The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-24
YOUNG G0MERSALL'S DEATH.
SHOT by A SALOON KEEPER WHO MIS-
TOOK HIN FOR A BURGLAR.
Ncwark's Mysterious Sunday Morning Trnee-
dy-What is Known and What is said-Tho
barking fspitz Dogs Costing n Mau's Life.

Clarence w. Gomcrsall, Custom House
broker doing business at 62 Wall street. New
York. who lived at IL Nichols street. Newark.
was killed in the last-named city at half past
/ O'Clock yesterday morning. He was shot in
the house 63 Magazine street by the proprietor.
Joseph Kernor. the latter supposing. as he
says. that Gomersall was burglar. Kerner,
after the shooting. took policeman s club from
his saloon. went TO the corner and raped for
the police. To the first officer who came up
he said: Il have shot man Mt my house. and
think have killed him. thought him burg
lar. and want to glvo myself up"
Tho officer found the hall door OF Kcrner's
residence Open Mrs. Kcrncr was standing at
the head of the stairs. wringing her hands and
moaning. Oh. God what will become Of mel"
and gazing with horrncd eyes at the street end
OF the socond-story hallway. Blood was drip
| ping from the second landing and spattering
the walls Korncr and the officer went up stairs.
| and kcrncr pointed silently to n body which lay
motionlcss. face downward. in front of the win
| dow at the street end Of the hallway. On the
right side OF the mans head was a ragged
wound. His head was lying against the baus-
ter. the feet at the window. In an adjoining
| room WIS the Springfield rifle which kerner
| had used. Both krrner and his wife declared
| thnt they did not know the wounded man. VINO
door in the house had been locked at night. ani
that none had been opened.
The ol 'er took kcrner To- the First Precinct
| police station l"aNns brother officer IN charge
OF the house On the way kernor -nid that he
closed his saloon at II o'clock on saturday
ia o'clock in the morning hy the barking
OF three Spin dogs which he kept in his bed;
| room. Returned up the lamp. and. as he had
Valuahlcs IN the house. grasp"d RHO loaded
| with buckshot. went into the sitting rOom and
9eps hGnrJ @ M nose N & h. t 1Smg p1Tson o frGpns @
| three times Who'sthe =" but received no r.
ply lie then pulled open tho door. and II man
| struck at him from the hall. Instantly he
| stepped hack. raised his rifle fired. heard a
groan and Il fall. and thought he had shot abur
Kcrncr told the same story ai the station. end
WAS then locked IN cell. Reserve ur-vf .
sent with the. police van To- g,t the wound-d
man Mrs Kernrr told them that she had been
awakened nv nois" NJ of some one getting In
! nt % window in the front of the house. and that
| her husband thought there We're burglars In
ihc house, She also said that sho recognized
the wounded man rs Clarence W. Gomersall.
steamer Minnie H. Childs. This discovery
| threw doubt IN the burglar stOiy, and gave
rise t. the suspicion that there was something
Young GomersQll was carefully carried TO the
FIRST frrnt police station on n siretehrr ai
Wu- flowing from the wound in his head. 4
diamond rin gliiiored ON his shirt bosom. nm
l-it hnnd ANA henvy gold watch chain hung
from his vest pocket. lotreSurgcon Reed said
Would never speak again. "Oh. Godi Said a
friend OF the unfortunate man. let Clarcn.r
speak and clear himself Of disgrace" q" II
kcrnrr.r said a policeman. Now. there are no
witnesses To- the shooting but kerner and his
wife. and they Will paint Clarence black 10 clear
| themselves"
M4 O'Clock Capt. Gomersal entered the room.
! looked nj his dying son for minute, with tear
dimmed eyes. then fell on his knees buried
rs face In the covcrlci. and sohbed. Al 5o'clock
Clarence was removed t. Justice Jcssup's court
room. where he died peacefully, ut 8 :51, without
having spoken or moved from the time he was
A reporter for THE sun found tho neighbors
gathered in front Of herners house di,cu'sn ng
kern@r I"Egi ga2i ot & hSr R1ssHand. srVSra s women men
said she WIS "A disgrace To- the n"ighhorhpud F.:
that she often entertained young Gomcrsall
when her husband was out; that Gomersall
WAS drinking in the saloon on saturday night
and that MTss. IKerner, returned from up
going To- Concv Island on Sunday with gentle
men friends Tor racket. The neighhors be-
lleve that Gomrrsal was in the house all night.
that Mrs. kerner se'rrted him, aud that he was
aiierward discovered by korner
The kerners Slept in back bedroom in the
second story A sitting room II between the
bedroom and front parlor and doors ou"n from
me parlor ana s'ling room to the halfway,
b where Gomcrsall was shot. On sofa In the
parlor was tounl pillow freshly stained with
hair oil. Gomcrsa had his hair dressed
IN saturday evening and hern"r had not.
Further. the undisturbed dust on the window
sill proved that no one had passed through the
window. II is more than prohabl, that Mrs.
kerncr se'rcted Gomcrsall IN the parlor when
Krrn"r came up stairs that Gomrrsall alarmed
the dogs in trying to get out Of the parlor. and
thnt kerner opened the sitting room door, DIS
covered the intruder. and fired.
Mrs. kcrner WAS held ns a witness until 10
o'clock Yesterday morning when she was re-
leased ON bail she Is about the medium height,
stout and finely formed. has brown hair and
blue eyes. and is pretty. While she was in
court she sohbrd bitterly. When she lett she
wa, given her diamond studded watch and
other valuHhrs. She was born in Arnstndt
SaXony. nndis 33 yenrs of agr. GOmer-nll often
went with her t. balls and picnics. Some of the
" w.aithicst men ia Newark have been her
friends. She Is well known at Atlantic Garden,
New York. She virtually kept the saloon and
her husband "A butcher shop She refused IL
make any statement after seeing her lawyer
j atIl Krrurr W,.a lcfoic Justice Jrs,up also
Yesterday morning. He IS "A medium sized
etuut-hullt Gcrmun. with beetle hrOws. red
nose. and iorhddng countrnance Ile decline
o. makr "a statement 10y advice Of Mr. kalisrh
llo wis committed aud will have nn cNnmlna-
uni ut , Oclu * uu Wednesday afternoon next
Clarence W. GOmcrshll, the victim of the
tragedy. WAS about 2j years OF age. we'll edu-
.iu" 20 gnnt bu- -noss man, and well-knOwn "a
New York brokers. lie was married. and leaves
Two llilr children. II widow Is the daugl4trr
q Lewis Ear OF Elizabeth, ana niece of Calcl
{ Earl. one Of ihn largest property owners ot Es-
sex county His ihther, capt. GOmrrsnll. IL one
of The veterans OF New jersey politics. and II
, widely known.
! BROOhLIN beats JHE B1TTERY.