New-York tribune., 1883-11-05
KILLED BY A POLICEMAN.
AN UNPRovoKED AND BRUTAL MURDER.
SHOOTING MAN WITHOUT REAsoN-ANoTHER NAN
CLUBBED ALMOST TO DEATH.

I
Precinct, without any apparent provOcation and
while he was on his post for the purpose of protect
ing the lives and the property of persons in the
nelghborho0d. It was done in Patrick COdy's grOg-
shop, at No. 800 East Thirty-sxth-st which is sit.
uated on the first floor of tenement-house At the
rear is room used by customers for card-playing.
Early on Saturday evening the members of the
Daniel j. Keating Association political organiza-
tiOn which has its headquarters in COdy's store
marched in column to Glass Hall to uphold tho
nomination of James O'Bren for Register II is
said that the Twenty-first Precinct is composed of
a captain and patrolmen who were strongly in
clined to Tammany Hail. and that the men have
done their best to interfere with the canvasses of
other candidates. Not little ill-feeng has re-
suited in consequence. After the club had tran
sacted It's business several of the members returned
to Cody's store. Thomas Murphy, the candidate
for Assembly in the XVIIIth District entered, in
vited them to drink and told Cody to pour a drink
out for COnroy, who on his post outside.
AT COdy's suggestion. John Buckley, who had
been friend of Conroy since childhood, went to the
door at midnight and invited the officer TO drink,
and after Conroy had taken the liquor he told Cody
to fill em up for the crowd" The policeman then
asked what he owed and was told$l. He said that
was too much, but Cody asserted that it was all
right.
Peter McGuinness entered the store at this june
ture, and Conroy asked him if he also, had taken
drink. McGuinness replied that he had, when Con-
roy, exclaiming "You're a a-- liar seized tho
man by the neck, threw him on the noor and hold
ing him there, dubbed him over the head until he
was insensible. Then Conroy kicked him in the alb
dOmen and groin, rupturing him. COnroy then sprang
into a small room in which were assembled eigh6
men, broke the glass PARTITION with blow of his
club drew his revolver levelled it at the head of
John Cannon, and exclaimed Don't You como
ont Of there you -" Then he turned back TO
the bar.
Peter keenan,, age thrty-fOur of No 320 East
Thirty-siXth-st., was standing at the end of tho
bar. Without the slightest warning Conroy fired at
him, intlicting a fatal wound two inches
above the navel. Keenan, reeled back into
COdy's chair behind the bar, moaning II am
dying COnroy, frenzied with passion,
seized the dying man by the lappels
of his coat and dragged him out into
the street and there again koocked him down with
a blow from his club. Then he raped for assist
ance.
Leaving the dying man he returned TO the stors
where Mrs. Cody was standing with her nine
months old child in her arms. COnroy fired three
shots at her, none of which, however, struck her.
She covered behind the bar and he returned to the
dying man on the sidewalk. As he did so two men
ran out of the store. COnroy fired two shots after
them, but did not wound them. Officer OIIara and
two other policemen arrived and he told them to
arrest John and Thomas Clifford for being drunk
and disordcTly. lie was assisted by the third ofti-
Ger in dragging keenan, TO his feet and then tho
police and their prisoners made their way to the
station in Thirty-lfth-st.
AN EXCITED CROWD ATTACKS TIE OFFICERS.
The crowd followed the policemen, hooting at
them and crying Lynch the devil.' At Third-ave.
stood heap of bricks, and the crowd picking up
the brck-bats began to throw them and drove the
officers for refuge into the Railways. When they
again showed themselves heavy articles were
thrown from the windows of the houses, and ono
brick struck Thomas Clifford, telling him to tho
pavement. When the officers at last reached tho
police station the crowd was dispersed by the Te-
serve force of the precinct.
When Conroy told Captain Ryan of the case he
said that he had heard quarrelling in COdys store,
and had attempted to arrest keenan, for being
drunk. His friends gathered around and attempted
to rescue him and he was Obliged to draw hIs pistol
and shoot Keenan, in self-defence.. 1t was
thought at the station that Keenaa's wound
was in the leg, and it was not until
the ambulance had arrived from Bellevue Hospital
that the desperate nature of the wound was dis
covered. Keenan, was taken to the hospital where
at 1870 yesterday morning he died. Conroy was
sent back TO his post, but when it became known
that Keenan, was dead he was arrested.
The ClifloTds were arra gned in the Jefferson Mar
ket Police Court on the charge OF drunkenness aud
disorderly conduct and were discharged John
Buckley, James Cantwell, John Cannon, Thomas
Clifford and Daniel j. Keating went to Bellevue
Hospital and found that in addition 10 the fatal
wound the back of Keenans head was gashed aud
his nose broken and that score of bruises and cut5
covered his face. They asserted that when he was
dragged from the store there not mark on his
head. John Clifford declared that he saw CoDroy
strike Keenan, OH the back of the head with bis
club while the wounded man was lying on the side
walk.
CONRoY'S CAREER AND HIS STATEMENTS.
Conroy is twenty-five years old. He is single and
was appointed policeman about six months ago.
Previous to his appointment he worked a con-
ductor on the Third Avenue Surface Railway and
as the driver Of coal cart 1t said that years
ago be was arrested on a charge of highway robbery
but for the crime he was never tried. In 1879 he
was arrested for being concerned with John Brad
lev, alias The Bull" in the shooting of Officer
Fahey OF the Twenty-first Precinct Bradley was
sent TO State Prison for two and half years aud
COnrOy through political influence was given his
freedom.
TO TRIBUNE reporter Conroy said that he had fred
one shot and that other persons in the crowd had
drawn revolvers and had fired at each other and
that he was not sure but that one of the bullets
from the other pistols had inflicted the fatal wound
About an hour atterward he told the
same reporter that he had not tasted drop
ment on the police force and that when he
left the precnct-statiOn at o'clock all the cart
ridges had been drawn from his revolver He de,
ciared in the most emphatic manner that he had
not fired shot. lie continued that the precinct
was disorderly one and that two weeks age fifteen
extra officers were obtained TO assist the regular
officers on duty. lie was entirely innocent he de-
cared, of any intention of killing the man, and
what he had done was only in self-defence.
Shortly after noon Detective Scott, with COnrOy as
prisoner and the witnesses visited the CoroDer's
Office but it was after hours they were obliged TO
return TO the Twenty first Precinct Station. There
Coroner Levy examined the witnesses who were
present at the shooting, and then committed tho
prisoner without bail to await the action Of the
Coroners jury. DIR. DOnnelly found at the
topsy that Keenan, had received a broken nose,
lacerated cut over the right eyebrow and a scalp
wound over the right ear. He found also that the
bullet entered the abdomen above the navel and