Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1869-02-20
MISCELLANEOUS.
From thu New York Sun
aEckEE ASSASSsNkTf0

/ From thu New York sun.
aESkEE SSASssNATl0Ss.
over n year ago, at one o'clock in the
morning, Brooklyn police officer was care.
lessly sauntering down his usual beat. when
he observed a man partly hidden behind 4
tree on the opposite side of the street The
niiiccr stopped and carefully observed the
mans movements. In q few moments "A
man was observed coming up the sidewalk
npposite. The man behind the Tree stepped
from his place of concea,mcnt and walked
down the street to meet the stranger. the
police officer still closely wctchin.r him
When the suspicious person was within
twenty feet of the stranger, aud near A gras
light burning brightly beneath the trees the
stranger suddenly slapped his forehead with
his right band, and lcI! to the pavemcnt--a
dea" man. His murderer began to riie his
pockets. The officer FASTENED at once to
the spot, but the assassin saw him and fled
The officer pursued him The chase was
not. Around corners, across half paved
streets, through slams and ullcys, over Liol
board fences, and beneath hickcrinp oas
lights, tho murderer deyI. but keen eyed
hunter WAS on his track. lie was captured.
On his line OF flight AZ air gan of peculiar
construction was found. /, had done its
deadly work silently and eilcCtGal'y. 1t was
ni simple meChauiCism, and could hardly
be considered marvel Of mechanical skill
The assassin turned 0ut tU be one 2kid.
more, discharged policeman. In his house
evidence was found which proved that he
had been engaged for several wears in ncrari.
ous schemes of burglary and murder. Brook.
Ign was thrown into y state of nervous ey.
citchcnt Every undiscovered murder was
thrown on the shoulders Of Skidmore. He
was even accused OF being responsible for
the profoundly mysterious East River Mys
terry" where mans head, pierced with two
bullets and wrapped in piece of oil silk.
was found floating in BrOoHlyn dock, the
thighs and legs, similarly wrapped, Dyinr
afterwards picked up near Gowunus
On his arrest, Skidmorc became as silent
as a jungl,d tiger. Crowds Of citizens
swarmed to look at him, and loud whispers
OF lynch law Heated about his cars He
kept up n bold front, but occasionally II
twingc was visible on his cOuntcnaucG as he
listened to the positive evidence before .h-
Coroner The crowd sur2ed about him, and
gn2cd at liM rs at one of the trapped an
thropophagi The air gun was regarded
/. with the greatest curiosity, and those in
specting it handled it with crcumeprction
fearful that silent bullet was only awui.inl
signal to add another to its roll of vic
tins.
, The Coronoi's jury found Skidmore guilt,
, OF the murder, and the Grand Jury brought
in true bill of Indictment against him.
Back to lis cell went the murderer, will
.carccly Il ray Of hope in his heart. Th,
popular excitement did not abute Hi.
speedy :riai was demanded. His lnwver.
could not obtain postponemcut. The tra
came on the evidence was overwhelming
the people throngcd The court room, Skid
mores defiant front failed him at last, and
at length in despair he cut his throat in hi.
cell, and escaped the giJbct.
We do not know what became Of the ail
gun, but we do know that for weeks after
wards many of the citizens of BROOKLYN never
, dared 90 from their houses at night foi fual
of a silent struggling bullet.
Again we have accounts OF shooting with
the air gun--ths time In New York. 4
week or two ago we had 10 announce the
! serious injury by a pistol shot of young
man walking at midday on the corner oi
broadway and Canal street. The cause was
mystery which has never been explained
On Tuesday afternoon, in two diverse local.
tiles, there occurred circumstances fortunate.
ly less injurious in their effect, but hardly
less mysterious in their nature. which seem
to point with equal assura,.ce to the diuboli.
cal agent, an air gun, Two bullets In quick
succession crashed through the windows OF
ii grocery at the intersection of the BONery
and Bond streets. With little warning Il
pistol ball entered through the plate glass
doorway Of $40 Broadway, with dangerous
force. young man employed in Chit;en,
den's dry goods store was walking down
broadway Wednesday afternoon, and felt
something hit his arm. ON arrival at the
store he ascettaiued that lie haG been shot
through the arm by Il bullet, which had
lodged and remained in his side. Where
the bullet cam0 from, who fired it, or iog
what--all these points remain a secret. On
Monday an air gun bullet was fired through
pawubroker's window in Centre street On
the same evening one of these silent messen.
gers of death came through Il window in the
suns editorial rooms, and one evening last
week two bullet holes were found in the
paues in Mr.. Thomas HitchCock's residence,
at East Twenty ninth street. To this lis,
we add the following:
To tie Editor Cf tie Suh .-SIR-Sccing
nu account in your issue of this day about
bullets flying into store Windows wish
to state that at about four o'clock yesterday
afternoon the same thing occurret, ut my
peace of business, breaking large pane OF
glass in my door. / looked 70. the missile
and found y bullet on the floor, partly flat.
tened. From the fact of no report being
heard except the smashing in of the Win.
dow, and the great force with which il came
in, am inclined to your opininn that air
guns are being used and II not stopped by
the police the consequences must become
serious. Truly yours,
JAMES II, JONES
2l5 Grand ST., " Y, Feb. 8, 1869,
4 rich miser was visited on his deathbcd