho New York
Commercial Association, because Of his tur-
bulent c-nduct
Yesterday, few minutes before noon, hc
mcde his appearance at the Produce Ex-
change, holding in his bands some boxes Of
grain, and, Us Was afterwards proven, couple
Of packages Of Robson & Sons dirk knives,
known 10 the trade as the Southern knife.
He Rscended the stairway, evidently prepared
to force his way in on the floor in defiance of
the sentence OF suspension adopted By the
Board Of Directors Of the Association On
the landing at the head Of the frat fight Of
stairs, hc was met by Mr.. Vanderbilt, the Jan
itor, who informed him that he could not 60
up any further. He made 4 very surly re-
Termination to delt bis way up, BY casting
aside his boxes Of corn md an unbroken
quarter dozen package Of dirk knives. Mr..
Vanderbilt inEtanuy seized hold Of him to
prevent him from resorting to violence, but
Tibte:ts quickly released himself, and bran-
dishing an ol;ca dirk knife, run rapidly up the
crowd at the head Of the stairway scattering
In a11 directions before him, the majority
keeping on the run until they had got safely
out Of the building. Once on the floor, he
made directly for one Of the grain tables, and
jumping thereupon commenced violent Ia
ranEuc, bolding his knile aloft In the most
threatening manner, and dancing wildly about
on tie table He yelled out frantically that
g he was now monarch Of all he surveyed;
in indisputablc control Of that department 0
and shed his own blood, aud sacrifice
his life in maintenance Of his posi-.
ton Bis enemies, he exclaimed, had
robbed him Of his money, Of his corn, Of
his character They might now take his life,
but lie Won1d die fighting in his own defence;
of the liable nearly two scores OF sample
boxes full Of graiu. and for n few minutes
manRyred like an Indian In War-dnuce
Soon policeman (Othcer Besimcr) made his
appearance, and aided by the janitor and lew
merchants, tried to knock Tibbetts OF the
struggle then cnsued between Tibbetts md
the policeman. He stabbed the policeman
three or four times, once seriously, in the
small Of the back. The policeman struck
into the flesh. This fight 1atted only mo,
ment, when Tibbctts Was oyerpowered and
thrown to the floor again. A merchant
| jumped on the arm with which he held the
dirk-knifc, but Tibbetts managed to stab
| him in the toes Of The right foot, wounding
him slightly. Severa1 other policemen now
| arrived, hammered Tibbetts toughly, and
finally disabled him 20 Us to be enabled to
t take In into custody. He WAS then removed
to the First Precinct Station-house, where
rx-nr tn nSray.
| tory Of the Commercial Association, and
the policeman, whom he had SO repeatedly
| stabbed.
| In the scuf1e with Mr.. Vanderbilt, the JAM
itor, in the beginning Of the us3ee, Tibbctts
made desperate effort to stab the j2nitor.
Once the knife grazcd his right hand, inaict-
sing slight wound on The torefnger Of the
HIND; during another attempt, the point Of
The Girk-kniG passed through the left breast
Of the cout, struck the watch in Mr. Wander
hiits yest pocket, and, ,glancing of this, cut
through the vest and completely severed
suspcndcr, Int fortunately did no further
damage,
The unbroken package Of dirk kniyes,
Which Tibbette threw away as he was ascend
iug the stairs Of the Produce Exchange, was
taken possession Of by Nj. Bouton, the clerk
Of the Exchange. We examined one Of the
knives. It was weapon Of the most peue-
trntire properties, having sharp p-pointed
blade, measuring some three and half or
four inches In length, and adjusted BY pow
erful spring. The handle was artistlcally fin
By spread Gayle in relief What Tibbetts
required halfa-dozen Of such knives for,
surTasseth the comprehension Of sane men
1fbbetts was generally regarded Us insane :;
lie certainly acted like maniac It was re-
ported on Change that he has been an ardent
believer in spiritualism for several years past,
and that he has nyoweily entered into ynrious
business specnlations under the guidance Of
*scertain propittous spirits" ne give this
report for what it is worth. Mr. Tibbitts ID
naturally Intelligent md cnterpEistng.. In
ordinary futerconree inde?eudcnt of business
WIS uniformly courteous and conciliatory.
Hc is obviously man Of extremely nervous
temperament, and easily excited to pitch oi
frenzy. His corn speculations and the at
tendant circumstances have engrossed all hfE
thoughts during the past half year: It may
be that in dwelling 50 constantly and anxious.
II on single subject, his mind has succumb.
ed. It is certain that his recent conduct on
Change indicated extraordinary mental abcr.
| rntion he is 4 native Of South Berwick
Maine, and about forty-tiye years Of ago
The gentlemen present on the Corn Ex
change arc evidently such al should be *
emit from draft They all acted like towards
and were terrified, many Of them, almost out
Of The windows, and large number entirely
out Of the doors. None dared to attempt t
| lis0rIn one man, n1d WQcQ LIE oluCtE. oce4
mer, was in deadly struggle With him, ther'
| was not one with pluck enough TO rush II Il
bis assistance. After he was stabbed, othcer'
jacobs and DOYLE arrived to his aid. Mr
Besimcr, who lad three severe wounds, ON
| in tho thigh, one in the shoulder, and one II
The back or the right side, was conveyed Z
MI adjacent hotel, where his wounds we're 1t
tended to. and thence taken to the station
house, subsequently being taken to his home
He is very severely injured, but, It is thought
not dangerously. Offictr Be ! ner ts ono 9
| the most 1aithinl, reliable men In the depart
ment, most popular with his officers, asso
ciatcs, and in his precinct is recognized Us
valuable officer.
When Tfbbetts was brought to the station
house. he was asked by Sergeant Matthe" th
ordinary questions, and to that rs TO his age
responded that he was 1.-the same age
Oliver Cromwell vas when he commencet
his carcer'' He expressed no regret 1or Ill
J. act, but alleged he would do It again, ant
wished be had another opportunity. sergean
Matthew locked linn up.
At 2p. N. Sergeant Townsend, then II
! command, concluded, Us the station hdus
was being oyc1run with the prisoners friend
and Others, TO send him to the Tombe. IL
WIS accordingly taken there md arra3gne'
before Justice Bowling, at q late hour. Ale
q preliminary examination he was commltte'
!, to await the result Of the injuries he had IN
! tlicted on the officer. Tibbctts is rcpated t
| be nan of wealth. His family, a wife an
sir children, resfdeaat Falls Village, Conn
! Besides the eix dirk knives that were foun
npon him was q letter, the following of whlc
ia In had In ORIGINAL