Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-12-16

street Fight n etveeu Negro Ninstreis
-vtve = stnl shots tired Near th .
RO0Fs of a r. h -ate as tn tud ience
was Dtspe ersfog-One Man Killed anc
Two wounded. 1850
Yesterday afterno on there was a mat
inee at the Fifth Avenue Theater in
Twenty-F Fourth street, Immediately in
the rear of the Fifth Avenue Hotel, and
short distance west of Broadway. As
the audience were dispensing at about
O'Clock at the close of the performance,
and as the last of the auditors were
gaining the street from the theater, but
while many ladies and gentlemen were
still. crowding the sidewalk, the throng
was suddenly startled by the report of
pistol, followed by others in quick sue
cessiOn. One man was seen to fall life
less to the sidewalk, and two others
Were in the midst of thefrightened null
titude covered with blood and apparently
ba. ly wounded.
The actors in this tragedy were on
the one side Edwin Kelly and Francis
Leon, proprietors of Kelly g. Icons
Minstrtls, No. 721 Broadway, and Sam
utl NJ. Sharpley, of the Theatrr Comique,
one Allison, his treasurer, and Thomas
Sharpley. his brother, The account of
the affair which We give was derived
from conversations with Kelly and Sam
uel NJ. Sharpley separately, and it is.
due to the parties to state that the YER
sions they gave were almost identical.
although neither knew what the other
had said. '-a++s 7aa ies-sm
For some time past there has been
brisk business rivalry between Kelly &
L-onand Samuel NJ. Sharpley, and som.
hard feeling on the side of the latter, at
least, growing out of the engagement
Dilehanty and Engler, two clog dancers.
Sharpley alleges some unfairness ontht
part. of Kelly, in reference to these two
men, and that Leon some time ago said
to parties in Boston that he (Sharpl-y)
was bankrupt and not responsible in bu
siness matters. Sharpley himself says
that he has been trying to see Leon for
six months last for the purpose of max
ing him eat these words, but could never
meet him. -
Yesterday afternoon Kelly and Leon
attended the matinee at the Fifth Avenue
Theat-r, for the purpose of witnessing
the performance only, and took seats
near the door. Without knowing of
their presence, Sharpley went to the
theater with the design of seeing Mr.
Garland, the lessee, on matter of pri
vate business. Finding that he could
not see Garland until the close of the
performance. Sharpley entered the thea
ter and sat down immediately in rear of
Kelly and Leon. Seeing them he de-
termined to bring his dispute with Leon
to an end, and at the fall of the curtain
went out into the vestibule, where
he waited for Kelly and Leon. They
did not come out until nearly the entire
audience had dispersed, nor until Sharp
ley had been Joined by Allison. whom he
told to wait few. minutes. As Kelly
and Leon passed him, Sharpley fol-
lowed them, and as soon as they had
passed few steps beyond the theatre
doors going toward Broadway, Sharpley
tapped Leon on the shoulder. Kelly and
Leon both turned around, when Sharp
ley asked Leon what he meant by tel
| ling people lie was bankrupted. Leon
denied having made any such assertion,
to which Sharpley replied by giving
Leon the lie, adding epithets that are
unfit for publication, and at the same
moment striking him blow with his
fist Leon is small man, much inferior
physically, to Sharpley, and Kelly up
on the giving of the first blow by Sharp
| ley pulled off his overcoat, and as
he says, endeavored to get between
Sharpley ard Leon.
At this point the. narrative of both
Kelly and Sharpley grow confused, but
from both it appears that a general fight
ensued. Thomas Sharpley now appear
ed for the first time in the affair, going
to the aid of his brother in his tussel
with Kelly. Leon appears to have been
more of spectator than anything else,
and Kelly appears to have been roughly
handled by the two Sharpleys and ALI
son. He was knocked down, and while
down was kicked in thele eye by some
one of the party. Kelly, however
struggled to his feet, drew Sharp's re-
p-ater, and fired three shots in rapid sue.
i cession. Two of these shots took effect
on the person of Thomas Sharpley, who
fell dead to the pavement, one ball hav'
ing entered the heart, and other. the
right side. Seeing his brother fall, ant
then, as he says, for the first
time aware of his presence OIL
the scene, Sam Sharpl-y drew sew
Ell barreled revolver, and fired at Kelly
one of the balls striking him behind tn,
left ear, trave sing the head and lodging
in the temple muscles over the lett eye
Sharplry fired, as Leon states.after Kel
lily had turned to leave, and was in th
act of endeavoring to escape from hi
antagonists. Sharpley's second sho
took effect upon himself, SCATTERING th'
fourth finger of his left hand.
The time occupied by the affray wa
inconsiderablt, and the police do no
seem to have been on the ground i'll sui
ticient force to intervene until the dee,
had heen done. Sharplpy says that h
= was seized by policeman at the instan
+ he fired, which is the first mention of a
!, officer in connection with the occurrence
After th, firing Kelly was assisted t
drug store in the vicinity, where be re
.. manned until his wound was dressed
Is and where he was arrested by office
= Kennedy, of the Twenty-ninth Precinc
q Sharpley removed the body of his brotl
!, er into the theatre, and was there with
when arrested by officer Fries, of til
Broadway squad. Information of til
affair being conveyed to him at his ST
s tion house, Captain Sptight, of IL
F. Twenty ninth Precinct, repaired at ont
is. to the scene with strong force, and su
c--ded after strenuous efforts in clearil
. the streets and restoring order. Aft