New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-03
SHIELDING HER s0AeFEOM DEATH.
HOW pARRICIDE ESCAPED.

SINGULAR DISCLOSURES Al THE INQUEST on TIE
DEATH or THOMAS ROONEY. III OLD SHEET
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. THAT HE COMMITTED
sIuCIDr-TunEK WOMEN HELD As Accessories
AFTER The FACT.
The story Of the murder of Thomas Rooney, the
old street sweeper 10y his own son on Christmas
day at No 1O7 West Ihlrty-DInth-st.. wa told III
driail at the inquest b'Ore Coroner bradX yrsler-
day. Felix Rooney, the murderer pea WESTWARD
after his father had been buried, and has not yet
Inen arrested The old strect-Sweeper vas buried
IN uncoIlS Grated ground rs snlcde, Ont daNdtls
faction i'll the family at the tnJdst Slg;l tIls phi
upon his memory brought ab0nt the disclosure ol
tie murder weeks after 1t had been committed. =,
Margaret Rooncy. a daughleT-in-iaw Of the
hrad man. 1na t ssr on ic ay oa a the
murder ami in tls pre- 'cnco OF the Who'll" lanilVthl
Felix had killed his father Joseph WIS 80 excited
that Mrs R0oney, the widow. aad her daughter
JuIia begged the witness to take hlm away before
the Coroner came. ar he would disclose the secret
The Coroner came and the mother ANA hcr dalshH
Julia told hn Il previously arranged story of
eui3ide When informed that under IN; clrcum-
Stances her hlsb mi could not ho bnrird IN Ciivary
Cemetery where he owned lo, AtS' hooiev l's'
tated for n moment between l"yalt' 10 hcF dcad
husband and love for her living son. Dnt lew whs-
prrcd words from her daughter decided her to save
her sons liIe The Cor"nel suspected n'lhhH "i4n3
and prepara ions were made Tor the funeral hrH.
IIallolan one of the dead mans married daughters:
when sent for and informed oi the tragedy Idlhtrd
aud much trouble was experienced ~ restoring htr
to c0nsc ousn"sS and 10 Sei>c OF to IaiiIy Jan
ger Returning 10 her home after the funeral ing
witness found Felix Rooney t1ere She looked
upon him with lOathnP and asked hh II hcr laller
struggled much when he killed hiin. ,,,
Not a bu, )" replied the murderer, calmly. Whe
nut nv knee on his neck soon cut his head OIL"
lie witness was Stacked and told her husband TO
put him out Felix walked away aud dld not re-
tun. For week after she heard IRON Mrs. ii ~
lOrau and other members of the family mat
they were collecting money to send lcilI
away, The witness had no money To RIVo
them ana ofco 9r 'rIq r. I%r tgI Irr fhs
following week that Felix Rooney was stu at her
boIsr and that, as he did not agree with her nus.
band, sle feared lie would XIII MN, TOO IL ho ulu
not soon leave the cIiy: ~ IN, ,
Mathew Rooney, OF No. Coz West Thirty 'evrnh-
st a nephew of The murdered man, testified thai.
arriving at the house on Christmas Day, ne louhu
the family worried over the analT. MIS- hoi3hry
SAID, referring to her sOEs Felix ana JoS'Pn ihey
did ii among themselves Jie understood lhat Jo-
Scph had begun Tho fight. no witness asked way,
If they gong to make 1t abuicidr, thty had
not thrown a knife in the blood by
IL n0 waa ''i not vet too late to do ihat and
tried borrow knife from the witness ana Others
bat without success, she offered g. pay Tor Khllo
if the witness would buy one. While they were
washing tne body Felix entered, became faint ana
left the room. H. had then changed his bloody
clothing. Ann Murphy ran ont after hmm, denounced
him as "a nIrdereT and threw saucer at hln. lhcTe
were eight who knew of the murder At the funeral.
Felix Mooney rode IN coach. lie seemed To DC OH
the watch for the police. here was a GOOD deal OF
unesi NJ felt because OF the interment OF the dead
man in uncOnsecTated ground, and Felix was adj
vised to give himself up aud claim that he acted
in sef-leenco hut they were al afraid to speak
and the murderer got away at last.
The jury promptly found verdict to the effect
thai Rooney came his death at the hands Of his
son Felix, and added: 1--WE find that Bridget
Rooney aud her daughters, Julia Rooney aud Catha-
ne IIaarOn, accessories after the fact by aid
ing and abetIng the nurdereTB escape"
The Coroner committed all three to the Tombs
without hail await the action OF tue Grand Jury.
julia Rooney created some excitement while tho
jury war out by denounelng wrathfully the men who
would put her aged mother III prison. " Would
you EXPECT mother to surrender her son to the