New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-05

DOUBTLESS FATALLY woUNDED-FIRTNG INTO
AN EXCURSION PARTY JUST AFTER THEY HAD
LANDED.
The City of Elizabeth, n j., was excited on Sun
dag by what appears to be the unprovoked murder
of one man and the probably fatal wounding of
another by q number of ruilians who were
returning from an excursion. The Singer Rifle and
Literary Association, of Elizabeth, an organization
composed Of the operatives of The Singer Sewing
Machine Company IN that city, chartered the barges
Chester A. Arthur and Nelson from Mr. Starn for a
trip OH Sunday up the Hudson River to Pleasant
Grove. About 800 persons were on board
the bargcs, and according to the state nents of n
number OF those on board no drunkenness or dis
order prevailed at any time during the day. The
barges left the dock at the foot of Elizabeth-ave
at 10 a. IN. At o'clock in the evening tho party
returned and the Chester A. Arthur tied up TO the
wharf and the peasure-seekers left the boat There
were many women and children among them. Some
of the mothers took baby carriages along. Piles of
lumber encountered the wharf and impeded the
landing Of the party. A number of persons had
gone down to the wharf to see them come ashore. AS
the last person stepped upon pier the gangplank
drawn hastily board the barge the ropes that
tied her to the were thrown off and the engineer
board the tug which was drawing the Arthur
started the boat ahead.
Il
dozen shots fired from the end of the
barge into the crowd of men. women and children
on the pier The effect was frightful. The
crowd fell over and trampled upon
each other in their terror. The
women screamed and tried to seek shelter from the
shots behind the lumber Thomas McKeOn. sixty
years OF age who was sitting on board watching
the party land, was struck by pistol ball, which
entering his thigh, took an upward course and
lodged behind his ribs. He fell over
the wharf and expired almost instantly
Richard Burke, an iron moulder, age twenty-five,
who had been on the excursion, helping
neighDor lift her baby-carriagc over the lumber
when the firing began. He cried out. My God, |
am shot ~ and staggered backward about ten feet
and fell. Several persons were heard to exclaim
that they had been shot. Burke got up and walked
little way then he fell again. BY
this time the firing had ceased and the two barges
and the two tugs had pulled out into the bay;
When opposite Pig Iron Dock cries Of " HepW
Murderp "PoIiceW were heard on board; then
the barges became lost in tine darkness. Meantime
the fears of the crowd the wharf had subslded;
stretchers were brought, and the dead man and the
wounded one were conveyed to their homes.
Il Officer Tenney and Captain Henry FLANDERS, OF
the Elizabeth police force, attracted by the firing,
soon arrived. Information of the murder tee-
phoned to the Chief of Police, William d. Jenkins,
who dispatched Captain FLANDERS and Officer Nc
barges when they landed. Captain FLANDERS
went to Police Headquarters in this city
| and CAPTAIN Saunders, who was on duty there, de-
tailed Detectives Rutland and Haley, of the Central
Office to assist him in his effort to discover and ar
rest the men The Steamboat Squad we're informed
and kept lookout When the bar0es reached this
city none OF the were found on board.
| They had landed before reaching here.
The captains of the tugs stated that there had been
| some shooting atiEhzabethport. Beyond that they
knew nothing. They asserted that gang of rufians
had assaulted the crews OF the barges with sticks
| and stones and IN retalitOn shots had been fred
| No arrests were made by the police. and Captain
| Pfanders returned to Elizabeth After he had
| gone yesterday morning Detectives Quigley and
Lawlor, of the Steamboat Squad. arrested Michael
Dunn, thei barkeeper of the Chester A. Arthur He
was arraigned before Justice Smith, in the Essex
Market Police Court. 1be Justice remanded him
until the afternoon: CAPTAIN FLANDERS not having
been informed of the arrest, Dunn was then dis
| charged by tho Justice.
| Chief jenkins, of the Elizabeth police, said to q
| TRIBUNE reporter that he bad been able TO find
| any evidence OF disturbance. The shooting ap-
| peaTed 10 be cold blOOded and deliberate. Two
months ago" said Mr. Jenkins, an excursion party
went out from here and the barkeeper on board was
pretty roughly handled by some young fellows
@ th' sa4Rseper pHRe Oeiys Sh. Chester Che
| Arthur. think that he brought some roughs'
| from New-York III order to get square Oh the
Elizabeth men. Thus, think was the source OF the
| difficulty"
James Donohue who was witness of the affair
| and standing by the side OF Mr. MckeOn when
he was shot, stated tn 1t there was no disturbance
or lighting at the wharf. The first thought
had OF trouble said he was
shooting. had walked down to the wharf to see
| the party land, at the request of Mr.. McKeon,
| went down to the landing with him and was close
by him when he was killed."
| number of persons who among the party
| on board said that drunkenness or disturbance
occurred during the entire trip. There on
board" said one of the young men, several rough
looking persons who did not come from Eliza
| beth and seemed to be hangers-on about
| the oar. Isaw them drinking whiskey many times
| during the trip. They Were surly and grOwled at
| the deckhands good deal. Several persons as ked
| me what they were dong on board | think they
were New lOrk heeIers.' in the employ of the bar
| keeper"
| Coroner Stratemyer yesterday impanelled jury,
| who viewed the body of Alr. McKeOn at Dunning's
undertaker's shop, and took the testimony of DIR.
| Ierrll VINO made the post-mortem exami-
| nauon. The bullet which was taken from
| ms body was thrty-two calbre. The jury
| then adjourned for two weeks. The wife aud
| daughter of Mr.. Mckeon, who live at Brandon
VI, informed by telegraph of his death
| lie had been employed in the iron foundry of Hlg-
| gins Il Morton. On Sunday night Coroner Straie,
| myer took the ante-mOrtem statement OF Richard
! Burke VINO stated that he had had no quarrel or
| alteration with anyone on board: Yesterday Dr
| Pickett proDed for the ball IN Burkes
| BODY, but was unable to find it, 1t had entered
under the lef it shoulder and penetrating his lung,
mad lodged in the lett breast. The doctor thinks his
| chances of life are very slight lie Is unmarried
and lives with his parents on Wall-st, EnzaDeth-
| port.