New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-19
SHOT THROUGH THE HEART

4 FATAL AFFRAY IN TENl H-AVENUE.
THE END or 4 MrMBEE OF BATTLE ROW GANG
RESULT OF SATURDAY NIGHT DEBAUCH.
Five pistol shots, fired in quick succession in
Tcnth-ayc.. between Forty-hrst and Forty-srcOnd-
SIS. attracted the attention of several policemen
about 3 O'Clock yesterday morning. PatrOlman
Braik of the Twentieth Precinct. who arrived first
at the scene of the shooting, found the dead body
of james Maher stretched ont upon the sidewalk.
A Young man who gave his name as Samuel j..
NcEvov was knceling beside the body. McEyOy
said that Mahcr had been shot by stranger named
Lynch. who had fed. The body of the murdered
man was carried to the police station in West
Thirty 1t was learned that Maher was
twenty-five years old and that be worked in n
paper factory in West 1hirty-Seyenth-st, He had n
wife and one child living in the tenement house ut
No 5O2 West Thirty -ninth-st. He had been hard
drinl,cr and a member of band of rutlians known
To the police as the "Battle-row gang" McEvoy,
who lived at No. sos West Thirty-nnth-st, and
was lrcnd of the dead man, gave the following
account of the shooting:
Maher had been playing cards at the liquor store
ot Tcnth-ave and Thirty-ninth-St. on Saturday
night until midnight in company with the McEyOy
brothers John Kel lily and Henry Kelly other Occu-
pants of Battlc-rOw. Some time after midnight
they went to the liquor store at Forty second-st.
ard Tcnth-ave. and drank there. Maher, Samuel
NcEyoy and John Kelly left the latter place to-
pcther little before n. M, intending to go home
As they were leaving the place they met several
other men in the hall. Maher recognized one of
the men, and spoke to him as Lynch, saying - You
are the man want to see" Maher and Lynch went
together short distance in Forty-second-st. They
both were under the influence of liquor and they
evidently ouarrelled for Maher struck Lynch and
hon 1 vnpb
attempted TO get out OF his way Lynch ran down
tbc avenue. and as he was running he fired five
shots at his pursuer. Maher continued to pursue
Lynch until the fourth shot was fired. He thon
fell on the sidewalk and died in a few seconds.
RoundsIuan Plcss, of the twentieth Precinct yes
living at No. 2I6 West Thrtieth-St., was the man
who had shot Maher. ! he Roundsman went 10
Ivnch's room and found the man asleep IN bed. On
n shelf in the'roOm the policeman found Il revolver
containing one loaded cartridge and 1--WE empty
shells which had been discharged few hours pre-
| yiou4y. Lynch at first denied that he had shot
| NahcT but afterwards said he had hred at man
| in Vrnth-aye near FOrtY-scCOnd-St., because the
| man had pursued him with knife Lynch was
taken to the police station, where he made Similar
statement TO Captain " aShOurh ana coroner khOX
| The Coroner committed Lynch To the Gust tQdy Of
ihe police TO await the result OF an Inquest. Lynch
| has served q term IN prison Tor burglary. lie was
arr, ,sted less than month ago for attempting 10
shoot jeremiah Ilolsgrove, IL aborer, of No. 23l
West Ihirty-tirSt-st in beer shop at Eighth-aVe
and Twenty iglfth-st. lie is twenty-seven years
| old, He has no occupation. The cause of the
quarrel between him and Maher could not be ascer-
| tained. , ., .
| Coroner Knox gave permit for the removal OF
Maher's body from the police station 20 the shop OF
| an undertaken. superficial examination OF the
hody disclosed a bullet wound IN the leit oreHit
and il was thought that bullet had gone directly
! through the heart.
! deputy Coroner Donlin last evening made post
| mortem examination of the body OF Maner, ana
| found that the bullet had passed directly through
| his heart. 1t then had been detected d0wnward
| and had lodged near the spinal column; Inc DuueI
tol found in the possession OF the prisoner Lynch