New-York tribune., 1881-10-04
SHOT DOWN BY A. POLICEMAN
YOUNG RUFF1ANs CAREER ENDED.

| A YOUNG RUFFIANS CAREER ENDED.
| ATTACHING POLICEMAN WITH PAVING STONE
SON KILLED IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS MOTHER
Dennis Baxter age twenty-one, laborer, was
shot and killed yesterday, near his home In West
Fortv-sixth-st. by Policeman Peter Nugent, of the
Twenty-second Precinct. who came upon him sud
denly as Baxter was about to throw stone at him.
The nelghborhood in which the shooting occurred is
the worst in the city. Three fiye-stOry tenement
honses standing isolated, with high wooden sto0pS,
among rocky lots on the north side OF foTty-
sixth-st.. below Eleventh-ave., have become
notorious as harbOring band OF ruthans'
Half dozen officers have been disabled by stones
thrown from the roofs of these houses to which the
name of "the SebastOpol of the Twenty-second rre-
cinctr has been given. year ago one James " ade
fired four shots from this point at Othcer Daitoh'
and shot his own brother by mistake young
man by the name of Yachman was sent 10 the Fehl-
Tertiary for six months for stoning the same po-
liceman and not long ago Officer Tracy was so
severely injured in fight with the Scoast0pol oahd
that he lay in the hospital for two months. Last
Sunday night Officer Nugent arrested George "oods
for participation in that outrage. ms eXclteu
the band to offensive measures, and IT'S meihoers'
posed unon the high stoops OF the three houses at
lacked Policeman Malone with bricks and stones.
Officer Nugent went to Malone's assistance ahd ar
rested two of the three men whom ne saw throwing
the stones. Andrew Stone was one, ldchlh'dn " "o
the other, but he escaped Stone was yesterday
sent to prison for six months.
Yesterday Officer Nugent learned that lachIhah
was Oh the pier at the foot of est f0rtySlXtnst',
and went there to arrest him. 1achtman saw MN
coming and, jumping under the pier, ran INTO the
sewer in which he cOnd walk as far as lenth-aYe,
tide being out. Nugent sgnalled to Policeman D00ey
to aid him in his effort TO trap the man, ana
climbed upon the per. here he found Young man
who held in ne hand stone, and cup ia tls
other He asked him what he wanted there ana
cred him OH the pier. The policeman says that
nothing further than the exc range of a .ew words
occurred then; Mrs. Buckley, who hyes at the
water edge insists, however, that Officer Nugent
took the stone from the young man and struck MN
in the face with It. The eilOw was DENNIS baxter
HIS business at the dock according to Mrs. buckley,
seemed to be TO drive away some cattle that had
strayed from a slaughterhOuse near by. lie walked
up the street, his lace Redeemed by the blow Whlcn
hc had received and went into the tenement ho1Se
at No G23, where he lived. The policeman, waiK-
ing on the north side OF the street followed slowly
What occurred in the tenement house
VINO were In the room when Dennis Aut
entered. They saw him 60 out into the back
yar nd taking uo paving stone, scale tte fence fence
to the rocky lot on the east of the tenement hOnSe
taking mp his position ten twelve feet from the
street. Where he stood he was perhaps three ieet
above the level O the sidewalk, partly sheltered by
a broken fence. The women, dIyinlng from eXpe-
rience his motive, followed him ana endeaVOred 10
dSsuade him rom his purpose OF aSsaultng the Po-
liccmen.) but he pushed them roughly away. The
policemen, waihing lcslTely, were stopped twice
when approaching Ihc tehemrnt houses ana warned
~
Officer Mug mt refused 10 heed the warning AS
prcCdutI0n ara nj surprise ne carried his pistol IN
his hand. just he passed the last house he
caught sight of Baxter with the stO q III his up
lifted hand, Inc women were yet al his side. Be
liryug ms life in danger Nugent fired. The bullet
went tHruugh BlXteTs heart and he fell dead still
cuchlng stone. Iii, mother and her neIghDOr
He'd shrlcKIng an Officer Nugent satisfying himself
thai baxter was uead, lett two policemen on the
spot a ii went 10 the TOrty-seventh-st. station to
icp,rI the occurrence TO Captain kllllea. The
Captain put him under arrest ard suspended HIM,
ana sent WOrl to the COrOneTs "t1ice.
On the dead found revolver
with SIX chambers but II not loaded.
Baxter was not known 10 the police as ruttlan,
although Ohicer Nugeut claims that he belonged TO
the Rs.i star Club. "a winch many OF the oulrages
committed IA the region are charged. Oihcer lOWn-
send idrutiled INN a. one of "a crowd that stoned
him no, long ago BaXtePs family and acquaInt-
ancc, on the Otncr uand, describe hIln rs steady
wnrnIug man. Who was gmhle>s of any assault on
tnr police. Ills mother aud Mrs Duny assert POSI-
Iiyrl, that he maze no motion to throw the
stone when the OlIccman hprang INTO tue
lot from e sidewalk and shot MN dead. PO-
hc,lnlu Nugtnt mas been the force -luce NOycln-
Der 1876, ANA has always been on duty IN the
u,Ighuurh. Od where Baxter was shot. Captain
kIluca siiu of hu: " he /, the best officer J. ever
knew IN my lie. lOu cannot iTIghten lEm. Ii the
public kucN the value 0i that man and tie rcputa-
tiou o that gang FOR, y-sINth-sj., they wOuld ac-
qdit him oi hIamc without a question. II Thought
myself Ia dancer OF attack, rs he did- MOuId
shoot as qulok wink, IN that nelghDorhood, de-
nj mi