The New York herald., 1870-09-21
THE SCANNED VENDETTA.
Particulars Of the Eighteenth W ard
Tragedy.
Tho Weakness Of Law and the Immunity oe
Crime = How Donohue Was Followed
and Shot and How the Assassin
Escaped-will This bs Another
Mystery" or Mott


an immense sensation In the Eighteenth and Twen
tyrst wards yesterday. In fact, was the tonic OF
In every barro0m and In all other
places in tine nelghborh00d where politicians most
do cOngregate, and was viewed, OF course I'm
various lights just in proportion as the sboysN
Of the ward were prejudiced for or against the
victim OF the assault or the man who is sus.
pected as having been tho assailant. There
are but few persons in the two wards out
side the immediate circle Of D0nohue's friends
who do not firmly believe that the assassin Is John
Scanned, tba brother OF the late Alderman Florence
scannel Many circumstances OF the case point
stro1ly to hts being the man, although yet there
ii nothing positive In point Of evidence which can
fix the guilt upon him. 1t appears on the night OF
the occurrence that Mr.. Donohue had been to the
"Blossom Club,' where every evening the black and
blue lights of the democracy are wont to c0ngregate
in luminous abundance. He left the house In the
company Of mis- two cousins, and proceeded through
Seventeenth street In the direction OF his residence
which Is in Eighteenth street. near Third avenue.
When near the corner OF Seventeenth street and the
avenue
THE ASSASSIN PUT IN AN APPEARANCE.
He was first seen strding along at q rapid rate
in the direction opposite to that In which DonO-
hue was going, and 1t ls believed that he must have
been concealed In one OF the yards In the neighbor
men to seventeenth street, and then, on
finding that they were going through that
street to Third avenue, rapidly around
SO as to head them Off; for II he had been coming
down the street from over block in distance he
could have been seen long before he was. He did
not attract the attention OF either Of the when
he approached them. AZ he looked, they say,
..rather strangely" and walked directly toward
them, they separated so as to let him pass
between them, and thus avoid collision
What followed was the action of but Q
few seconds. Before they even suspected him
Of any evil design, the fellow drew pistol, placed
it close to Donohnes breast and fred The wig
ami coat and slouch hat he wore when he was first
seen he threw into the street during his hight
through Seventeenth street.
WHERE WE'RE THE POLIcEY
It Is needless TO state that the man escaped, but
seems to have been overlooked 81 Some, that no
bareneaded, running on his post In the neighbOr-
hood about the time the shooting took place.
yesterday that certain patrolman not only saw
man 'running like mad' near Irving place at the
time but recognized him; and that 1T was as much
as his situation and perhaps, his life were worth"
to tell all he knew about the thing The rum0r.
however, could not be traced to any reliable source
and so it must be taken cum g'ano salts. 1t is,
nevertheless, rather extraordinary that every po.
liceman In the ward who has been questioned
tive tive manner that he was faithfully patroiling
his post at the time the shooting took place and that
he saw no person during the night whose manner
or actions excited his suspicious. 1t does seem as
though some person must have seen the assassin
during his fight. for his pursuers saw him ahead Of
them for several blocks and met parties In the street
shortly afterward who prOfessed to know nothing
whatever about the man. There can be, therefore,
but clue to the mystery OF his sudden disappear
ance In Irving pace-for once he had reached 1t ne
disappeared (as gentleman expresses 1t VINO had
in the pursuit a4 Wao the
had opened and swallowed him'D-and that Is that
he was taken In hand by mis- friends, who had been
hlm. There can be but little doubt Of this. for
riage was seen by a resident in the neigh
between Eighteenth ana Nineteenth streets,
at eleven O'Clock, which was rapidly driven
carriage might have borne away the scoundrel. who
knew just where to get 1t. Again. 1t Is not likely
and OLD coat show the assassin had, would be 50
foolish as to throw of his nat during his hight un-
less he knew he had only to
RUN A SHORT DISTANCE FOR SAFETY,
for man with his hat on might by chance at dead
OF night run through the streets rapidly without ex
would would at sn' once draw the scrutiny @ Of every
Passsr,Ss him. The question now
q es esss e oGR
1t as probable clue even II they affect to have
pet theory of their own, in which no person but
the suspicion that the man John Scannell
great deal can be said Mr.. O'Donohue states In the
first place, that he recognized the disguised man as
HIM, and that he cannot be mistaken about it,
although, II must be confessed, he very easily
could be- for the Whole hole thing so u
must. indeed, have had a keen eye under
the circumstances to have recognized the man,
no matter how well he may have known him
before. What however, makes the case look bad
for John scannell is his previous attempt Dono-
'.be the death OF him. sooner or later. Every
body who was. present at the inquest on
m ns own po S
what hellish glare John Scannell eyed him the
whole time, and how, when the inquest was ended,
q detective had to keep close to O'Donohue to keep
Scannelrs 'gang," who crowded the room at re-
spectfnl distance 1t is for the police to find out to
enemy in the ward other than Scannell who might
be suspected OF the
ATTEMPT TO TAKE HIS LIFE
ODOnOhue says he has no other personal enemy
that he knows OF. and if this he so the police might
ascertain whether or not one of the Scannell gang
the latter had been often heard to threaten In.
deed, so far the police show that they have not as
yet gotten over their own way OF bungling their own
plans IN an important case, They know. or ought to
know If they did not, that the place where Scannes
friends stated he was al the summer is bur q
easily reached In brief time If man has
feet horse to carry him. yet they did not send any
to The place at once to ascertain If Scannell was
there that night SuppOsing he is the wOud-be
murderer, and after attempting the deed had fed
for the village, the police might have II not get
ahead OF him, at least reached the place as soon as
lie, and then the rest would have been all plain
sailing. 1t certainly wouldn't have cost much to
udNC tclcStupuSu w uppcTIuOsI pIcCluCt ia
city, to send even to the village Immediately but
somehow or another the police never think Of what
ought to be done until it Is too late to act.
o'DONoHUE'S CONDITION.
Yesterday O'Donohue's condition was much better
although he was at late hour last evening c4nsia,
cred still in dangerous condition. IL Is believed
that the bullet did not pass through Ills lungs
but after striking the breast glanced around @ 1ne
side and lodged In the muscles OF the Dack. Dr.
Kimbark was unable to fnd the ball, although lie
probed deeply for II.
NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.