New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-12-18


assault on Peter WilmOt knew them to be thieves;
have knewn Mos,cr by sight since was boy knew
them TO he thieves By their general reputatonin MY
George Bergen tes,ined-I live ut Dsv Ridge and am
a farmer; remember the shooting which took place AZ
Judge Van Brunts house, the first knew OF the affair
from my brother Theodore at about O'CLOCK IN
the morning he told me To yet up and dress my seii
there something wrong dressed, took pistol aud
walked down stairs. where met my father; he tolu me
7 went ny stairs aud got gun, aud, with hired man
aud my brother. went over to the Judges housr
saw something dark Wing on the ground near
tire corner OF the house ! said There Is a
walked over to where Douglass lay, aoou three feet
from fence sontn OF the h9hse as got 1hrrs "sasa
pistol 10 his SON. Douglass asked ior swallow
water; given hlu and lie took only swallow
a,sed nm Ia; his he gave me some Irish
name then he said, Mn. ! won't lie to you; my
name william Mosler ana spclt IL out asked MIN
wAcre lie lived, lie sid Moslor lived IN the city he
salo thai he himself had no nome 'then De SAID mtn'
have go my pocket; made that honestly
Give Decent bnrial;' he next said
tae BOY was said he e 40 not know; Moser knows;
! told him Mosier dead he said, God help US
they came there he SAID they came In soOp lron
New-Yors asked where the boat was ana he saiu J.
they came ashore in small boat; h said, superln-
tendent Walng would give anytnlng 70 eaten us
for the boat came back he asked Tor prhnun
and it was gwen We ruooed his hands ana WI" ere
t,' 800 t onn't move me - we wanted 10 ppJ q
blanket under Linn ont he asked us 10 leave him alone
doctor arrived last before he died he was insensio
then and remained So until lac ditC ne was CONSCIOUS
until about is minutes before he died no was on Tue
| around about hour and half while was there he
did rot say that Superintendent WaI!lnG knew wheio
| the Ross bOv WAS.
! Theodore v Bergen testihed-I reside at Bav Ridge
farmer; heard the testimony OF my bTOiher
the morning. OF the l4'h heard the report Cl IRE
10 wards from our house To Judge Van
Brunt,; raised window and heard loud taking over
Mr. Vau Brunts; called oIt SO that those VINO we're
] lem mi I'm, mt
/ ont my brother. went down stairs and outdoors; |
asAed II they wanted anv helps heard an answer and
| over TO Mr.. Van BruDrs; as went past Holmes Van
Bruni he was standing over Mosier; AZ dld 50 ne SALT
Look here I" he showed me pistol he had taken from
/ Iy,cI -" NJ VA R-urt sqit 10 Douglass. "You we
/ got TO die; II you have anything to cay. say
quick - The Eau stammered out MS ahe as J"s'pl
| he Then SAID Mo,ler knew all about Charley Ross; /
To d him MOser was lad; asked him II he knew any
tAiug ab.ut w.eie Bose was, ANA he SalG 20; ho
| where wac; then younN MI Van Brunt went ailer
the Coroner pat blanket under Dougldss' ana RiNe
Inn wn.rky aao wafer; lie tAauked me. ana tOi0 me 10
send Sup-iiuten tent Wailins; ne Won not allow
Us 10 lake hln H. because ne srt ~ Hat h. 700 u
/ he saId SUPERINTENDENT Wdlling knows al pbou,
Mosier aud NJ sci. and 6e wol give al tLng 20 ca'e
ugrt in lew days;" Douglass said that The sOoP be-
A1ror asited Il tHe eoop had been claimed. Coroner
Jones stated le had zen asked 10 give the soop w.
Jim v Holland trstided-I reside at Fort Hamilton
constable; was present on the morning q. the
| I4tA when tue Dod,s we're Laid when drrI 81
ta-re found AOscT dead aud Douglas insensDle aud
dyIL-; aOt my knees ANA spoke 90 INN ne wac
uuabl5 answer; Dr.. d Mund arrived, and Iet MS
Prise be SAID Douglas could 1--we only lew moments
/ homes Van Bluut gave me- TWO pistols; the lar.
he IT belonged 10 Doug ass, n small one u
Moser; Judge Church told me 10 take pos son Oi tht
| bodies aLd arrest those Implicated; l arrested
/ Holmes Van Bruui, Albert Van Bruni, hoini ~
Frank and William scott; searched the body OF Mosef
! nrsl fOund him long knife candle anu ihe
money were fouud on D1uslass; W ". Bennett ana
| uysef searched the boat and found nothing Of in
poriauco; found Mcsiers rsh fool an old Congress
gater, on u" other lace suV on IN, Ooit louId lne
10 these sAOes on the boat We iouAH 10, ol cAi
pcnter's tools mat might he used Oy burglars; i
searched Judge Van Bruni's house ana found mere
al re mai evidently been ustd ID al! Hl
tempt break open "a door; found that calch hau
taken Of from o. the doors found tne bid
aug upset TORN of IRON some 5tauI
/ anC clocks tine weather WAS MILD that morning.
REMARKS OF THE CORONER
This was the last Coroner Jones briefly re-
viewed the evidence which had been taken. H. called
particular attention 10 the testimony which had es;ab
shed the desperate character OF the men killed. and
that Coroner would bear witness TO the fact
that scores Of men picked up the river who wore
tie garb OF sailors and undoubtedly were murdered ny
some waiting assassin He mentioned this fact he said
that the attention OF the jury might be directed to The
absolute necessity that existed for the keeping OF e.
arms in households. IL DID not think that the Ross
case had anything in Particular to do with
the matter, save that IL furnished to the
Jury valuable exhibit OF The character OF the men VINO
mad been SLAIN TIE Coroner also called attention to
tie peculiar condition OF the suburban residents, and
the perl in which they constantly lived from bands OF
rowing desperadoes In the peculiar situation OF these
citizens readily understand why they should DO
constantly prepared for the reception OF thieves and
burglars and he thought the spirit worthy and CON-
nendable one that would fater in executing the
right OF sefprotec.ion when the officers Of the law
were not withiu immediate call He then directed the
Jury to retire and deliberate upon their verdict.
THE VERDICT.
After celebrating about half an hour the jury re-
| entered tue room. Ex-Mayor Booth. foreman of the
Jury presented the ANNEX I'd verdict:
We find that the man known as William Mosier and
the Joseph Douglass came TO their deaths
from the effects OF gun and pistol shot wounds, on the
morning l4th % December 1874 on the premises
OF Judge Charles H. Van Brnrt, at Bay Ridge. between
the hour. OF Il and H.. that said wounds were In
fcted by firearms FREQ by The hands or Holmes
! Van Brunt Herman Frank William Scott. and Albert
Van Bruut self-defPnsc; and we the jury further
lind that killing Of deceased in the manner sc!
act OF defending their lives and property In such u
courageous under such trying circumstances
Major Little. Collector OF Arrears OF Taxes, then
offered resolution OF thanks to the Coroner which was
passed by jury. Coroner Jones thanked the jury
and SAID that far the verdict WAS concerned he
could not $50 the Jury could arrive at any different