The New York herald., 1876-11-29
THE HUNTERS POINT TRAGEDY.
WHAT IssrHoUGHr OF EYERs STATEMENT CON-
cEgNISG THE sHooTInG-PRoor THAT THREE

WHAT IssrHoUGHr OF ErERs sTArHMENr CON-
cERNIxG THE sHooTIaa-PRooY THAT THREE
SHOTS WERE FIRED.
The terrible tragedy enacted on Monday morning
in the freight depot OF tho Long Island Railroad the
chief topic OF discussion Hunters Point yesterday
majority Of the employees OF tho road who were ac-
quainted with poor TAFT put very little faith in the
statement Rycr already made as what actually
occurred in the freight Office when the shooting took
place, and it would that he has
either wilfully mado . false statement concern
Ing the number OF shots that were nred,
that no does not remember how many were fred, and
is only able to make rough guess lie has all along
asserted that nrcd but Shots rather that BY
accident two bullets discharged from the revolver
during the struggle which he alleges occurred between
him and his victim II will be remembered that the
sergeant Of police TO whom Captain Woods conhdcd
tho revolver perceived that barrels empty.
the nipples OF which two exploded caps; that
there cap all third empty barrei and
that Ryer explained. in speaking OF this empty
BARREL that no always kept Il empty
to allow tho hammer TO It when
he carried the revolver prevent accidental dis
charge II his story DO in this respect he will
have hard work TO explain away ugly
stance developed by the pos,mortem examination
held late Monday night by Dr. Dennlcr. In probing
the wounds In tho lip and in the left side OF the dead
tho Doctor discovered that there was bullet In
each. The police Monday morning, II VIII be
borne in mind found bullet the floor OF tho Office
whore the tussc between the two took place. Tho
charitable view oil this feature Of the that
Ryer was so much undcr the influence OF lquor whom
the shooting done that he not able 10 tell
exactly how many shots were fred.
A
In tho opinion OF tow persons at Hunters Point
Rycr not the only person present IN the freight
oco when TAFT met his DEATH aud that there is good
<,~ th.trn ~tfu
know about the sad arair than they are willing
10 tell However. every important piece OF evidence
yincng proof that the young who
drinking with Ryer and TAFT at the City HOTEL near
TAFT gone up the Office, and that they, therefore
could not have been present when when The
oox pasS n sad that has ssv Ssy
| be summoned as witnesses before tho Coroncrs
Inquest, which is 10 DO held this evening al seven
O'Clock by Coroner Darren, and where has been
ranged that District Attorney Downing will BIO present
as examiner chief 1t has been ascertained that
the revolver which used with such fatal effect
gwen present TO Taft by friend oil his, and that
he, having use for It, gave i 10 Ryer some time
ago. This viii 60 explain the remark '.rhat is my
pistol" Ryer says that TAFT made whom he attempted
to get possession Of the weapon aud which attempt
brought about his death. Tho tact that the two
were seen drinking together early o'clock
Sunday evening" and that they were In barroom as
would seem to Indicate that when they did 90 10 the
freight office they were, u not what may be called
drunk, least considerably under tho influence OF
liquor although II but just TO tho dead man TO say
that those who him drinking state that he was not
drunk and that he did not drink very much'at any
time during the night
RYEa's PAST HISTORY.
From all that can be learned concerning Ryer It
humored man IN tho worlu-ln iact 70 use the OK.
preston OF railroad employs, he Is inclined
to bo sbull-igerant." His manner and dismal
appearance certainly do not bear out this opinion.
During the conversation had with him by tho writer,
who studied him closely, bis way Of talking and bis
actions generally betokened the we'll informed
OF tho world, whose natural disposition is peace
ful and who has nothing In his composition that
savors OF tho bully. Ryer says he rs sixty years Of
beard tinged with gray HIS past history Is rather
peculiar In ls4O no was the driver OF Broad
way and Fourteenth street stage. Four years alter
ward he began the lite OF saloon keeper, which
following he pursued several places In this city. He
In 1S4S, next became inspector OF customs, then
mail agent between San Francisco and this city. Ho
1857 that for four years he hold position IN
the Custom House. His next venture again in the
soon business which he carried for six at the
Of Broadway and Forty second street. AS has
already been published he was under the Gardner
regime OF the police iorce employed deputy supcr
ntenden OF the stables Of the street cleaning bureau
unit, the successors OF Gardner Char,ck abolished
it. II at that time that he obtained his place
watchman at the Long Island Railroad yard.
In regard to the post.mortem examination made
by Dr. Denner the Doctoraays that either the wound
in tho face over the upper lip, or the in tho left
breast would alone have been sufficient to cause DEATH
The wound in the face when probed showed that the
buot had taken an upward direction and had embed
ded tscf in the brain. 1t not extracted, because
II would necessitatc the Disagreement OF the
dead mans face The bullet In the left breast
stomach and lodging near the spinc touching the
heart at all This being SO, Ryer, as he contends
T snoSs y him "ssr .he rs. shot doss not
very plausible. Tho widow Of TAFT has been left al
most destituteso much that she was unable to pay
the expenses Of the funeral friend OF her husbands
named James L. Robertson, succeeded In collecting
from the railroad company the balance Of wages duo
her husband, and by this means afforded her tempo
rar