The New York herald., 1879-09-15
A BLIND MANS VENGEANCE.
The Stabbing of Richard Gilhooly
for Serving Writ.
TERRIBLE STRUGGLE In THE DARK
Sad Result OF a Bitter Family
Litigation.

The account Of the stabbing Of Richard II. Gill
hooly by John Jones. which appeared in yester-
days papers. recorded crime repusive enough.
but stripped of details which mako 1t a case of ex-
traordinary dramatic interest. Under the bald par
tculars lies the story of feud i'll which the actors
men of peculiar lives and endowments, and
which in its bloody d6nouemcnt affords fruit for
curious speculation than was ever furnished
during it's continuance. Richard IL. Gilhooly lies in
the Chambers Street Hospital with his chances of
life unevenly balanced. the victim of man who
has been stone bind tor years. The three
wounds struck with no unsteady hand in
the cramped corner Of hallway are
straight clean cutsneat thrusts in the parance Of
knife-handlers-that left no ragged edges or any
sign of bungng. Yet the nvestia alton of the case
develops the doubt whether they are the blows of
frightened miser guarding his hoard from intrusion
the strokes of determined man bent on
blotting out in human life the evidence he wanted
to destroy. The developments in tho case carry
1t back many years ago. to the days when John and
Ephraim Jones partners in the machine
shop in Centre street. There is little left OF
it now. but in the struggling old brick struc
ture running along the east side of the street.
between Worth and Pearl quite abandoned and
decayed at this time thriving trade was once piled.
Morgan Jones. the brother OF the pair. was plum
ber who rose in the good esteem OF his neighbors
and Congressional honors But John
and Ephraim did not grudge HIM them
or share any such ambitions. They
essentially business men and mechanics of high
order. SO skilled John, in fact that when he
lost his eyesight his skill with the tools of his
craft remained unimpaired and many
one has been astonished to have the
Id hayI
of the most delicate nature. which he had himself
turned out. His manipulation of locks and keys is
a wonder to the present day. even in a neighborhood
that has known him from boyhood. Both he and his
brother partner hourished, and at the beginning of
the last decade they were owners Of much Of the
property about the shop. Somehow they did not
develop much enterprise in improving it, Tho
rickety old shanties which then, now, were
divided up among junkmen, secondhand
machine dealers and old clo' men, had
stood for years in their tumble down con-
dition without the hand of improvement
touching them, and it became apparent about
that time they would be likely to remain,
because the love of lucre had gained complete con-
troll Of both brothers and their THRIFT became
peuurousness. In vain representations were mado
Of the great gains to be made by pulling down
the old rookeries and building presentable struc-
lures in locality so much in demand. Not board
pulled down, not u brick removed. Law had
added its structures to thrift. and the property
seemed tied down to decay beyond recall.
BROTHERS QUARREL
At this time, according to the denizens' story,
Ephraim the sobriquet OF 1.-THE miser'' by his
with his tenants. He had his Office in little cigar
store. shut away among the old stores, aud kept
sharp eye on any reSi or
part was not calculated to improve their fra.ernal
feolipg is-nov gradually became ostrangcd. and at
length came al open rupture The partnership was
dissolved. and tor eighteen months John said not
word to Ephraim The latter was equally
same by collecting the rents. Then legal proceed
ings between them were begun, and 1t was deter
McCadden Allied this position, and an agreement
was made to sell the property. which was to be
bought in by the brothers themselves An account
was also to be rendered Of the rents for eighteen
months but Ephraim neglected to perform this
John declared the agreement null. Thor the prop
erty thrown into litigation once more and it
has remained till this day.
Ephraim went to Williamsburg to live and John
took up his abode at No. 5l0 Pearl street. 1t is
three story brick house. old and brown
most of its neighbors, and fast falling
into architectural dotage. Formerly. there had
vino figured in connection with the Super
visors of the Tweed regime. But 1t was turned to
other in time and has since been destitute Of
any tenants but its owner As lonely and unpre-
possessing dwelling one can Imagine was this,
on the top floor of which John Jones resided. When
his wife died he had taken in an acquaintance
named Joseph Bowman and alone there the pair have
lived for two years. There was a fellow named Mat
who chance hanger on too but he has dritted
away and no one but an old woman. who came be-
times to do odd jobs. has intrudei upon the queer
household. Bowman was Johns factotum in the few
things he failed to attend to himself. and hc was be-
sides his in ordinary. On the street he led
him about and the couple have often drawn atten-
ton and excited the commiseraton OF strangers who
guessed that the rough blouse and overals "f
the blind man covered the owner OF half the neigh
borhood.
Bowman, though untidy fellow. with flushed
face and reddish goatee devoted servant and the
pair got along so well together thai The ramshnckle
old structure at No. 5l2 became vertable Bofiins
Bower with occupants no less eccentric than those
WATCHING TO SERVE THE WRIT.
From their privacy there the events OF last SAtur-
aay nave rnas M ,sn Sr.n 10 ,nv poSe tS
cause of it all. smut up III his lonely abode. John
had set the service of all such papers at dc
fance till lsiclard II. Glhooly, card maker
ut No. 220 Bowery. undertook the task. At
the instance of man named vose. who says he is a
solicitor at No. II Cortlandt street. or is acting
behalf OF Ephraim's lawyers. he made survey
OF the promises and found that .car en-
pants. He waited at it during The oven
ing till bowman had gone out tor beer. ard
then slipped in: The henchnaa soon returned and
the watcher waited TILL he had gone up to Jones'
room. Then following the crazy stairway. ie
mounted to the thirl door. The blind man was
there. He heard his voice, and as he opened
the door he sat before HIM. In twink
ling Glhooiy slipPed in In and, and laid tho
plished and he turned 10 go. In the darkness aud
following the winding steps he made slow progress,
and as he heard Bowinan's voice crying. There ho
goes; catch hmi' he stumbled through the hall
way and reached tho door.
THE TRAGEDY.
IL was locked. Ho turned the knob aud wronched
the fastcninas but the prudence OF John Jones had
foreseen the test they might some day stand. The
intruder fairiy Gagged Then came the footsteps
OF Jones and Bowman descending after him IN the
cark. He could not pass them, he could not pro-
coca, 20, hesitatig ana alarmed, he drew back into
the corner and waited for them TO 90 by. Tho pre-
caution failed.
..lnere Is the man." cried Bowman. "who are
you. thereY'
The blind mans acute senses needed no more. In
q moment he had clutched Gilhooly anu drove him
against the wall and in the darkness there began
struggle where Jones very aifction became
his strength Tho others might grope, but his
touch and hearing did hot fail him here Out came
his knife. The blade, opened with his teeth.
clicked IL back. and tnen tho