The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-14
OYER A 7HTRTr-rOOT VAIL
A workman, In n Quarrel with One OF His
Fellows. kiied ny n Mis.tcp.

On the rising ground between ElcNohLh
avenue and the Hudson River Railroad. gangs
OF laborcrs are employed IN the construction OF
what II 10 be called the North River Drive"
The men aro all under one contractor. but they
nrc employed in different sections Of the work
md il ie snid TINT there has occasionally boon
IN feeling between one gang and another
though. up TO yesterday. but little fighting re-
suited. At tho extreme edge " the works IL a
perpendicular dcsrcn, Of about thirty feet. n
wall OF dressed stone being built against the
face OF the precipce. Tho top Of this wall does
not rise above the level Of the upper ground.
and nj its foot nre trees and bru-hwoOl grow
ing down to tho railroad Along the top OF the
wall a number OF stonecuit"rs nre employed.
tho stone being brought to them in wagons
distance OF. perhaps. n hundred yards. There
have. occasionally. been disputes among them
IA to which gang should have certain pieces OF
stone TO dress. but torc has been no quarrolllng
Of nny consequence heretofore. a.,
Among the s;onecutters were two men. Mi
chael Curley and John O'Nel. who wore es-
teemed especially skilful workmcn, Curley
making. probably. more thnn any OF his asso,
ciatcs. He was steady, industrious man ana
some weeks earned as much as 500 He was 80
yenrs Of age. and lived with his wife and TWO
little Il ildren in house in Ninety ninth street
powerfully built man but it is said he was not
John II: 0Ncil sa much. slighter, man than
Curlcy. He Ia % years OF Age. and being I'M
married no boarded at West 10th street, He
too Is a steady man and a hard worker. but IL
the foot Of ii2th street. aud Curley worke
further south. There Is nothing 10 show that
the two men ever guarrellcd before.
At7s o'clock yesterday morning. shortly after
work had been begun. wagon brought some
stone to the place where O'Neil was cutting. and
he began to pry il out with his heavy iron crow
ed and he followed the cart and asked Tor H.
o'Neil refused to let him have it. and CuTley i
"a nll. Sut1 Yam
lie advanced toward the wagon. and O'Nen
'""' II You ' don't stand back I'll throw this ut
Curcy rushed forward. and o'Neil dropping
the cr9Iwhar. prcuared To- receive him win ms
more powerful mano Of tho two. and he twice
struck ONril violently. In the scum" they got
very near the edge OF thc prccipice, Curlcy with
excitement. seemed to notice their rerlous po-
sition. and the warning shouts OF their asso-
cintcs were not attended To. - .
The whole affair was over In minute. O'Ncil
succeeded in getting in a blow, and was prepar-
in. TO follow IL up with Il second one when Cur
l.y. holding his ilsts up. sprang back 10 avoid il;
He was already within foot OF the edge, and
his backward movement sealed his fate. He
threw up h is hands, and grnsping wildly ut the
mir. tOttercd over. He struck the wall more than
| once as he fell and as he reached the ground
| his head came in contact with q large loVsc
stone. which was quickly dyed with blood.
TIL" other stonecutters stood staring at each
| other fora minute Then some 9f those who
4
| at Q'Ncil, with the intention. apparently. OF
! lynching him. He was knocked down and 50:
yer"ly ll-troatrd before bis friends rescued
! him from his assailants. Even then it seemed
! fora time rs though there would be a fight
| among the men, hut al were satisfied when
| ONvil took the advice Of some Of his friends
and wont To- the Hundredth street police station.
| whore he surrcnd-red himself 10 the Captain.
| This II should be said. II the story a. told by
! the men who worked with ON"il and had
! friendly feelings toward him, and tho police be-
] hcNe II. They do not think that q Neil intended
I 10 throw Curlry over the height. but that the
/ latter wont over accidentally hy his own motion.
] AMI not in consequence OF being struck by
/ ON"il. There are others. however who assert
! that he was violently Knocked over 10y O'Nrll
Al the place where the catastrophe occurred II
| j. impossible Tor any one 10 descend and keep
/ has footing; bat. III the body never moved after
/ IL ,ttu'k the ground, those who looked down
upon II from above had no doubt that the man
/ was dead. considerable distance had To- be-
/ trds"rsrdtD reach = place wh"r" descrnt could
/ g." ~hiply made. and some ten minutes must
/ hay" c,al sd h"fOre the body was raised. Cur
/ Icy was quite dead and. 80 iarHs could he Judged
/ 10y the injuries. he must have been killed almp ~
! or IuN" in-ianignrousiy Not only was the
! hut the earth around him was saturated with
| his blood.
The body was carried to the Ninety-nin,h
! street hospital where il was usc"r'ain-l that
/ the neck was broken and the skull fractured
] Information of her husband death WIS sent tt
/ Mr.. turloy. and she visited the police station
and the hospital. She was terribly distressed
| nnl the friends who accompanied her had some
/ dfii ulty "a getting her home. Mrs Curlry ion
/ i.hj years be'ore her marriage was employed
I iu ths family - Police Surge OTIS.
J Coroner L'iH.o was nltiil"d. ndafter briefly
/ invest !gntng the occurrence he committed
/ @ N"l am the prisoner was sent 10 the cry
. rlsNu II" -iYs he had no intention 81 brow
I ng turlry over the height. md merely raised
: his hands IN snli defence. Though many men
were at .hc ,",ra- at the time OF the catastrophe
I only slA actually saw II.