The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-16
a Collector Of the New York Gas
Company Attacked by a Doc
tor in the Latter's Office.
A sANGUINARY sCUFFLE.
The Assaulted Man, Though Morally Wounded,
bVerpewers His Assailant and Escapes.
SCENE OF the DEADLY STRUGGLE.

Sanford Murray, q collector OF the New York
Gas Company, was struck on the head with
hammer by DR.. L. M. Brown, OF PSI william street,
yesterday afternoon, and dangerously injured.
Murray went into the Doctors Office about three
O'Clock and presented bill for 81 rs to Brown.
The latter desired him to sit at q desk that stood
Immediately opposite the door, receipt the bill and
make out change for $780, as he intended
| giving the collector o bill for that amount.
Murray sat at the desk, and Brown made
pretence Of going to IN inner room for the
money. He almost Immediately returned and
struck Murray on the right side OF the head with
hammer with such force as to knock him out OF the
chair on to the floor. Az he fell the Doctor struck
second blow, but the edge OF the hammer glanc-
Ing OF the skull, Murray was not completely
stunned. He jumped to his feet just as Brown
was about drawing q Ratchet from inside his waist
coat to complete the bloody work. and grappled the
would-be murderer. A struggle ensued, In which
both parties put out their utmost strength but
Murray being the heavier Of the two he succeeded
| In wrestling the Ratchet from the hands OF Brown
| and dealt HIM in return
POWERFUL BLOW
on the head. Brown fell fighting his antagonist
and while Murray kept him down with one leg and
arm he was trying to break open the door with
the Ratchet in his right hand. Having succeeded
in bursting or the lock, he dashed into the street
and shouted for assistance. Being covered with
blood and very excited In manner, crowd soon
gathered about him, and the cry OF "Policen
rang throughout the neIghborhood. officer
Harris Of the Fourth precinct, seeing
the crowd from his post OF duty, and
suspecting a disturbance, ran to the spot and soon
learned the state OF affairs He went into the Doc
tors office accompanied by Murray and Mr.. Suit
ger, the landlord of the house. They found the
Doctor in the act OF getting up from the floor, and
the oflcer arrested him and took both men to the
station house. Captain Ulman sent them to the
Park Hospital to have their wounds dressed and
then took their statements about the occurrence
Murray said that when he went into the
Office the Doctor told him to make change for
$40. He sat at the desk, took out newspaper
parcel containing 5000, and proceeded to count
the change and receipt the bill. AS he was doing
this Brown returned from an inner room, where he
pretended to have gone for the money, and struck
him twice on the head with some heavy instru-
ment. He was OF first so stunned by the sudden
ness and fer0clty OF the attack that for q moment
he was powerless; but realizing that his life was
in danger he made one effort for his existence and
sprang to his feet. He had only just turned and
faced Brown to catch the latter taking a small
Ratchet from inside his wastcOat, with which he
intended to complete the work. The possession OF
the Ratchet became at that instant the object Of
FOUGHT DESPERATELY
for 1t. Murray says that during this trial of
strength the blood ran into his eyes and mouth
from the wounds Ia his head and he did not even
lying lighting at his eet lie also says is that just
before ne was struck he heard Brown fasten the
HSen q the d4s to st nn n s
As soon SsS head s1S rsssed 0s as
conveyed him back to the station house,
where he was locked up. His version q the aGair
from that given by Murray. Brown said THAT that
shortly before Murray appeared at his ONCE
young man called upon him Tor ADVICE He was in
when knock was given on the door. The man.
not wishing to be seen, asked the Doctor to conceal
him. Brown says he desired him to go behind
high desk in the office and he did so. When the
Young man r., was out Of sight Murray was
ceipt the bill ana then proceeded to the
bedroom in the opposite direction to where the
Of money before him on the writing desk, fronting
| the door, and which, according to the Doctors
where the young man was hidden. White Brown
| was getting the money, the young man, he says,
issued from his retirement and made the assault
on Murray. Alter striking the blows and knock
! ing the collector on the ground, he escaped, and
his going. made the noise with the latch Murray
| heard. The Doctor further says he got to the
| scene just before the young man went out. and
he was drawing the Ratchet out OF his waistcoat
| Tor the purpose OF defending Murray when the lat
ter attacked him. The young man he does not
| know. but he feels satisfied
HE COULD RECOGNIZE HIN
! should the young man ever turn up. Unfortunately
for the Doctor and his story the landlord OF the
house told Captain Ulnan last night that he (the
andlord) stood on the front stoop OF the house for
two hours, previous to Mr.; Muiray's going in
watching for a load of coal he had ordered, and
that time The landlord knew Mr.. Murray we'll;
met him at the door and spoke TO him just as he
Murray BY the landlord, and the latter said to Muir
ray as he was on the point of going in, 81 viii go
on the Of the landlord n
| up stairs he met Murray rushing out OF the Doc
tors rooms with the Ratchet in his hand and COW
cred with blood. The house In which the tragedy
took place is on the corner OF the street. 1t makes
one OF the bend at William and Pearl streets. The
Office occupied by Brown, who has been in the place
about two years, Is on the first nOOr and consists
OF three small rooms. In the outer one, which IS
the office proper the walls both sides are covered
with medicine bottles. There are two windows
looking into the street, and these admit the only
ga mat into ie pace o IN
those usually seen In drug stores and behind
which medicines are made up. From this desk across
the room, almost up to the wall runs desk with Just
sufficient room Kept between its termination and the
wall for entrance. The desk, counter and mantel
running in front OF the prescription desk along the
furthest wall to the writing desk at which Murray
sat were Uttered last night with large and small
INSTRUMENTS, POWDERS, PAPERS AND RUBBISH.
Fronting the door that leads from the hallway
into the Office stands the writing desk, with chair
the corner made by the wall and the partition di.
viding or the inner room stands q small
is q long invalids' chair, on which
the Doctor slept preferring that the people In the
house say, TO the bed in the little room behind the
| parlor. The middle room, called the parlor, but
which Is more properly library, Is about the same
size as the oice, and between 1t and the bedroom.
A glass bookcase. filled with expensive medical
works, makes the partition that separates 1t from
| the bedroom. The table In the middle OF this
/ apartment was covered with books, so was the
| mante and the general air OF the place would
seem to indicate that the Doctor was
! man OF studious habits, although mis-
4 line OF practice was most questionable
one. During the Sight yesterday several large bot
4 ties OF medicines were broken and the contents
covered the floor last night. The front OF the short
4 counter was smeared with blood, and everything
4 In the place was in the utmost disorder. Accord
ing to the people living In the house and in those