Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-16
ARREST OF THE MURDERER.
lie Is Sorry, and Says He Didn't Go
for to Do It.

small boy rushed Into Chief Weber's Of
Ace about $3.50 o'clock P. NJ, yesterday. Al
most breathless, he managed to gasp out:
"Send policeman -McDermo It's saloon
fight
Three taps of the bell.
Soon Officer Baer responded to the call
and was directed to go to McDermott's sa
loon, on the corner of Eagle and Hill streets
and see about that fight down there. Ac
companied by a GLOBE man, the officer hur
ried down Washington street, and arriving
ut the top of the steps leading down to Hill
street, quite little crowd engaged in ami
mated conversation was observed in front OF
McDermott's saloon. Reaching the saloon
the officer asked, his question being put tc
no one i'll particular
"Whats the matter here?"
"Man shot," was the laconic reply.
"Who?' was the startled question.
"Alexander Hamilton
'Who shot hin3"
"This man." pointing to a blue shirted
individual sitting on a bench in front of the
saloon, on Hill street. Attention being thus
called to "this man." he was taken into Gus
tody. On getting up, it was seen that his
face was bloody, and he showed the appear
ance of o man who had just gotten through
q single-handed combat with a threshine
machine.
'Did you shoot him?" asked the officer.
sYos''
tHWhy?"
''It was an accident, didn't go to do it,
was answered in very tremulous and even
fearful tone of voice.
With the man in custody, the officer went
into the saloon and found the wounded man
Hamilton lying on o table in the
rear part of the saloon. Two or three were
about him. He looked CHASTITY pale, and was
next to speechless. He was asked if this
man, the prisoner, had done the shooting.
He nodded his head in answer
HOW THE SHOOTING HAPPENED.
Meanwhile some dozen or more were ready
to tell ell the circumstances of the shooting.
From the general drift of the half dozen sto-
ries, it would appear that the man who did
the shooting, who afterwards gave his name
as James l. Beach to GLOBE reporter. came
into the saloon about 1880 o'clock. He or
dered glass OF beer, and treated ore or two
in the bar-room. After little, social
game of cards was proposed for the
drinks. Beach, an entire stranger to
tho party, Barney Murphy, and
Alex. Hamilton sat down to the table. One
or two games had been played when Ham.
llton withdrew from the game but sat down
in chair near at hand. Barney Murphy
and Beach continued to play. Some how,
and just how nobody is ready to say, the
game went against the stranger, Beach. He
paid up once or twice. Then movement
was made to quit the game. AT this, Sylves-
ter Ryan, a bar-keepsr for McDermott, step
ped up, and giving tho usual nod, said
''quits" shouldn't be called until he, point
icg to the stranger, paid ten cents he owed.
The stranger, Beach, said he didn't owe any
thing. The bar keeper knew d-n we'll he
did, etc. Hot words, warmed by liquor,
were given and taken. Ryan, the bar-keeper,
stepped toward the door, shut it, and said
the stranger should not leave until he settled
up. Beach put his hand in his right breast
pocket, pulled out revolver and was very
emphatic in his declaration that he WASH t
going to pay, and bo was going out
hand, McDermott, from behind the bar,
took up revolver, ready to cover the stran-
ger if he pulled on Ryan.
A few more words followed between
Beach and Ryan. Beach lifted his revolver,
and Hamilton, who had been spectator all
the time, threw himself between Beach and
Ryan, and grabbed the formers pistol arm.
A shot was heard. Hamilton let 90 the
hold he had on Beach, staggered back, and
exclaimed,
AM SHOT.
Somebody struck Beach, knocked him
down, and considerable promenading with
rough boot heels was done over his face. Be
fore anyone could realize that any great
harm had been done Hamilton walked to the
rear room of the saloon, made pillow of 6
buffalo robe, and laid down on table.
Beach was hustled about by rough hands,
dragged out doors, and forced down on
bench. Then McDermott and Ryan wen
TO inquire of Hamilton the extent of his
injury. He showed an ugly wound
in the abdomen two inches below and to the
left of the navel. From the appearance o.
the wound, the ball seemed to have ranged
downwards and backwards. Word was dis
patched to police headquarters as related
above.
While Beach was in the presence of hi
victim he repeatedly said, 81 did not g
to do it, ooh, my! wouldn't have had i
happen for anything" AS matters stood
the officer had nothing more to do but con
vey his prisoner to the station. Meanwhile
McNulty's express wagon was taken into ser
vice, a mattress placed in it, and through
crowd of stragglers the wounded man wa
conveyed to the wagon and taken to the cit
hospital.
EYE WITNESSES TO THE affair.
There were several parties besides the i'm
mediate actors in the tragedy who were wit
nesses to the whole affair. Thomas McDer