The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-08
A WESTMINSTER TRAGEDY.
Murder Of a Night Waterman by Bur.
glars Near TarrytOwn.
Footprints Found in the Snow-Singular Direo
ton of Bullet Through the Body.

ton of Bullet Through the Body.
The circumstances OF . somewhat mysterious
shooting ARRAY, attended with fatal consequences.
and which viii In all probability prove to DO an
alrocious murder. transpred near Tarrytown,
westchester county. yesterday afternoon. Green.
burg, the town In which the village above named Is
located, has, ~ Is well known, been the scene OF
numerous bur2laries during the past few weekA
In short 1t may be stated that these iconies OF
almost nightly occurrence and, as a consequence,
all those who can anord It, have their premises
guarded by private watchmen while the inmates
slumber.
Situated on the bank OF the Hudson River,
about mile south OF Tarryt0wn, and perhaps
the same distance from Sunnyside, the home OF
the late washington Irving, is the country seat
OF MIR. william Hoge, President OF the ST. Louis,
Kansas City end Northern Missouri Railroad. The
house has been closed for some months past,
owing to the absence OF the owner and his family.
servant man. named William McMullen, aged
about twenty-eight, and who Is said to have
been q Canadian by birth, was left In
charge Of the place, and slept there every
night for the purpose OF watching che prop.
erty. lie was armed with six.bareed revolver,
given him when he undertook the duty Of night
Waterman by Captain Herring, brother-ln-law OF
Mr.. Hoge. and VINO resides about quarter OF
mile distant from the house of the last named gen.
tleman.
HOW THE SHOOTING OCCURRED. =
Shortly after eight O'Clock On Tuesday evening
McMullen suddenly entered the residence Of Cap
tain Herring IN state OF grea. terror and physi.
Cal exhaustion crying wildly that he had been shot
by burglar at the house of his employer. As
the unfortunate man appeared to be suffering In.
tensely from his injuries, physician named Fur.
man was hastily summoned from TarrytOwn, and
he, upon examination, found that McMullen had
been shot, the ball entering the right side Of the
abdomen. near the groin and, after passing
through the body had emerged from the back,
the hip bone, some three or lOur inches above
the point 1t had entered. 1t has not uranspired
what course Of treatment the physician adopted,
but from the fact that he failed to notify either
coroner or justice OF the peace, to the end that
the anSe-mortem statement OF
THE WOUNDED MAN
might be formally taken, 1t Is presumed that ne
failed to comprehend the fact that his patient was
mOrtaly injured. The ply stefan named, how ever,
rem and there Is little aoaes tna. the
Nan had the advantages OF skillul surgical
Inns avae nnt nHt e as McM%en
when he expired. Many OF the intelligent resi-
dents OF TarrytOwn expressed their surprise TO
the HERALD representative that none OF the
Physicians who ATTENDED the dying man made the
case known to the authorities, as 1t is now not
improbable thai through their omission the ends
OF justice may be deieated.
In regard to the manner in which he was shot,
the deceased stated in substance that little De.
fore eight O'Clock on Tuesday evening he as was his
CUSTOM went over to the residence Oh Mr. Hoge, ana
having let himself In, ne proceeded down stairs to
the apartment IN which he usually slept After
lighting his candle he heard noise as though
pa2sa him. rs was
young man named Go0dlet, a cOacnman In The
neghborhood, who had promised to come and
sleep with him that night, McMuiien went out aud
walked toward that portion OF the piazza where
he had heard the footsteps. He at once perceived.
A,tn ttUhf OIL mo Stand inn
against the house, close to the door, as though he
was endeavoring to screen himself from ooscrva.
ti0n.
Almost at the same instant McMullen said, he
observed another and saor t, man On Inc poIcn
OF an attack, McMuen walked Driskly toward
the nrst mentioned individual lor the purpose o.
seeing whether ne could recognize him, and mad
approached within two feet OF him when the latter
fred and shot him, with the effect already stated
Utterly terrified, McMullen, ON receiving his death
wound, turned and ned preclpitately from the
spot, scouting Tor assistance, until he reached the
On Wednesday morning Constable Alfred Law.
renee; OF Iarryt9wa. happening to os a., 10 the
cariouS condition oil McMuicn, and at once en-
deavOred to see the injured man, but was pro-
tor said 1t would nSre the patient to talk. Learn
ing the circumstances as related by McMullen,
however. tho constable proceeded to the residence
OF Mr.. Hoge in the hope OF discovering some clew
which might lead to the discovery OF the perpe-
traitors. Or examining that portion OF the piazza
IL
TIE SCENE OF THE SHOOTING
he found that bullet had Embedded itself In .
column supporting the ROOF OF the veranda and at
a distance OF five or six feet from the door, plainly
showing that the muzzlc OF tne weapon must havo
been pointed In horizontal direction. his,
taken IN connection with the TACT that the bullet
passed out oil the mans back some three or Jour
inches ABOVE the point where 1t had entered tue
abdomen, is d matter which should receive
thorough investigation. The ball penetrated SO
far into the wood as to be invisible. Its presence
there having only been determined by feeling
with the blade OF pocket Kniie. Upon iurtner
examination Constable Law ence plainly observed
the
TRACKS OF TWO PERSONS
In the snow and going IN a contrary direction
from the house. The distance from the piazza of
the first tracks made by tile parties
leaving the house warranted the be-
1 ths That NouaDe as a%ay
rapid and lengthy strides. One of these tracks
led directly down the hill toward the railroad,
while the other was in a sOutherly dircctlOn ana
was ultimately lost sight OF In ravlne IL also
appeared though one OF the parties wore large,
coarse shoes or boots, while the impression
made by the other was snch as could only
The same tracks, 1T should be stated, were also
observed leading directly from tine railroad to the
house OF MIR. HOge IL Is strange feature OF the
that barrel OF the revolver carried by Nc
although the circumstances at first led to a
surmlse that he might have shot him.
self accidentally or otherwise, 1T was
acLer OF the wound and the subsequent dis.
coveries, w0ch appeared to cOrrObordte his state.
ment OF the affair. Deceased is described az
having been most peaceabie and inoilensive man
and was much thought OF by his employer. DE
has relatives in Canada, but none In the United
States.
Coroner Bassett was notified yesterday after.
noon and will commence thorough investigation
OF the affair to-day.