The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-26
The CHA7HAX SQUARE MURDER.
The Inquest Before
~ 30 the Coroner.
IL Shot Him, bN he Threatened to Strike
Me with q Whifflctfee."
Affecting Scene In the Coroner's 0face-The
Wife and Child Of the Accused in Tears
The Prisoner Folds His Child to
His Breast and wesps Also

Coroner Herman yesterday held the inquest In
the case Of Charles II. Pfeifer, the truckman who
was shot 30 brutay Dy Michael Nixon the evening
OF Tuesday last in Chatham square. while riding
his horse towards Roosevelt street ferry on his way
to his house In Williamsburg. The prisoner, who is
not q man whose face would Indicate viciousness,
was brought into the examination room in charge
OF Captain Uhlman and his officers and given q
seat In one corner. where he could be seen BY but
few OF the spectators, who crowded the room TO
Its utmost capacity and listened with great In
tcrest to the testimony. Shortly after the arrival
OF the prisoner his wife, plainly dressed woman,
quite corpulent entered alone and took seat on
the left OF Detective Van Buskirk, who sat on the
immediate left Of the accused.
The first witness called was
THE WITNESS WHO SAW IT.
Frederick Cloves Of 1885 Pacific street, Brook
yn. testified that on Tuesday evening last ne left
the Bowery Savings Bank, (which he is teller,
and took Second avenue car intending to 90 to
Fulton ferry; the car ran fast down the Bowery
until 1t passed Bayard street, when the driver
stopped suddenly; l was on the rear platform OF
the Car, asking the conductor why the car stopped
30 suddenly, when heard the report Of pistol
shot and was attracted by the noise; l looked in
the direction from where 1t came, when saw
man falling In the street, and short distance of
saw wagon 60 away from me with a man on it,
who, after driving several yards jumped out and
disappeared; the man who tel was partially on the
ground; think his feet were on tine ground;
saw gray horse near by; the man fell on the
track OF the New Bowery Railroad, right in front
OF Seymour's hardware store; reached the man
a second after; he had nothing in his hand; was
fell; 1t was growing dark at the time; with the
assistance OF several others the deceased was taken
to the sidewalk, and when an officer arrived he
was taken to the station house saw no while
tree or any stick near the deceased; cannot iden-
tify the man who fired the shot.
KEY tr ANOTHER WITNESS.
Patrick Brady, driver OF car on the Second
Avenue Railroad, testified that he was going up
Chatham street at about twenty minutes to six r.
NJ, January Il; when he got to Division street he
saw wagon, with man In 1t, coming towards
him; also saw man on gray horse. facing towards
Catharine street, while the horse attached to the
wagon was facing towards Division street, the
gray horse being ahead, but on the other track;
saw the man IN the wagon raise himself and
on the horse fell or to the ground; saw pistol
in his hand as he stood in the wagon, imme-
three 1eet away from the man who fired the shot :
did not hear any quarrel between the men nor
did he see any blows struck after replacing the
look at deceased, and picking up the lines, drove
OF toward Division street.
THE CRY OF MURDER.
witness cried out once or twice. "Arrest that
man, he has shot mani" when deceased fell no
one was near him when witness cried out several
came up witness described the appearance OF the
murderer but was unable to identity the prisoner
preseSt; he saw whifhetree either on the neck
Of the horse or hanging on the hames did not see
~ William Kress, q boy, testified that he saw de-
ceased lying on the ground, and man in wagon
drive Off ia East Broadway, toward Catharine
street; saw "No. II East Broadway" painted on
the side OF the wagon; witness could not identify
he he saw the man lying ON the ground; saw the man
lump out Of the wagon and run or In the direction
,Of East Broadway
Xames Reilly hickman at Chatham square. ties.
t.6a d that he heard shot; saw deceased lying on
draw Off; 1t was Lndemann's wagon; could not
swear that prisoner was the man in the wagon; did
his face and could not swear yea to MS Identity
saw hIaa Jump of the wagon at Llndemann's door;
heard no quarreng before this saw whimetree
nm the "A ound witness had seen the prisoner drive
this waSa n previously, but could not say that he
was the mn who was in 1t on this latter occasions
x o. e see rae 70 R
coach he wa then In front Of Lindemann's place,
No ii East Brx ,adway; saw the man get out OF the
heaS If the bora es. This witness prevaricated all
through his test imony and evidently wished to
shield the acc c. SEQ horses head and reluctantly
pointed 70 nixon. no sat near Detective Van Bus
kirk. s,o r,rora s.-o.4 xv,u,.us
burg testidea to the ody lying at Park Hospital
being that Of Charles ~ nef "a paxter street tes
witness Lester LemoH 10 - s,iecs seS
titled that he heard the rep and PASSING over saw
man lying on the ground the middle mic Of the
car track; saw no whiaetree n, ana " does not not
did not see the man in the Wagon, ~ NSe' NV
know who fired the shot. -r.spn
THE GOOD CHARACTER OF THE De- tiSed A Ia
Several acquaintance OF deceased tes ar vi
his sobriety and caution in avoiding an qua'i "a
DETECTIVE Van BusKrt, Of the Fourth war a. VINO no
made the arrest, testified to the efforts ma. oSy
him to him. the details OF which have alre
been published; when arrested, prisoner repledA Y
. shot him, but he struck at me-" Witness tosN
him to the station house with the aid OF Detective
where he made the same statement
to the Captain and told him that his wife took the
his wife, all the barrels being empty when
he received #; witness had arrested him
before ero for disordery conduct Reilly did
here this morning; McClinchey said last night that
he saw the man lying on the ground but to-day he
confirmed the testimony OF Van Bus
kirk. other police officers who assisted In convey
Ing the deceased to the station gave testimony Of
no Importance except that the whiffetree was
found detached from the horse.
officer Van Buskirk recalled, testified that he |
found blood both sides OF the horses neck SIX or
THE POLICE OFFICER.
Captain Uhlman, of the Fourth precinct testified |
that Nixon admitting the shooting, and said it was
because he threatened to strike him with the |
whinletree; he seemed as II he mad been drinking
DR.. Cushman testified IS to what he discovered |
on the post-mortem examination OF the body and |
The nnding Of the ball; in his opinion the head OF
deceased was on level with the pistol, as the |
course OF the ball was horizontal.
Alter brief charge from the Coroner the jury |
retired to consider their verdict Just before they
retired Mrs. Nixon, who had gone out during the |
giving OF the evidence re-entered with beautiful
little girl aged about SIX years and resumed her seat
SO soon as the jury left the room the little girl burst
INTO violent sobs. Her mother attempted to COM
pose her, but was so overcome that she also burst
INTO tears. The prisoner seeing the GRIEF OF MS
wife and child was yisibly affected; the tears
started unbidden he reached out his arms TO the
little GIRL who rushed over to her iather
md burying her lace on MS oreast
obbed Violently For q few minutes the |
murderer and his family were left undisturbed to
heir grief the spectators being visibly affected by
he scene presented. They finally became more
omposed, and the jury soon after entered and rem
Tered a verdict that deceased came to his death
rom a pistol-shot wound at the hands OF the &C
used. The Coroner committed the witnesses
Reilly and McClinchey to the House OF Detention,
md the accused TO the Tombs, to await the action