The New York herald., 1876-11-28
THE SLAYER'S STATEMENT.
How Denis Ryer Says He Came TO Shoot
Patrick Taft
A STRUGGLE FOR A PISTOL.
Two Shots and q Dead Man
Left Alone.


sfrghtful murder had been committed in The freight
depot OF tho Long Island Railroad. victim being
night watchman named Patrick TAFT What len, add-
hona intensity TO the excitement was the remcm
orance that some years ago Waterman IN the employ
Of the company killed by n desperate who
aiterward captured and to State Prison for liie
II appears that the first person who learned that TAFT
had been killed OF the employees Of
the road, named D. NJ Carter On going 10 work
about hali-past six, he happened to bc passing the
Ferry street door OF the ofioe of the freight depot
and knowing that the walchlnan did not leave the
premises until O'Clock. he tried the knob OF the
door. Not nndng the door locked, ne walked the
building and noticed that the waichman's key in
,Ee lock the inside. The Office proper occupies a
ipace about ten feet square. which Is divided OF from
The main room by board Partition The door leading
10 the freight platform. where Carter had TO work
just outside OF tho southern front of the PARTITION
and in order reach he had TO pass the Office door
He found locked and noticed ,ha, the Of
fee door closed. Thinking that the watch man
had fallen asleep inside he opened the door The first
object that attracted his attention Taft his
Tnccs with his head resting his lett arm, which
extended chair to right OF the door, his right
am lying over the arm of the chair Carter,
believing him to be asleep was about TO awaken him
by giving MIN push, when Immediately behind the
knecling man he deserted pool of blood. This dis
covery startled him. and going nearer Taft he
that he dead. He Immediately gave alarm, and
In few minutes several citizens and police officer
the scene, the Coroner among the number.
On raising the PROSTATE form OF the watch
cursory examination showed that he
had been wounded tho upper lip and
that his shirt and coat. the left SIDE stained
with blood. The body quite cold when found,
showing that the unfortunate man had been dead
ZONE time. What struck everybody who had answered
tne alarm cry given by Carter that there no
evidence OF any struggle having taken place. Every
thing IN the Office in It's usual place, and the at
taches OF the road, who had been summoned shortly
after,
THE DISCOVERY OF THE CRIME
made found that none the drawers had been
lampercd with and that all the books and papers
had been let undisturbed. The mystery which
surrounded the made all tho greater
from the fact that the pool OF blood on
the iloor several fee. behind the spot where
The body OF TAFT found was there any
evidence show he bad his death, whether he
had been shot stabbed A thorough examination of
the room alter the body had been removed however,
showed conclusvey that he had been shot, for
bullet was picked up outside OF ths Office door
aud the track OF another discovered in the par
Etion the door. Where the shot could have
from was mystery, Tor the ndcntation made IN the
wood was precisely the that a bullet would make
II fred from the ceiling. The ianght the door
was open, and was generally supposed that whoever
had done the shooting must have taken aim through
It, Buteven this deemed to be unreasonable after
awhile. for the bullet would not have taken tho
direction The ball did take winch had mbedded itself In
the partition The body OF the dead finally
moved TO underiakcr's where post moriem exami-
naton was made and tho body viewed by jury cmpan
sied By Coroner Darren. The result OF the post
shn fhna n hnllo Ioft
of the body jus, below the heart and that had taken
upward and inward direction and that another had
struck the poor fellow the upper lip. The
shot the heart was, OF course, tho
that caused DEATH As the day
he excitement over the tragedy became very great,
m the police and the officers Of the ward had
they could do to keep the freight depot free from
hc crowds that threatened to invade IT, Speculation
Eas riio how such atrocioas crime
could have been committed in such a neighbor-
hood without the OF the pistol shots
attracting tho attention OF the watchinan who
were duty IN the engineers department, ON the
wharf ouy 800 feet distant from the place where TAFT
found However. the pole. set about to work up
the case. and learn M that Taft aud fellow wachnan
named Denis Rycr, with three men frcm New YORK.
had occn drinking ai the City Hotel barroom the
Terry, tate sunday night, they Determined to get
h"ld nf the New Workers Had they done so they
soald have only gone on a wild goose chase. TOR
BLOODY
surrendered himself to Captain Woods, OF the Long
Island police, Astoria, about eight o'clock In the
morning. He was no less person than Denis Ryer,
the wharf watchman IN the employ OF the rail-
ruad company. Eyer simply told the captain
that II nc who had killed Taft, that the
shooting was accdcntal. and that no enc regretted
II more than be. The details he did give. the
officer prefcrring walt till he had his counsel
before revealing all that had taken place between nm
his victim when the shooting ops place. A HERALD
reporter called AT the Astoria station house last
" on learning that Rycr had surrendered himself and
md Ipf aflr.
hear the stove II the nam room 4 short stout man,
gray bearded aud gray heated, and with by
forbdding countcnancc, was chatting with them tho
reporter entered and who introduced him as
Ryer. The reporter told him he would like
10 have his version OF the shooting, but he
replied thai he would prefer 10 wait until
could his lawyer whom he expected every mo-
ncnt He nnay. however, alter iittic general con-
rersation. answered the questions put 70 him in a
rank and open manner. lie seemed TO be quite al
ccted Al times. and evidently realized the dreadful
position IA which he was placed
STATEMENT afLfGgp MURDERER.
Il viii ,eli you" said Ryer, NOW II all happened.
TAFT and had been down to the cUrncr-l won't deny
that-and had taken drink; but were not drunk,
either OF us. ! had taken nothing 10 drink all Day
OF that am CERTAIN and did drink enough that
night 10 make mo drunk. TAFT, do not think,
what may be called intoxicated The shooting took
place between three ana tour O'Clock IN the
morning IL was my custom 20 90 into the Office at
night time occasionally and have friendly chat with
rait, for we were both friends and had any d
rcuity from the time we became acquainted. THIS
morning, between three aud tour O'Clock. said be-
fore, we were IN the Office. We had been in
I should Think talking about business affairs
generally. He was sitting high stool the
aesk the north side OF tho Office, facing me- and
occupied chair the OF the you enter
any back being toward the freight platform Ny re-
soIvcr large one, and II has always been my habit
wheL sitting down IN the oiiice 10 take u out OF my
hind pocket and place on the desk. When
| sat down this time took u as
usual and put IL the desk. We had
been taking considerable time about one thing ana
another when. during the conversation, said some
thing he seemed to take great offence at and ia
moment apparent iury he jumped from the stool on
which he sitting and made grasp Tor the re-
volvcr, exciaiming, That's my pistol instinctiycy
cln,ched mold OF the revolver Dy the handle as u lay
before me, with nv right hand resting on IT, lie en-
dcavored 10 wrench u IRON me- ana tearing that u nc
got II he would shoot me- he seemed IN such rage,
dd my best pull IL out OF his hands While huggiug
TO keep possession OF ~ IL Ia some way or otner
went OIL. THIS somewhat alarmed me, but Ialt per-
sisted IN hls cndeavors to take u rom me.
We both nt tnls using two hands. and.