New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-16
WIN CoNROY FOUND GUILTY.
VERDICT OF MURDER RENDERED.
THE JURY DELIBERATE FOR SEVENTEEN HOURS

morning showing no signs OF haVlng ssulvieu Wy
their nights confinement. The court, room Was
well filled with lawyers policemen ana Ine usu,,
members of curious spectators TO whom eIeiS
scene connected with the trial OF hoted eri,nnai
"a attractive. The foreman Of the jury handed to
.Jndee Cowlng request for further instruction on
the subject of deiberation and premediiIa,tiO anu
the lenGth OF time necessary for such dehperatioh
as would bring the killing within the definition or
murder in the first degree, Judge Sowng Iead tne
sections of the Code defining murder IN the hrst
and second degrees. On the question OF plenedlta.
ton and leliberatOn the Judge read the opinions OF
Judges Dantorth ana Ear 81 ,e accordnS TO-
the opinion of Judge Earl would vary with the CIR
eumsiances. The human mind acts quickly ana
very short period might suffice.
The inry retired aud in few minutes returned
with a verdict. The prisoner, who Is Oh sIgit
frame and has grown haegar9 SiSG th me 'Ii sess
presson he gazed at the foreman MI; Whitenea;a,
while in G t9 u GSFk Of HTder S the
first degree" The prisoner gave startcb1t made
no demonstration; he jury was not p9iled. C3 on
roy was remanded for sentence. An application A"i
new trial willbc made.
killing of Peter keenan, IN Patrick Coay hq pr
store in East rhirty-ninthst. Conroy nad Deen
member Of the police force since last April ana was
in full uniform and on duty on the nlght Oh Nosen
Der g. when the shooting took place. cohroS toon
two drinks of sherry early in the evening and soon
after eleven o'clock was in front or CcdS st0Le.
young man, standing III the doorway. sag Uollc
was then n candidate for q local ONCE Inc ponce
man entered the store and took drink OF sheldy;
in the place. Eight or ten persons were served ana
Conrov 0uarrelled with the liquor dealer as TO tire
a0 O; tb ONE Si ! he aid not have his club
and Conroy gave his club to Keenan, ami pr0Iessed
willingness to tight any body. Aiterward IoihIoy
had dispute with another man, and later ne Drew
his pistol and while Keenan, another mau ana 90
dS's wife were standing near the door OF rear
room, Conroy fired his pistol shooting Keenan, IN
The abdomen. No provocation had DGen gwen.
Conroy went ont and afterwaid, whLo taxing
with another policeman, was called N Ito 10
assist in taking away Kennedy, who was lying
unconscious the floor of the liquor store IL was
suggested that an ambulan be called, but C0nroy
TanrbIV NV tbe shoulder and dragged him TO the
station house. He was seen to use his club on the
wounded man, and keenans nose was broken an9
his forehead bruised. An ambulance was called
when Keenan, reached tho police station put the
wounded man died as soon as he reached bellevue
Hospital. Captain Ryan in whose precinct Conroy
served arrested him and took his uniform off. Con-
roy was dismissed from the police force :,
Conroy's counsel in the trial tried TO prove that
he WAS insane. They showed that he had suffered
from fever in his childhood and had been once
Frustrated by the heat OF the weather Two of his
acts were strange. Three physicians called as ex-
perts, said that COnrOy was suffering from alco-
hoc mania when the shot was fired dr. A. f.. Mac
donald testified that tho prisoner was sane. The
jury spent seventeen hours before returning tho
verdict. The first ballots, showed ten jurors in
favor of conviction of murder IN the first degree,
while two others thought the crime was murder in
the second degree Assistant District-AttOrney
Fellows conducted the prosecution.
The information that COnrOy had been convicted
Of murder in the first degree was received with
satisfaction by members OF tho Police Department.
Ifwas said that the hanging of COnToy would be an
act of justice both to the public and TO the depart
ment. The Police Commissioners, who held meet
ing for the transaction of routine business talked
about the conviction informally and agreed that
the verdict was just one. Acting superintendent
@ na was s had S
Of murder in the first degree The man next to Con-
roy he said who had brought disgrace OH the police
uniform was John Nugent, the bank burglar,no in
Prison NpW-,JerSey An Old 0tHCpr OF the depart
ment said that when the Metropolitan Police De- |
partInent was in existence a policeman on duty in |
Rrookljn shot an escaping prisoner by accident and
jury brought III verdict of murder III the first de-
gree The verdict afterward was shown 10 be so |
unjust that the policeman was pardoned aud he en-
listed in the UuiOn Army.
COnroy will be sentenced on Thursday; Assistant
District-AttOrney Fellows said that what he had |
most desired was TO break up the use of the in
sanity dodge" i'll murder cases. lie thought that |
the indictment would be of importance i'll leading |
criminals TO understand that IL was not enough to |
get witnesses who wonld swear that they were suf-
1eing from some form of mania. while they were |
sane enough for the ordinary occupations OF life
PLANS FOR AMENDING THE EXCISE LAW. |
1t is the prevailing sentiment among the men who
arc actively engaged in the effort fer reform i'll the
Excise law under the auspices of the Church Ici-
perauce Society, that 1t is not wise at this time 10
draft entirely new act i'll regard to the granting
of licenses judges ArnOux and Peabody, who were !
requested by this organization TO consider the sub
iect and who Will report at the next meeting OF the
Executive Committee, arc of the opinion that for |
the present the friends Of the movement should be |
content with amending the old law. If new law |
were proposed at this time they believe il would |
meet with 50 strong an opposition from the com
bined interests opposed to il that the of the
effort to pass il would DC doubtful. bill amend |
ing the law as il now stands IN important partenc
liquor stores to for every 800 people. The pres
ent proportion in this city is one to every 26 PEG
pie, which rs only exceeded by that Of Norwich, |
England, in which il is one 10 every 10.
Ii is proposed that the clause in the Massachusetts |
law which prohibits the placing of bottles scrceue
sinDs etc the WINDOWS OF lQuOf store thereby !
obstmcting the view nom the street shall he |
adopted; The affects OF this provision are to
stores in the first story instead OF the ground floor
IL is proposed tomake the reduction i'll the number
liquor stores in cellars hereafter; to forbid selling
liquor TO minors; to revise the rules Of evidence i'll
of violation of the excise laws, 80 that cOnvlc
lions may he surely obtained in cases of cb- !
rious guilt aud to declare license revoked by the
conviction of liquor seller for violation Of TIC
law Many Of the proposed amendments are favored
by leading liquor dealers.
PRINTERS ON TRIAL FOR DISORDER.
John II. ODonnell, president of Typographical |
Union No. g. Benjamin i. Adams, aud Harry Cole |
all Of whom were arrested Friday night III Printing
House Square, for dis0rderly conduct, were ar !
raigned before Justice Andrew j. White m the |
IoMbS Police Court yesterday morning. The all |
davts in all the cases charged the deledants with
lettering obstructiDg the sidewalks, and refusing
TO move on when ordered to do 50 by the police. |
Assemblyman-eLect james Oliver appeared for the |
defendants. All were discharged large number |
of Union were present in court when the cases
were called but their conduct was so Objectionable |
that Justice White ordered tho court cleared, and |
they were all turned out
Sergeant Warts of the Fourth Precinct, said that /
ODonnell acted in u very defiant manner before hc
was notwithstanding around among the Union
men with his hat on the back Of his head aud pick
ing his teeti-and dared tho police 10 arrest him,
and evidently desired them to do so, that lac might
pose as a martyr before bis followers.
O'DOnnell said he should get out warrants against |
Captain lyman, Sergeant Warts and Officers 81 ahcr
and Ogden of the Fourth Precinct, charging Illegal
arrest and false imprisonment
Justice White said 10 q TRIBUNE reportcT: al |
have not been asked 10 issue any warrants In this |
matter, and should not do so if / wcro asked. No