The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-21
End Of a Human Brute.
The CAREER OF A New YORK ROUGH AND
ITS DETERMINATIoN-JACK GLASS THE
ROUNDER-CARvED TO DEATH.

lrrom the New York World, February l3.
The last breath of misspent life went out
forever when John Glass died in the Park
hospital yesterday morning, the victim of the
last and most desperate fight out of the many
constituting the principal, almost the daily,
acts of his life. He was the relic of a dis
graceful type. The Alsatian of early London,
the reckless bravoes who roamed the streets
seeking whom they might devour, were of
the same mould as he, and it is not to be
wondered at that at last, like Phelix Larkin,
Dave O'Day, "Paudeen," and other brutal
roughs, he found desperate opponent when
least expected, and received his death-blow at
the hands ofa man not esteemed rowdy or
classed among his kind.
As far back through his desperate life, the
span of years reaching to his boyhood, dis
closes nothing but midnight brawls, fights,
and killings. He was what is termed a
''rounder," and prided himself on his fight
ing qualities. Standing over six feet in his
stockings, with muscular frame and dogged
courage, he was no mean opponent. His
brother Jim was also one of his class, and
Jack and Jim Glass were noted characters in
the sixth ward.
The records of the old sixth ward station
honse bear their names in due prominence,
and the gravest charge against them was the
Owens-Decker murder.
A man at that time kept a disreputable
house in Elm street. One morning the
brothers Glass, accompanied by two men,
were passing through Elm street. The man
Decker was standing on the stoop of his
house. Some words passed between them,
and Decker, endeavoring to make his escape
into the house, was shot on the threshold
An inoffensive man named Owens passing at
the time was also shot dead. The present
Justice Bowling was then police captain in
the sixth precinct, and with his usual prompt
itude had all the parties arrested. John and
jim Glass were convicted. Jim was sem
fenced to state prison for life and Jack for
twenty years. While in state prison Jack
Glass had desperate fight with Joe Coburn,
the pugilist, then doing time for stabbing an
old policeman, and whipped the champion of
the prize ring out of his boots The brothers
were pardoned out, and Jim going to Brook
lyn, became reputable citizen. He keeps
hotel on the Coney Island plank road.
Possessing the usual attributes of des-
perado, Jack Glass Joined both of the Fenian
expeditions against Canada, and held high
command in the service of O'Neil. He GER
tainly redeemed his character in the first raid,
for on one of his rank and file attempting to
plunder a aCanadian farmers house, Glass fired
on him and shot him through the shoulder
He was taken prisoner by the United States
authorities at Malone during the last raid and
tried at Canandaigua, but acquitted. Re-
turning to this city he obtained desultory en-
ployment in some of the press-rooms around
Printing House square.
On Monday morning, the 22d of January,
he entered the Franklin coffee and cake sa-
loon, 169 Nassau street. James Costelloe, in
the absence OF the proprietor, Fenton G. Nc
Elroy, was in charge. Glass entered the
kitchen, and Costelloe said that he would not
allow him in there. Glass gave back a bitter
remark and Costelloe answered. Glass said
that Costelloe's mother was prostitute, and
at this Costelloe, a mere boy in frame COM
pared with Glass, advanced to strike him.
Glass raised a chair and struck at Costelloe.
He clutched at the carving knife and attack
ed Glass. In few seconds the latter was
found on the sidewalk cut and gashed all ov-
er, his skull fractured by terrible blow with
the knife. Costelloe was arrested, and when
taken before Glass at the hospital the dying
Dead Rabbit said; "That's the poor boy that
struck met. God forgive you, boy. Think
of my wife and my poor children. Let him
ed out, but subsequently rearrested, the con-
dition of Glass becoming more desperate.
Word was sent to Glass's wife, who was
out in Fort Wayne, Ind, and she came to
this city with her two children. She was
constantly by the bedside of her husband.
The symptoms in the case were so variable
and the mans wonderful tenacity of life so
apparent that, although his wounds were suf-
ficient to kill dozen ordinary men, the at
tending physicians thought the herculean
constitution of the man would weather the
storm, But it was not to be so. His blood
grew poisoned and he died yesterday morn
ing, his wife, children and brother being with
him.
Yesterday afternoon DR.. A. L. Vandewat-
er, OF the Park hospital, assisted by Deputy
Coroners Wooster, Beach and Joseph Cush-
man, made post-mortem examination of
Glass's body. There was an incised wound
four inches long on the outer aspect of the
leg, four inches below the knee; one an inch
long on the outer aspect of the left thigh.
The bones of the left elbow, with the cover
ing flesh and tissue, were cut through. There
was an incised wound two inches long, and
extending from the outer side of the left wrist
to the middle of the palm of the left hand, and
on the top of the head was a wound two in
ches long, beneath which the table of the
skull was fractured. On the vortex of the
skull was wound one inch long, surround
ed by scars of recently healed wounds. He
died of meningitis and pyemis, consequent on
these terrible injuries. Corouer Keenan, will
hold an inquest in the case tomorrow.