The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-11-30
WHEELING, W. VA MONDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 1865
A New YerkIHorror-A Terrible Bar
room Fight--A Weii-known "sPert"
KilIed-Arrest OF the Perpetrators
from THE World" Nov. 26th.I


KilIed-Arrest ofih Perpetrators.
from "The World, +" Nov. 26th.I
At an early hour yesterday morning
the denizens of the lower portion OF the
Eighth Ward were thrown into stat,
of great excitement by the report tha
most brutal murder had been commit
ted in the oyster saloon of Hugh Camp
bell, in the basement of No. 4S3 Cana
street. The excitement consequent up
on this news was considerably increas
ed when il was learned that the victim
of this terrible crime was Felix Larkin
q well-known sporting character, hail
ing from the Eighth Ward, and who
kept drinking place at No. 32l West
street, corner of Charlton street.
The particulars Of the homicide, az
far as they can be learned from the
police and other sources, are as follows
During Tuesday night, LarkiD, Ned
O'Baldwin (the Irish giant), Timothy
Collins, light weight champion, David
O'Day, whe keeps q liquor store at 554
Greenwich street, corner of Charlton
street, and Billy Mclean, of 139 Cherry
street, but recently frem Philadelphia,
were out together on a "spree." They
had been to Harry HilPs, and had been
visiting Peter MitchelPs, corner OF
Greene and Bleecker streets, and other
resorts of like character. The party
had been drinking freely, but none OF
them were much intoxicated. Shortly
before three o'clock the party, on their
way home, at the suggestion of Larkin,
started in search of q place where they
could get some something to eat, and
finally brought up at Hugh Campbell's
place, in the basement of the premises
corner of Canal and Hudson streets.
Before entering the place O'Baldwin
left the party ana went home. Larkin,
O'Day, Mclean and Collins then pro-
ceeded to the basement and knocked at
the door, which was opened by Camp
bell. AS he opened the door Campbell,
who was but slightly acquainted with
Lsrkin, was accosted by the latter with
"You son of - can We get anything
to eatw Campbell took umbrage at
this, but nevertheless admitted the men
to his place. While Campbell was At q
table carving some meat, Larkin, who
was somewhat intoxicated, called out
"You son of a -, hurry upw
Campbell thereupon became enraged,
and after few words had passed be-
tween them, they clinched, and des-
perate struggle ensued. John Berrigan,
the bartender, who slept in room in
the rear of the saloon, jumped ont of
bed and Joined in the melee in his night
Ann Hines, the cook in the
employ of Campbell, also came out of
the kitchen, and also joined in the
fight. Collins, believing that some
thing serious would result from the fra
cas-, rushed into the street, and as his
cries of Murder" &" Watch, p" Police"
rang out on the cold, still air of the
early morning, the residents of the
neighborhood, awaking from their
slumbers, realized that some horrible
crime was being committed.
Notwithstanding this alarm, the po-
lice did not appear upon the scene for
about trenty minutes after, and in the
one of the most bloody and
desperate contests was being fought.
Larkin and Campbell were struggling
like fiends for the mastery, locked IN
each others arms, while Berrigan, arm
ed with murderous club, was holding
his own against O'Day and Mclean.
Campbell was also armed with
haavy nlnh ana In-L;n, Il sn dinS ehee he
was getting the worst of it drew re-
volver, but before he could raise his
arm to fire it he was again struck on
the head with club, and knocked al
most senSeless. Campbell, it is alleged,
then drew a knife, and plunged it sew
eral times into Larkin's body, inflicting
fearful wounds. from which the blood
flowed profusely. During the fracas a
pistol shot was fired by one Of the bel
igereuts, but by whom is not known,
aud the bullet passed over Campbell's
head, entered daguerreotype of Camp
bell, and passed directly through the
head of the picture, and lodged in the
frame of the mirror behind the bar.
When Officers Jones and Dopke, of
the Twenty eighth Precinct, entered
the place, Larkin was being held in the
fearful embrace of Campbell, in a box
like apartment used for serving refresh
ments in, with his back against the
wall. In his right hand, which rested
on the table, he grasped pistol, which
he had no opportunity of using, and the
blood flowing from his chest and back.
Campbell, still armed with the fatal
dirk knife, held him in vice-like en-
brace, and it required all the strength
OF both policemen to separate the COM
batants. On being released, Larkin
staggered into the middle Of the floor,
reeled like drunken man, and fell
prostrate on the floor. He was appar-
emily in a dying condition, speechless
and unconscious. Assistance was at
once procured, and the man was taken
to the Greenwich-street station house,
where he died in few moments.
Campbell, Berrigan, O'Day, Mclean,
and the cook were all arrested and ta-
ken to the station honse. Campbell and
Berrlgan were badly cut about the
head and face. O'Day and Mclean wer e
also cut, but not so bad as the others.
The woman was cut Oh the hand.