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

Phen Tor uue keemeu rooted 10 bne spot
by the sudden horror OF the scene, and but
three or four dared to advance towards Kelly,
or even towards the epot where the body OF
Tom Sharpley lay we'tering in blood. The
rpen was but monetary, however, and as
officer Freese seized hold of Sam Sharpley and
struggled with him for the possession Of his
revolver, several men rushed forward TO his
assstance; others proceeded to lift the body of
Tom Sharpley, and others to look after Kellv,
who had suddenly disappeared IN the crowd,
but who was finally found by Officer Kennedy,
OF the Twenty-ntuth Precinct, after diligent
search, near the drug store corner OF Twenty
fourth street and Broadway, where he had
been conveyed by his friends,
THE MURDERED MAN.
Tom Sharpley, when lifted from the gutter,
was found 10 be dead, the body having been
pierced by two bullets; the one, it is believed,
In the reeion of the heart, and the other In the
head. The corpse was carried into the vestibule
of the theatre and there laid upon the floor;
strange TO say, the crowd that had hustled and
noisIly suTged about II before, maintaining,
as IT by'common consent, while the body was
being carried through their midst, silence
that was painful in the extreme, suddenly
didthe hush of voices and the subsldence of the
confused noise of many feet on the pavement
fall upon every one present.
SCENES IN THE THEATRE.
In the custody of an officer, now weeping most
bitterly, now ventug his grief in bitter inveC-
tive on the murderer of his brother, and threat
enng, in bis madness, all manner of vengeance
on his head, Sam ShaIpey was brought into
dead. The sight of the corpse seemed to work
upon HIM most powerfully and it was as much
as his friends could do to quiet him and prevent
bis attempting to seek out Kelly to avenge the
death OF his brother. He became more quiet
however, as the afternoon wore on, and when
the body of the dead man was taken to the
MCrgue and himself to the Station House, he
I appeared the more seriously to realize the
awful tragedy in which he had acted so OloodY,
and, perhaps, SO fatal part.
THE MURDERER.
AS soon as Kelly was taken into custody he
was conveyed into the drug store on the cor
ner of Broadw and Twenty-fourth street, and
accompanied by Leon was led to the basement
wound and toupd tbe ba 9ssnIH appbeSded iS
the head, above the left temple 1t having passed
in behind the ear. His lett eye was cOnside-
Tably bruised, which he said was caused by
blow he received from Tom SharpleY. He did
not appear to be suffering much from his wound, !,
which has not been declared necessarily m ortal,
| though very serious. and conversed quite freely
with his friends. In reply to question concern
ing his shooting Tom Sharpley, he contended that
he had drawn bis revolver in sei-defense. but
retramed from talking much upon the subject,
! evidently feeling convinced that to keep his
own counsel was the best thing he could do
! under the circumstances. He expressed great
| desire that the performance at the Theatre
Comique should not be stopped that evening on
account OF the atiray il which he was concerned,
and was evidently much cbagrined when told
! by Captain Speight that Leon would have to
consider himself under arrest and, therefore,
",
| to judge from his outward manner, did not,
at least within a few hours after the murder,
realize the full horror of mis- fearful position.
GOING TO THE STATION HOUSE.
1t took but a few moments for the ph ysicIan
who was called in TO attend him to examine and
partly dress Ke1lys wound, aud as soon as this
was done he, with Leon, was placed in q car
Tiage, with an officer on the box beside the
driver TO anticipate "acCidents," and was con-
veyed to the Station House. 1t required no
small effort on the part of the police to keep
back the crowd that througed about the car
Iiage, fully two thousand In number, Kelly
was placed in it, and when 1t anu the wagon
containing unfortunate Tom Sharpley's body
drove of, 1t was followed for several blocks by
large number of excited men, each OF whom
seemed to vie with the other in keeping nearest
10 the carriage and the wagon, although neither
the body of the murdered man or the murderer
was in any wise exposed to view.
The following statements were substantially
mace to our reporter by Sam Sharpley, Lson,
| and Officer Feese:-
STATEMENT OF SAM snARPLEY.
went TO the matinee at the Fifth Avenue
Theatre this atteroOon, having some business to
attend to with Mr., Garland, and on entering,
an usher, recognizing me, wanted me TO take a
front seat, but refused, and sat down in one of
the seats not far from the door. II had taken
the front seat, perhaps what has happened
would not have occurred. mad scarcely been
seated q minute when few seats to my left 1
saw Kelly aud Leon. aud as l had been told
that the latter bad been spreading about the
nntruth that all the property mad was mort
gaeed, determined at the end OF the perform
aDce TO give him piece OF my. mind. Bestdes
we had rival houses in Boston at one time, aud
Kelly and Leon had Induced two or three OF my
people (miustrels) TO leave ms house.
When the people were coming out after the
matinee stepped up TO Leon tapped him on
| the sE oplder and TOLD him had heard he had
! been talbing so aud so about me, and wanted
] him to understand 1t was id lie. He called
me by an opprobrious name, and on my daring
him to repeat il and on his doing so | took OF
my coat, and we began to quarrel, Kelly joining
Leon a. ainst me. Suddenly my bro her Tom
came up, he having been az the matinee sup
pose, without nv know 1t, and told him to
manage Kelly while l would attend to Leon.
The latter started TO run then, and after him,
when | heard the report OF a pistol. turned
round, saw my brother fall, aud Kelly stand
over him and shoot At IN when he was do Rn.
! l then drew my revolver, tired at Kelly, and
! was about to Gre again when the officer seized
my hand and the b0llet went through my own
finger. ] never ba1 any ill-feeling against Kelly
! personally.
fTATEMENT OF OFFICER FRBEsE.
| / was on Broadway near rHenty-ourth street
! this afternoon aDont O'clock, and on looki 10
! down the street my attention vas tracted by
] the audience coming out Ot the theatre. | thea
saw two men VINO turned out to be Leon and
! Sam SbarpIey, lighting l went aud separated
! them, and just then heard report of a Drearm
| in the direction nearer the lbeatre. / rushed
| forward and saw Tom ~harpley tail into the
| gutter AID Kelly del yer anofher shot into hls
! body wh le /. was Oh The ground. Sam Sharpley
shot Kelly. aud u as cOckug his revolver TO ire
| again, when seized hold o. b 8 arm and changed
| the direction OF the shot,
STATEMENT OF LEON.
was comiI g ODt o. the theatre Just after the
| matinee, when SAM Suarpiey came MP behIud
| me aud used the most abusive language to me.
had no. interered with him in any manner.