, 1874-02-08
Gbe Gbmagu U2ibu4at.
Sunday Morning, February 8, 1874.


RAFFERTY'S STATEMENT.
Rafferty,, the murderer Of Policeman O'Meara,
has at length, after his long reticence, made
detailed and deliberate statement Of the facts
connected with the terrible decd, and Of the pre-
lininary troubles which led to it, going rs far
back az the time during which he was working in
the Bridgeport brick yards. The statement has
been printed in TIE TRIBUNE in his own Language
and without comment, according to his request,
that the public might have the benefit Of
his version without prejudice We have read
the statement carefully, and We think the public
Ei1 join rs in the opinion that, while it presents
B. different vereion of the affair from that which
appeared in the sworn testimony, it does not
offer any facts which change the nature Of the
crime or make the enforcement Of the penalty
which the Supreme Court has pronounced any
the 1ess imperative, whether considered rs 3
punishment for violated law OF as 4 measure for
the better protection Of the community.
The two points which Rafferty, makes in e1-
tenuAtioa Of his crime are: l. That the warrant
Tas Toid, and that he discovered that thAo6cers
Lad no right to arrest him before he fred. 2.
That he waa assaulted both By Officers 6canlan
and O'Meara before he had offered any resist
Rnce. There are several facts which initiate,
however, against both these points and make
them improbable He says with regard to the
warrant:
ScanI4n walked up to me, and SAYS, Chris, want
3ou.7 says !, What for 2" He SAYS, "1 have got
for you" Says L "1f you hsys got wnrrant
let's hear you read it." So be took out piece Of paper
which had writing It. looked ut it aud saw 1t
had no name OF anything else signed to it. When l
RAW hat got down of the table, and aays, WE'LL II
have got to 60 must 60, and pulled out revolver.
In considering this statement, it musr be re-
meubered that Rafferty, can neither read nor
write, and is, therefore, incapable Of declaring
whether warrant is made out in due form or
not, or OF knowing word that is in 1t except as
it is read to him. But, even had he been ab1e to
read and write, was he in condition to know
the contents Of this warrant. OF whether it was
properly drawn up7 His oWn statement is
the best authority for the condition he
YVES N that night. On the Saturday
preceding the murder he 1as released from
whole day in drinking, ending it by etreet-dght
Eith one Of his friends That night be vent
over On the West Side and stayed with German
friend He arose at o'clock on Sunday morn
ing and vent ont and got three drinks. Then be
came over to the South Side and drank pint
of whisky with another friend before breakfast.
After breakfast he went to saloon aud spent
. Al hour or two drinking. In the after
noon he bought bottle Of whisky,
and he and another sot drank it. The
drinking was kept up steadily until o'clock
in the evening, when Rafferty, staggered out into
the street and fell into the ditch. How long he
lay there he does not know. He lost his coat,
but how ho does not know. For two or three
hours he must have been dead drunk. The next
thing he remembers is that be was in Mrs.
O'Brien's saloon in such q miserable, besot-
ted aud eenseless condition that even
hrs 0'Brien, large as her hospitality
or eager IS her cupidity might have
been, refused to let him have liquor. Was |
soaked through with two days incessant drink
Ing, who hadn't sense enough left to know even |
how he got into the saloon, in 3 condition to
pass upon the legality OF q warrant? And fur I
thermore, il this be t:ue, how was it that he for
got such an important point when in his sober |
Senses and did not use It on his first trial?
With regard to the aerAu1t upon him, Rafferty,
l.ys:
o'Meara WEE standing with his back towards the I
AT, and when he walking towards the door he
9llled out s1inghot, and put lia back against the
{oor and stopped me. was two or three steps from
LIN, and looked sideways and Eaw Seaman coming
oxards me with his hand behind him as ii he was
citing his pistol out. Just IB turned around,
>'Afeara grabbed me, and co1nneuced heatiug me
nth the sling-shot- We bad tussle, and wEile
g striking me I shot ut him scau- |
II was coming toward me, and willis O'1fearn
ad hold Of me ! turned round-just my !
and like-aad ehot at Scanlau, and just then lie
rabbed me. O'deara used his sing-shot in the
1ssle before shot, He struck with 1t about the
me I fired. Scanlan took hold Of me, both had hold
ma then, and fell, OF be knocked ue dom. and
9TH Of them fell top Of me, O1eaza tie uiost on
p. ! beat OMea<a with my revolver and O:Gea1a
at mo didn't know whether the ysas dead
struck him with my revolver. don't know where
t him. Scanlo1 was beating with hts revolver.
tuss2ed al around the floor, md dropped ~ re-
lrer in hitting o'Afcara.
The same objection might BE- urged against
is statement as against the other. Being in
ch besottcd, senseless condition at the time
this gc1immage, how does he remember with
ch 1ninuteness every detail OF his "tussle'"
th the two officers, and how ia it that they have
ma to his uaamozy 10 lkts2 Why ia Il thAt