The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-05-30
SMASHING A MAN's SKULL WITH THE
LEO OF A TABLE,.
The Peiice, Summoned TO Arrest a Drunk
ard, Find a Cerpse-tillissn's Brutal
TrestusM Of his Wife-A Sunday Night
Fight In n n ed II ooh Hamict-The Close Of
n Suuday Ttsbtup Excurrion.


Fight In n Ted look Hamict-The Close Of
ssnnday Fishing Excursion.
A murder of unusual brutality was committed
early last evening in the neEhborhood OF Van
Brunt street. Red Hook Point, Brooklyn, the mur.
ccrer and his victims being old friends and fellow
workmen. The parties were both Irlshmen and shoe.
makers By trade, working In the same "team" for
q shoe manufacturer named Mcclure In Van Brunt
street. james Gilligen, the murdered man, resided
with his wife in Dykemsn street, near Van Brunt.
William WILSON, the murderer, also has wife aud
infant child They occupy apartments In Walcott
street, between Richard and Van Brunt. 1t was
here that the murder was committed
Wilson and Gnlican had been fishing together
during the day on Long Dock, and from appearances
had drank pretty freely or at least TO the exhaustion
Of their resources. Al about 5 o'clock, or a ito
later they returned 70 Gilligaps residence, where
Mrs. Wilson had been spending the day with her
child. On reaching home, Gillgan called his wife and
demanded dollar OF her 10 buy liquor
with Ms Gillysn refused TO advance the
money, upon which her husband became
furious and asssiled her In q brutal manner. strik
ing her in the face with his ecnched fist and caus.
ing her nose TO bleed freely. She already bore sun
dry marks Of his brutality, among Others pair Of
black eyes received a day or two previously.
When he assaulted her yesterday, Miller and
and tumble ensued in which, however, 1t does not
appear that any serious damage was done.
Patrick O DonnelL bright and intelligent lad of
nneen years, a nephew OF Mru. Wilson, came in
pending this row. bpt took no part other than as
witness Giltgan. $hding himself overmatclied
against the crowd gave no his purpose OF reducing
his wife to jelly, and setting chair proceeded TO
reduce looking glasses pictures, and other frogc
articles TO fragments During his occupation in this
% wi,saTew viz n disgust and rsilrsd 70 WH.ons house
I On arriving there The sioy was committed to VIII
sons Keeping while Mrs. Wilson went out to escort
her nephew 70 the cars and see him on hsway home
| While Wilson wa has alone. wlp MS BABY CIV,
gen came In and accused hin OF being the csnse OF
his row wiil, his we. Wl,o, DENIED y, s,i, Si,iren
| OF an oath. Giligen then made nass at Wilson
with q leather strap, hituag him ON the check. WI
| Aon threw the baby down lnd few n his assalant,
The two clincLcd and furious scufie ensued In the
course Of ich table chairs were badly smashed
Gllles.n beins the largest and stoutest party, sue
| him down. pounded him In lively manner. vii
ION, however. mansgol TO escape iron his avk.
| ward position and sCiSng TIE leg OF one OF tine
| fractured tables. struck Gilligen three powerful
blows over his head, ieing him to the noor, where
| the door. ard seeing little girl pass
| ing. offered her ten cents to ind a
station house. couoe OF BIZ eks away. and reDOrted
| that there msn drunk In the house occupied
SoS nlen the natter The The oSer soon returned for
| dead drunk md would have TO be
| carried out Gficer Roache returned with
| him, when " was discovered that G,ligal was dead.
| Dr Macauley was ininedi uely SUNNI 1ned He found
| three wounds ue head OF the deceased. one over
the len eye, frscluring tue skuil another on the
back OF the hea also driving the skull In upon the
| BRAIN anil a third less serious on the top OF tho
lead Either Of the frst two was sufficient to cause
| destn.
Wilson remained In the house all the time, though
he refusc to make any statement OF the occurrence
But alter the exsmin.ien by the physician, he i'd.
mitted having inflicted the blows, and told story
| substantially a. above. He was taken into custody
| and locked uD In tho station house, where the.
SUN reporter visited him ard received his statement
he admits the killing, but jusunes the act and rics
TO make Il appear that CiLgln got only what he de-
| served He says his "t,am los, four days time
| last week BY the murdered mans druh hksnness, and
that he took him of f-hinx yesterday only 70 keep
him sober in order that he wodid be In CONDITION TO
work to-day. II. insists that GilgAn began the
and hat he merely acted In sefdefcnce as Giligan
| would have KILLED him u lie had not anticipated him.
| The boy O'Douneil wrs found at late hour last
night, and is held the station house u witness.
His story OF the disturbance at Giligan's house l.
| substantially the same as given above He
CURED after he lett for home. He says both
men were pretty full OF liquor when they
| returned from fishing, and that subsequently
they drank two glasses Of ale at Gligens, In addi
tion TO which, Wilson had glass OF ale and one Of
| whlskey at his own house.
The parties all comparative strangers at Red
Hook having lived thero only since the frrt OF May
Wilson previously lived a " Baxter street In this
They both OF the hard. rough, and ignorant TIVE
| OF Irishmen.
The weapon used by Wilson ia . balf-turned table
leg q cherry wSOd 'ss upper part being sqn.rs and
Of the table frame rem.incd In the mortce and pro
trudinx, formed an ugly attachment 10 the weapon.
This protruberance is covered with hair and blood
The Coroners inquest on the affair viii probably be