New-York tribune., 1880-04-05
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
POUND DEAD AT HIS NEIGHBORS DOOR.
SuosaAsBARKER, A RETIRED TRADKsMAN, SUPPOSED

9xOUND DEAD All HIS NEIGHBOURS DOOR.
SuopsAsBARKER A RETIRED TRADKsMAN, SUPPOSED
70 HAVE BEEN MvRDERED-QUARnEL OVER A
sfh Do0-HIs SUPPOSED AssAILANT ARRESTED.
s. A policeman who was walking in Third-ave. at
dred-and.sixth.st., at daybreak yesterday
saw the body of man lying ON the stoop of the
dTsSg I've at No. S2s ds In, HS had
iced the body then account of tho darkness.
Near It was small dog, which whined whom the
AZ the policeman passed under q grape arbor
Which separated the stoop from the sidewalk the oc-
Samns f tine Rnad Wns 9t
psishb6rhood. VConneI was much intoxicated
he said he had discovered the body as he was going
fore informing tho police Of his discovery. The
body was that Of Thomas Barker. a retired
:: sc III Eas EsS mad Sss %h . a i
skull was fractured. short examination con-
yinced the policeman that MIR. Barker had been
third Precinct Police Station, aud Captain Robbins
was soon engaged in making inquiries. lie learned
Mt pys 'an' ana t
until II O'clock on Saturday night. when lie
:.s1 to s go % SIs oS As be usv
panied him. aud of which lie was very fond. Earlier
In the evening he had seen the dog IN OConnelfs
f.f animal. OCounell in answer to Captain Rob
9ns,s questions. admitted that lie had taken the
isupposc," ho sad,." Barker came to my house
preeey drunk last night" The statement oil OCOn-
The day Mr.: Foy. the keeper of the saoor assured
Captain Robbins that Mr. Barker was perfectly
sober when lie left the saloon on Saturday
night. Mr.. Shaw, an old man with whom Mr..
Barker had been playing, cards, corroboratcd Mr..
EOye statement. Toward evening Captain hOb-
:, Inns received information which led him to have
q UCennell arrested. This information was given by
! Df. james Neal, of Northumberland thlrtecntst.
and Madson-ave. DR.. Neal said that he was pass
< ing OConnelPs house shortly before midnight. and
K heard the sound of mems voices. One of the men
was evidently demanding something angrliy while
the other was drunk and abusive. Suddenly
be heard q soind of blow. He stopped to listen,
but an Elevated train came along AMI the roar or
the cars drowned all other sounds. He waited until
: the train had passed. but. not hearing anything
moro he went home.
S, Coroner Herman began preliminary investga-
ton last evening, and at the police station listened
to the testimony of DR.. Neal, Messrs FOy aud Shaw
he held OConnell to await the verdict of jury.
The theory of the police is that Mr.. Barker went to
the prisoners house to get his dog. and that while
demanding the animal he Was knOckeu qown win
Coroner Waterman made q pos-nortcm eXanin;,
tion of the body of Mr. Barker last evening and
discovered that death resulted from o compound
fracture at the base of the skull caused by blow
4 on the left sd~ of the head.
The prisoner, UCOnnel IS unmarried. lie has
lived for several years with his widowed mother, at
h No. 1 023 'rhird-ave. He had borne bad rcputa-
= tiou as druukard and as a QuarrcsOmc man. Four
q. yssse ago he was arrested Tor stabb:hg young
woman, but the woman recovered from her wounds
and refused to prosecute hih. He is thirty-five
years old.
Mr.. Barker earned a competence 10 the uphoster-
ing business having. until few years ago, store
In Broadway near Twenty-third-st He was nearly
sixty years DID, and wore long white beard. Ho
was well known i'll the EeighborhOOd as peaceabe
and quiet man.