The New York herald., 1876-12-06
THE MURDERED WATCHMAN.

i
DENNIS EyEE TRLLING THE coRoNER's JURY
HOW He KILLED PATRICK TAFT GRIM SCENE
WHERE THE MAN WAS sHoT-A CONFESSION
WITH WEAK POINTS.
The inquest seeking learn tho facts OF the violent
death of the watchman Patrick Taft on Sunday night,
November 70 in the freight Office OF the Long Island
Railroad Company. was continued at Hunter ;
Point last evening before Coroner Davrcn
and jury. District Attorney Downing
waited in the saloon beneath the court room until tho
jury arrived when ho took the party across the
street TO the Office in which the shooting took place
There the spot where the dead body oil TAFT was
found the prisoner Ryer who claims that the con
lcsscd shooting accidental, told his story. with
the feeble. pickering light OF three Kerosene lamps
falling upon the nquistve jurors upon the calm face
of the prisoner aud upon the officials, all OF whom
standing up 1t presented picture that is not
easily forgotten
THE PRISONERS TESTIMONY.
Dennis Ryer after being sworn said that he lived at
No 81 Union place, Greenpont, and had known the
deceased seventeen eighteen months; came into
the yard the night of the shooting about twenty
minutes to six; between ten and eleven O'Clock went
into the freight Office and found Taft and Mike Walsh
standing together near the stove, talking; when
we got ready 90 out OF the ohcc Walsh
asked to take drink; replied tina. didn't know
| all to the Long Island City Hotel and
drank whskey; Walsh and myself ,hen sat down and
| TAFT stood the counter; Walsh and talked Tor
while, when TAFT said .lets have another drink, =
and had drink all round TAFT then asked
hm oF p,per rne% ~ oeaeeo T.. found en
piece in the paper and offered It to me, which
reiused Taft insisted upon my taking IT, which AZ last
| did saying, .Wc'll have another drink with H.
which did all three OF us sat down and talked; at
length Taft and got and proposed TO 60 but Walsh
suggested that should have another drink we had
IT, and then Tai, said Lets have another which we
also took; while all were standing at the bar 'Captan
| Harry" bargeman, and two others entered and
called drinks; OF them impudentiy shouted Tor
the "watchman of the Long Island Railroad;', paid
when the same fellow interrupted us BY saving that
| Tweed got start from "Big Six" answered that
Tweed got his start from tho Fourth ward; the man
very insulting and suppose in the excitement
pulled off my then shook hands all around, and
Walsh up stairs to bed as he boarded there TAFT
Taft the door gong into the yard and iumbled
with the key; SAID. g must go around the yard;
Taft said /" Don't DO in hurry sit down. sat down
at end OF the desk, and TAFT also sat down in he
middle OF tho desk, facing me; then told him again
that ~ haa better bette 50 around the yard wnea men
| there no danger OF the cars being
disturbed; thought there was, and told him SO, be-
time before; the conversation thus turned on the
wages Of the men, Taft saying that he had understood
they were TO be reduced. and wound up by assuring
me that afer this he would not work longer
night; asked TAFT how Smith uhe freight agent had
made out about his clothing "a bundle mislau),
when he told that he didn't know, but
supposed it was around somewhere; These were part
OF tho clothing you have on wasn't it?'' said; TAFT
exclaimed lhnt il was lc. damned lie, jumping IN
his chair and snatchng at the pistol on the desk he
said, That's my pistol-gve y 70 me, !" put my hand
at the time, Pat IN givc you the pistol tomorrow,
but you can't have It 70 night tho pistol went of
space parttoned of in the freight olicc) while we
were struggling over there (Ryer, rolnting, and the
where he had been sitting; when he sank
down on the floor leaned him and
replied "Don'. leave me; don't expose ms;' raised
MIN, when he seemed 10 be easier but he kept gurg
which had been sitting; he was resting on his lett
Knee has lett arm Dclng over the char and his head
in i, this way (Kyer lllassraat,ng,; in THIS
how long stood beside the body; finally went out
down 10 the Doler room after getting my lantern;
stayed there some the engineer, considering
thoroughly what l should do; then went down on
the dock, afterwards got my coat TO the yard and
4 came back to the office.
LOOKING AT THE DEAD
| looked and elt OF TAFT and found him
dead; then l went to the door, and,
pu. out the light over the desk, where we had been
10 Ferry street, and wen. out and directly home;
arrived there little after SIX O'Clock; when
wrong VIZ va and ~ asked d. me @ what is was; told
ntr had just had some difficulty with Taft, and
that he was shot; she said "Is he dead" and told
her he was alter we were queted little she advised
me TO surrender myself and said that such had been
inIention; then lelt the mouse anu went across
the bridge when met oflccr Minnx. The rest Of
Iycr's direct testimony about delivering himself to
Captain Woods substantially tho same as that
oftcer testified to.
| IxsiSuATIXG THAT DISHONEST.
| Coroner Davrcn then asked Rycr what Taft meant
by excaiming, "Dont expose me-" Ryer az hrst de-
ciined TELL but upon the Coroner telling him sharply
that an OF that kind should be made clearer
| in Justice the dead man and his friends, Ryer
then, in roundabout way, said IN substance
that the missing bundle of clothing had been taken
by 1at. and rot finding any OF tho coats 10 1T HIM
tho iptn cnr hpr bpv y
wero found. Accusing twittng TAFT Of this caused
| the trouble between them.
| THE PISTOL SHOTS.
In answer to District Downng's questions as to
whether he knew that three pistol shots had been
fired, Rycr said he thought thcrc were only
two. When the bullet hole tho door was
shown HIM he could not sec how that could
be. there only two reports Ryer
attempted TO explain how the third bullet may have
gone from the psto, sEying that when TAFT and he
were tusslng the pistol up and down several times
pelevan n. Carter and Frederick Whitaker testified
hncing tho body against the door 50 close that
could not be opened they also testified TO the blood
on the floor.
officer Dan Stein told the story Of sceng Ryer in the
hotel about O'Clock with his coat on quarrene with
a stranger; he looked as ii he had been drinking
Isaac Brewer who has charge OF the boiler room at
night and the first party visited by Ryer after the
shooting testified that the prisoner came TO his place
about a quarter to two that morning; he thought
Ryer fclt bad, from his looks, and so, with the
question ''Aow are you BossY" let him
alone; In about fifteen minutes Rycr said
II guess I'll cat my lunch now, and he du so alter
eating they talked about the election until twenty mn
utes past live O'Clock. when ho went away; Brewster
do not see any thing out OF the way Rycr's
Al this point the inquest was adjourned until to-
morrow evening, when the Jury will no doubt render
| verdict