The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-29
THE MONTCLAIR TRAGEDY.
MIR. BLAIR, VINO SHOT mrs COACHMAN.
LODGED IN NEWARK JAIL

h,rx 90 stories CoucerninG the Shooting
The Coachman's Ante-M ortem statement.
Mr. Joseph A. Blair, tho paying teller OF |
NE Mechanics National Bank. In Wall street.
Who. on Thursday evening. fatally shot John
Armstrong. his coachman and gardener In an |
,tercation In his stable in Montclair. N. j.. is
prisoner in the witness room OF the Essox
County jAil In Newark. When on Friday after |
noon Justice Pillsbury OF Montclair refused 10 |
release Blair on $4,000 bail. he gave Blair into
the custody Of Special Constable Isaac II. Doro- |
mus. with instructions to permit the prisoner
10 visit his family but to keep q close watch
unon him All o'clock tho constable and his
prisoner Quilted Montclair in a close carriage,
and after driving n short distance In the direc-
hon OF Bloomfield turned into side street and
went to the residence OF Mr.. Blair. They en-
tered the house. and Mr. Blair. after changing
his clothes and getting fresh supply OF linen.
ate dinner with his wife and somo friends
Ophella. the servant girl. who was said to have
been witness OF the quarrel Insisted upon ro-
turnlng to her home In New York. and she was
driven in a coach to Bloomfield where she took
strain for this city. Some suspicious person.
who saw hor leaving the place started rumor
that Mr.. Blair had escaped from custody. dis-
eused as q woman. Meanwhile Mr.. Blair said
good.by to his wife and two children. and at
about o'clock he and Constable Doremus were
driven to Newark. where they secured private
room. Mr. Blair's lawyer and several Of his
friends visited him at the Park House. and one
OF his lawyers. J. Ogden Clark OF Montclair.
fastened to Judge Depues seaside cottage on
Monmouth Beach. in the hope OF getting writ
Of habeas corpus Mr.. Clark returned at IL
o'clock with the news that Judge Depuo would
hear a motion on the application for a writ OF
habeas corpus In the morning. In tho mean
II ek.N
victim OF tho shooting. had died in St. Michael's
Hospital, Newark. at 81 o'clock. Constable
Doremus. therefore, took his prisoner to the
Newark Jail. where they arrived at Tx O'Clock.
and Mr.. Blair was locked up in tho hospital
room. Constable Doremus was permitted to
remain with him all night.
when 1t was rumored Ia Mon,clair. on Friday
evening that Mr.. Blair had gone away In q
woman's dress the a1 focs and coachmen be-
came much excited TLey clustered on the
street cornors and talked excitedly. Some OF
the men went to Mr. Blair's residence. where
they learned that Mr.. Blair and the servant girl
had gone away. Then s. V. C. Beatty drove to
the Newark Jail and when he was told that Mr..
Blair had not arrived there at IL o'clock. he
communicated his suspicious to Chief OF POLICE
M-ldrum and the reporter. Justice Pillsbury
said yesterday. to a reporter for The SUN. that
the laborers In Montclair started rumor. on
Friday night. that there was \ conspiracy set on
foot by the town officials. and that $40 900 had
been paid to let Mr. Blair escape. The men
made threats. but they committed no other
offence. About 100 men. Justice Pills
bury Was informed. gathered In front Of bis
not know whether they meant to harm him or
not. When Constable Doremus arrived In the
Blair was in the Newark jail. the excitement
Coroner w0OdEu OF Newark soon st9rwnrd n
paneed for tho inquest. Justice PiIsbury
handed over TO the Coroner the revolver with
which Mr.. Blair shot Armstrong and the revol-
use @ 'on' on him. The feyover NJ Blair used Is
Sre SSPy SpS sF M @ sd Two
Into "A Armstrong; bod body; ThS other her 1 revolver E Is
oiwhich ia empty; 1t is not claimed that Arm:
strong fired amy shot. The reyolvrrs were sent
JG'cS I Ps6Sry d1dT by Mr. @56 &. wso 9eSed
Col. Johnson. the Warden OF tho Newark jail.
said yesterday morning that Mr. Blair slept
very nervous The commitment. which wns
signed by Justice Pillshury. was for atrocous
assault aud battery. and II directed the Warden
10 hold Blair to await the result OF Armstrong s
Injuries. Mr. Blairs counsel instructed him
not to converse about the shooting with any
body. AT o'clock yesterday morning County
Physician Hewlett notified Warden johnson
that Blair was now under the control OF the
Mr. William r. Weeks OF Newark. one OF Mr..
Blairs counsel, gives Mr.. Blair's account OF the
shooting. which agrees In most particulars with
tho report in THE SUN OF yesterday. Mr.. Weeks
adds, however, that ,Mrs; Blair came out OF the
house while her husband WAS quarrelling with
Armstrong, and that Armstrong told her she
had no business about tho barn. and that her
about among lis coachmen. MIR Blair ordered
Armstrong to harness tho horse. and Arm:
strong turned to tho barn and said he would
shoot anybody who entered the barn. MT
Blair went to the house and got his revolver
and he then told Armstrong 70 give. up the keys
he w keys. % damn You" and started to S 60 'T M
stairs, Mr. Blair suspected that he was going
him not to open the door When ArmstronR
reached the door Mr.. Blair seized him by the
arm and tried h stop him but ne dragged Mt
on which the old revolver was kept. As Arm
strong seized the revolver blair fired. intending
merely 70 disable the man. Thinking that the
sho, did not take effect rs Armstrong turned
as Blair says, 70 fire at him, Blair fired the sec
ond shot. and then wrested the other revolver
from Armstrong. He then assisted Armstrong
down stairs, and sent for the physician.
,oC County Phy9san HewG S h6dy hed q
yesterday afternoon, He was assisted by Drs
oGorman, Cross, Young and Zeh; Ex-Jpdge
retained a. one Of Mr.. Bar's counsel, The
County Physician gave counsel the privilege ol
selecting a physician TO assist at the post NOR
TEN eSalnipntion; but after AN hours delay. as
no other physician appeared. the post -mortGm
WIS 3egun me phy1leia&ns sc ms tonhd @ nnT' in
tho hnck. The bullet that struck the side
passed through the twelfth rib. penetrated the
lower portion Of tho lung. passed through the
spleen. liver and stomach, and lodged IN the
nnsh on tho opposite side OF the abdomen
This wound was fatal. The course Of tho bull
let was almost at right angles with the spine
showing that the pistol WIS held nearly level
when it WAS discharged. Tho second wound
was In the centre OF the back. and tho bullet was
found lodged in the kidney on tho LEFT side;
Tha bal! took an uUYard. course. This wQlnd
~ ~ 5pffYtll oI tho physicians fatal
County Physician Hewlett told the reporter
that Armstrong. in his ante-mortem statement
In the hospital. said that Mr.. Blair shot him IN
o. he sid0 ilrst, and that when he was shot IN the
back he WIS lying on the floor He ayerTed that
hD did not have the old revolver In his hand al
any Tune on Thursday last. and did not know
whether il would go of or not. Armstrong alsG
said In his ante-mOrtem statement that no TOLD
Mr.. Blair on Sunday last. that he would qui'
his employ As soon as his month was up rs he
could not stand his abuse. He admitted whip,
ping the horses. as charged by Mr.. Blair. and
said TINT he gave them n sharp cut, because
they began to jump and play on the road. Ht
also admitted that no got boy 10 bring I'm {
glass ot boer Mt n saloon as he WAS drvlni
home one day. Armstrong; 3 ante M rtom state
mont agrees with the story he told TWO SISTER
IN st. Mlchacps Hospital before his deuth
The reporter called at Mr. Blairs cottage II
hnntclair yesterday afternoon He was tolC
that the servant girl had gone away because sh'
N.N lNN han