The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-11-19
COLLISION AND MURDER ON THE HUDSON.
An Unknown Schooner Crashes Into Flotilla
Of Canal Boats and One Of the Crew
Riddles Boatman with Buckshot-
His Ante-Mortem Statement.

AT 3 half hour after midnight yesterday morning
the steamer Belle, with a large number OF canal
boats and bargcs In her tow, was creeping as
slowly as Is usual with such notlas along the Hud
son, about opposite the city oil YonKers ana bound
TO New York. There was no starlight. sharp. stln
breeze was blowing, and the lights from the shore
were all that cleaned through the darkness on the
water. The tow had its lanterns swung high up In
mid air from the steamer and cleaning from the
stern OF each canal BOAT, and certainly making the
fleet conspicuous enough Lee alone the rush OIL the
water under the many prows and the noise OF the
steamers paddles, 10 warn all other passers on the
watery highway that night. But just at this hour
the three four sleepers on board the canal boat
American Hero were
SUDDENLY AWAKENED
by the crash OF something against the side OF the
vessel James Hin, deck hand, tumbled imme-
diately out OF bed and hurried up the steep little
ladder that led from the cabin to the deck. An I'M
known schooner lay with her sails fun set and her
PROV grinding against the canal boat while the
bowsprit and It's rigging had torn into and was en-
tangled with the fragments OF the cabin roof With
what little excitement might be expected the men
shouted to those on board the schooner "Helo,
there lower your sails.n '.IIelo what the hell
are We doing9" The men ON board the
| unknown vessel did not seem to be disposed
to make any stalwart attempt to get out OF the
dniculty and simply shouted back few bitter
| words Al length, after not little bandying Of
| epithets. lad named DefendorT seized an axe and
| cut away the heavy ropes under the bowsprit OF
| the schooner. sometimes called "martingales-"
| Henry Defendorf, ola man. on another canal
boat, the b. Hagman, about this time remarked.
| angrily, that they
'oUGuT TO LICK EN-,
by gosh p' voice from the schooner said IN
reply, $50 git your gun and shoot 'em. by God p
A tofr a MOI ano frotpf ha cohnr
cabin, anu was seen through the thick gloom to lift
something long ami black TO MS shoulder and then
came q fash and q cracking report. some one
on the canal boat In a deusion shouted out
sStop throwing those sticks OF wo ID there" James
HILL who was standing on the b. Hagman, W 18th his
face toward the schooner received
SEVENTY FOUR BUcKsHoT IN HIS PERSON.
The captain Of the American Hero John Conners
was standing sideways on his boat, and eighteen
shot were buried In his back ana shoulder. Hill
fell into the arms or fellow boatman; and mean
while the unknown craft was freed from the tow,
caIchng the strong breeze. veered away, lacking
up stream. The shouts which were sent after her,
no answer as she disappeared N the darkness The
tow dropped down It's way to the city. Hill. on
house and afterwards, by order OF DR.. HUTCHINSON,
TO the Park Hospital. HIS condition last night was
very dangerous, and the attending physician
pressed doubt OF
He told his story to a HERALD reporter snbstan-
tally as above and as 1t was told by John Corners
and the boy Deiendor1. He lives IN the town OF |
Pelamo, oswego county He is literally rlddied bv
the shot In the face, arms, breast and abdomen: in
the latter the inner membrane called the pertoneus
being penetrated and also the lungs. He looked ex-
tremely weak and talked with difficult uIJerance.
After getting through his story he said
.'lrs ridiculous-making anotner-man suffer in |
this way-wnen he hasn't done anything-nothing. |
Oh DEAR 7"
'Come, SAID the attendant, 'now you must take |
courage age, and cheer up. lie brave-be brave, and
Eyes; but old teller, don't like this lying here,
with these things 10 me- ana there's my wife and
ION you have strong constitution, and to-mor-
row Wen see 4 we can get any Of the balls out
Outside Of the door the surgeon shook his head
Within s Doubtless hearing every ord that he SAID
although 1t was intended Otherwise.
Mir. Hill Is an intelligent looking young man.
ROUGH AND BRoNzED,
| but good natured and honest in appearance. The
captain OF the Goat, John Conners came to see him
shot which are In his flesh he Is not BADLY hurt.
Coroner was summoned today TO take Huns ante
mortem statement Nothing has yet been learned
OF the name OF
THE SCHOONER
which coillded with the Tow. The foilow1ug is o
descri puon ol her given by the boy Deendorf, who
seems to have shown great GOODNESS ana intell-
gence:-
"she was short and heavily built, and had
two mainsalls and ana one no but mad no
Slpsn black WS srIpe OF a' green A' around
the hun. She was not laden, but was evI-
Qently q DriCk or stone schooner, running OUTSIDE
the bar The men on this sort OF vessels oil the
most degraded character aud always ready to COM
init crime. At the time this happened there were,
think, three men on the deck OF the scbooneI-one
at the wheel. The schooner might be Identified by
the mariingae.' which Is cut.
ANTEM0RIEM STATEMENT.
The statement elected from Mr. Hill by Coroner
Keenan, is not different from the story which ne
told To reporter. lie the canal boat
American Hero, and about Twelve O'Clock Fri
day nignt was coming down the North River III
tow. Wnile in bel Hill heard some say,
"Nou running into us lie Jumped
out OF bed and saw schooner very near the boat
and tried TO hold her OF, but could not Men in the
other boats assisted AT that time some one said 10
the captain that one one ought 10 be shot. Soon
after a man on the schooner got gun and hired
into us. The schooner was black she broke her
cham under her bowsprlt and something else.
nl does not know who discharged the musket,
the name Of the schooner,
WHITTIER SIZE WAS BOUND,
or any Information whatever likely to lead to the
discovery and arrest OF the villain who so mali
ciousfy discharged the gun.
Efforts will pe made by the police to arrest the
guilty man. The Jury IN the case until that il done,