The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-24
TIE CHATHAM SQUARE MURDER.
Identification of the Deceased-A Quiet Laborer
Assassinated and Four Children Made Or
phans-The Murderer an Old Thief and
Fence-Keeper Out Of the
Duryea Zouaves for Stealing and
Last Year Arrested for At.
tempted Murder and Let or

The assassination on Tuesday evening In Chat
ham square of a truckman by thief and rufian
the Sixth ward, named Michael Nixon, was the
theme OF much comment yesterday about the
Roosevelt street ferry, where the murdered man IL
well known and highly esteemed. The publication
OF the circumstances in yesterday mornings papers
were in the main correct. The murdered man
proves to be Charles H. Pfeifer, carman in the en-
poy of . boss carman named Cassidy, doing bus-
ness In Williamsburg as teamster for DE Castro &
Donner sugar re1ners Pfeifer was native of this
country, and resided with his wife four little
children at the corner OF South Eighth and Third
streets, Williamsburg. He has worked for
Cassidy for many years, and all agree Ia
describing him as sober, Industrious
and inotTensive man, who would not be
apt to attack Nixon, as the murderer charges he
did, with a whinetree. He has recently been en-
ployed at the Roosevelt street Terry and was In the
habit Of driving the extra horse used to assist the
heavy teams Of his employer up the hill. He was
returning to the ferry from such service when he
encountered the runian who SO murderously took
his life. he was very popular among the carmen
ABOUT the ferry and his murder caused such indig-
nation that several OF them expressed the wish
that they could get hold OF Nixon and elevate him
upon lamppost. Deceased who was about thirty
five years Old, worked teamster for seven
years for Havemeyer & Elder, sugar re1ners, OF
Williamsburg. he leaves his family perfectly des-
titute, except what assistance they may be entitled
to from Montauk Lodge No. g. order of Red Men,
Williamsburg, OF which he was an esteemed ana
active member. number OF the members of the
lodge called at the Centre Street Hospital yester-
day and Identified his body, as did also his brother
in-law.
yesterday morning at the hospital. He found that
the ball. which had been fired from a small Sharp's
revolver, had entered through the nose and left
eye traversed the brain, the direction being back
| wards and obiiquely TO the right, lodging under
fishes the iaslty OF NiXOns charge that Peiier was
standing on the ground in the act OF striking him
| when he fired The fatal shot Had he been on the
ground when the ball was fired by Nixon standing
| in the wagon the course OF the ball would have
| been dOwnwards from the point OF entry, whereas
| the course was horizontally and obquely through
the BRAIN. The witnesses agree that the deceased
was Oh the back of his horse when shot, and none
OF them. as far as they have communicated with
Coroner Herman, who has charge OF The case. re-
port any threatening demonstration on the part OF
| Pfeier.
| the Sixth ward, and the police report, has ire
| quently been arrested for petty offences. They
say the the assor,ate of tbeVes nresent he keeps
| low gin mil in Baxter street, 1requented by low
whites and blacks and while this was run by his
wife he followed the avocation of bill poster for one
| Lindemann, who keeps place near Chathain
| square. Detective van Buskirk, OF the Fourth
ward, reports that on the 1st OF August, while the
colored people VINO were celebrating the emanci-
patton OF their brethren OF the West Indies were
returning from Brooklyn on the ierryboat, Nixon
got into an alteration with one Of the party and
committed 4 felonious assault For this he was
arrested and taken to Essex Market where the
case was finally settled. Everybody who knows
him gives him bad name, as commonly
expressed, he was "mussy" and quarrelsome
with all his associates. member Of Company "
Duryea's Zouaves, called upon Captain Uhlhann
and reported that while Nixon was a member Of
his company he was caught stealing frequently
| and was finally drpmped out Of the regiment Al,
Falmouth Va but subsequently returned and en-
gagged In the sale of newspapers.
Coroner Herman yesterday empanelled jury,
luft t.f a Ilnl 1xrtn Rtnknn nil Mar
rem street; Pau! Magnus IS Murray street; J. L.
Yates, 25l Broadway; j. NJ. Morgan 20 Park place !;
David Vap Nostrand, u Warren street; J. j. Good
! erich, u Warren street, and Edward Cooper 23
Park place, and fixed Saturday morning for the in
quest. lie also made out commitment and the
prisoner was removed In the afternoon to the
Tombs. The murdered man will be buried on Sun
day. from the Methodist church In South Fifth
street, Williamsburg, under the auspices OF the
Order OF Red Men