New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-13
A QUARREL BETWEEN CONFIDENCE MEN
SHOOTING HIS COMPANION BECAUSE HE WAS CALLED

SHOOTING HIS COMPANION BECAUSE HE WAS CALLED
BOSTON BEAN-EATER"
A shooting atfray that came near to q fatal
termination for of the participants and endan-
gered the lives Of many people not engaged in It,
occurred yesterday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock in
City Hall Park. The broad walk where the fight
took place was crowded at the time. and large
throng were gathered III front of the City Hail.
where the Salvation Army were holding meeting.
Shortly before the affair occurred three meu, two
of whom intoxicated, were seen to come from
the Park Hotel. No. 8 Cbatham-st. They were
talking together in an excited manner and when
they reached point in the park nearly in front OF
the City Hall it was evident that they were having
a drunken quarrel. Two of them, grag-haired
man. apparently fifty years old, and one about forty
were holding each Otherup and opposing younger
man who wore a slOuched hat and had a heavy
black mOustacLe. After arguing the question that
divided them for time, they sepa-
rated, the young man with the black
moustache going toward Chatham-st. The gray
haired man and his companion did not seem satis-
fed with the result of the conference, 80 they
started in as good form they could to follow the
retreating figure with the slouched hat.
The loungers in the park and people on the out
skirts Of the crowd before the City Hall had by
this time become interested in the quarrel The
gray-harcd man lost his hat before he had far
but he did not notice the fact. When nearly
in front of the Registers Ofce, the young man
turned upon his pursuers, who were approaching
him with threatening gestures, coupled with pro-
fame and disparaging epithets The young man
brandishcd heavy cane that he carried, and
awaited them without hinching When they were
within ten PAGES of HIM, he heard them apply term
of reproach to him that reused him to fury.
They called him Boston beaneater." When he
fully comprehended the meaning OF these
words he shifted his stick into his lett hand while
with the right he drew a large revolver and hIed
with deliberate aim at the gTay-halred, bare
headed man. The latter dropped and his com
paniOn staggered. The wOuld-be murderer c0olly
returned his large, fye-barrelled revolver to his
pocket and then turned and He'd The moment the
shot rang out the sunday stiffness of the street
the moving crowds on the sidewalks stopped Tor an
instant of bewilderment, and then turned toward
tie place from which the report came.
Those started m pursuit of the criminal; shout
ing ARREST himW "POliceV The Salvation
Army broke ranks and joined III the pursuit, fol-
lowed by its audience all shouting for some one TO
catch the murderer. The gray-hared man made an
effort, rose and ran with the rest. HIS companion,
however staged painfully across the street and
entered the Park Hotel. The hunted criminal ran
toward Nassau-st, and was caught near
Frankiin,s sf0tue where he was arrested by
Detectives Carr and Maher, Of the Fourth Precinct
Police. Just as the detectives seized him.
the gr9y-halred man came up and attacked hm In
the most ierociOus manner Both men were taken
To the Oak Sire t Police Station.
There the young man said that his name was
Prank" Ramsley, that he was an engineer, that
his home was in WhitehaVen, Penn, and that ne
was thIrty-three years old. The detectives said
that he also known rs " Boston jack" ana was
a well-known "cOnldence" man. lie had shot at
the men, he said III se.-deienCe, because they at
tackled him 3 md called him a Boston be0n-
eater Several indecent photographs and
check for 1910 on the First National Bank
of Newark Wayne County N T., we're
taken from Ramsey's pockets. Inc gray haired
man gave his name Mathew Maxwell. He was
| a he eat1 He lived Mt No. % Clatlam-St
the Park Hotel, and was fifty years Old The detec,
tives sald that he too was " confidence OPERATOR,
| and was known as " Matty Kinney" lie was held
on a charge of drunkenness and dlSorderly conduct
In the meantime the third man engaged IN the
fight whom no one had noticed, had staggered INTO
he Park Hotel, and had fallen upon the floor
unconscious. The bartender ran toward
him. and found that he had been
shot in the left thigh. An ambulance was sent for
and he was taken to the Chambers Street Hospital,
where his wound was pronounced dangerous, but
not necessarily fatal. He refused there TO give his
name or TO make any statement whatever When
Ramsey was taken to the hospital by an officer, he
was identified by the wounded man as the one who
had shot him. Before he removed from the
Park Hotel the wounded man said that his name
was James l.. Jordan that lie lived in Washington,
but was stopping at the hotel for the present, and
that he was thirty-seven years old. The detectives
SAID that JORDAN was called Wilson sometimes,
and that he was an associate with Ramsley and
Maxwell in confidence" schemes. 1t ID thought
that the fight occurred from quarrel over
division of the spOils from one OF their schemes,
and that the check for S24O found III Ransleys
possession had some connection with the analr.
The check was dated September g. and was signed
by ClintOck ~ Co. III favor OF [ harles Stetson.