The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-12

Hrosa The NetO York Papers II day.
1t would seem, judging from the criminal
events of the past few months, that there is a
certain time OF the year in which crime, like
tevers OF a malignant type, becomes epidemic,
or, otherwise speaking, that whenever some
fearful deed of blood is done in one part of the
city or country, for week or after wards
crimes the mere mention of which makes ones
Ole cd run chill with an ineXpresslole terror,
follow, one after the other, IN quick and awful
succession. The details OF horrible crimes that
occur so often in our midst cannot fail to inn
press the attentive observer ot events aud
things with this fact-that there is only too
good ground for this theory. Up to a few days
ago there had been for month the
usual unbloody lull in the affairs OF
everyday life in this CITY and Brook
lyn; but the lull ceased on Monday last, when
the door of a bedroom in house in the latter
place was thro wn open, and the distorted faces
of a mother and daughter, locked in the EN- brace
of death, struck horror to the souls of the
'afrighted beholders. The excitement occa-
occurrence, which is still fresh in the minds of
every reader, has not wholly subsided, yet a
tragedy mole fearful more bloody, and more
revolving, because of it's surroundings, and the
manner and means used to accomplish 1t, yes
terday took place in the upper portion of this
city. The facts are as follows:-
Yesterday afternoon a matinee was given at
the Fifth Avenue Theatre, which Is situated iu
Twenty fourth street, near Fifth avenue, and
just adjoining the Fifth Avenue Hotel.
Theatrical matnees in the metropolis, gene.
a
large number of actors and actresses, or other
performers on the stage who, being themselves
employed at their theatres or minstrel halls, are
unable to go beyond their own footlghts
to find theatrical amusement otherwise
than at the day performances given at certain
theatres. In the audience which assisted +" as
the French would say, at the matinee perform
ance held at the Fifth Avenue Theatre yester-
day there was large number of actors and min
stTels-among others Sam Sharpley, of the
Theatre Comique, and Messrs. Kelly and Leon,
of Broadway.
WHAT LED TO THE MURDER.
It appears that there has been for some time
past an intense feeling of rivalry between these
persons in regard to the relative merits of the
'business' of their respective establishments,
which was far from being mollided by rumor
which reached Sam sharpley's ear since his
establishment IN New York, 10 the effect that
Leon had been slander1ng him IN the Vilest
manner in various ways. When Sam Sharpley,
therefore, perceived Kelly and Leon sitting
near him-ihe width of the nsrrow aisle of the
theatre alone separating the seats of the former
from that of the latter-he determined, as he
lays himself to give Le1n a "piece OF his mind"
de oon as the performance had come to an end,
and the audience had dispersed into the street.
With this benevolent intention strongly fixed in
his mind, Sam went into the street when the
people began to leave the house, and as Kelly and
Leon passed him, he tapped the latter on the
shoulder to attract his attention. Leon wheeled
rourd and Sam then exclaimed :-"You'Ve been
talking about me, and saying that all the pro-
perty had was mortgaged. Now, tell you
YOU'RE id liar" Leon fared mp at this COM
plimentary remark, aud replied in equally
polite language, designating Sam as very low
animal The latter retor'ed by daring Leon to
repeat bis abusive remark, at the same time
taking off his overcoat and placing himself in a
fg ghtIng attitude Leon repeated the remark
an immediately struck at him, and, as the lat
ter said. was then at once set upon by both
. Kelly and Leon. The unequal fight had hardly
lasted minute, when, even to The surprise of
Sam, his brother Tom, who had been present at
the matinee unknown 30 him, and who had
been attracted 10 the spot by the melee, appeared
upon the scene and proceeded to assist sam by
endeavoriug to put Kelly hors de combat.
Sam, as soon as be was made aware of
his brothers presence, and designating
Kelly as he spoke: "You take care Of him and
pn settle this fellow" pointing 10 Leon. The
latter however, not appearing TO like the look
of things, made up his mind that the better part
of yalor under the circumstances, as far as he
was concerned, would be in preclpitate fight;
SO, suiting the action to the thought, he turned
from Sans blows and ran at me height of his
speed towards Broadway, with Sam In hot pur-
suit On nearing The corner Leon faced about
and again was the 6ghting between the two re-
neWed, when Officer Frease OF the Broadway
SQUAD, who happened to be in the vicinity,
and seeing that there was some disturbance in
the midst of the excited crowd that surged
wildly about in the street, made his way towards
Sam Sharpley and Leon, aud succeeded, after a
short struggle, in separating the two men.
THE MURDER.
Just at this moment the report of hrearm
ceeding evidently from the spot near the theatre
door where, curing the tight between Sam
sharpley and Leon, Kelly and Tom Sharpley
had been also desperately beh ing. AS the
clear. ringing report fell on his ear, Sam
Sharpley turned quickly about and saw his
brother fall heavily, as If dea1, into the gutter
by the sidewalk, and Kelly wtlk up 70 me body
as it fell aim his revolver at the PROSTATE lorm
and discharge the contents OF one OF Its barrels.
ALMOST A DOUBLE MURDER.
Sam took the whole scene in at a glance, and
drawing his revolver, rushed ma0ly towards
Kelly, dischargiDg one OF The barrels as he APP
preached him, the ball taking effect just behind
his intended victims left ear, aud lodging over
the temple. He again QUICKLY cooked his re-
vOlVer, and again aimed at Kelly; but before
the bail was discharged Officer FTeese had
seized hold OF his arm, and by wrepchlng IL
upwards the direction OF the bullet was changed,
II passing however, through the index finger
OF Sans lett hand as it sped from its chamber,
causing an ugly wound.
SCENES IN TUE VICINITY
It would be i'm possible TO portray the terror
the street at this stage of the terrible affray AZ
soon as Tom sharpleV had fallen, struck by the
FIRST bullet from Kely's revolver, the multitude
of persons, men, women, and children, the
larger portion of wbom had just come from the
theatre. aud whose numbers we're being at
every second augmented by The people coming
cut of the house and by the hundreds who had
bCen attracted to the spot by the report OF fire.
arms, scattered in ali directions, ths women
and children giving utterSacs 70 the