New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-17
PRICE THREE CENTS.
EVIL LIVES FIFTY ENDED
TWO NOTORIOUS CRIMINALs KILLED.
JOHN WALSH SHOT BY JOHN IRVING, AND IRVING
By "BuLYn PORTER

startled by several psto-shots which followed each
other quickly. The moon was shining brightly, but
a sharp wind was blowing down the avenue and few
people on the sidewalk From liquOr-stOres
and restaurants, however, men soon Aocked in
crowds to building the east side of the avenue
three doors above Twenty -eghth-st. The place. No.
| 466, is veritable " den of thieves" On the first
floor is the liquOr-stOre of Shang" Draper noted
| burglar and inside the store had been assembled
several ex-cOnvicts who were Draper's comrades.
1t was known quickly that two of the number,
! ",Jack" Irving and John Walsh alias "Johnny
the Mick" had been shot dead The first theory
of the double murder WAS that they had killed each
! other. At the time of the shooting Draper was in
Kane's oyster house, next door, eating in company
| with 4" Red" Leary, the notorious bank burglar.
! Detectiye-Sergeant Hickey seated at another
| table in the room, watching the pair They
all heard the shots and started for the street to-
| gether On the sidewalk Hickey saw "Billy"
| Porter former cOmrade of Draper, running away.
| He overlook Porter and arrested him. In the
prisoners overcOat pocket n selfcOcking Smith
~ WessOn revolver from which three shots had
been discharged
! Several policemen in uniform ran to the scene Of
| the tragedy about the time that Porter was ar
rested. They kept guard at the door of the store
| until Captain Williams and several more officers
| arrived from the ThiTteth Street Police Station.
| Draper entered tne store Win Hed LetTy ana
they the first to be arrested in the place on
suspicion, although they had not witnessed the
! shooting.
THE SCENE OF THE SHOOTING.
Draper's barrOOm Is the front room on the filst
| floor. Behind it is q baTd-rOOm, separated bya
brick wall, through which there are two doorways.
One doorway is close beside the south wall and
near a refrigerator, while the other is about five
feet nearer the middle of the dividing wall. The
rooms are low, poorly ventilated and rcdOlcnt Of
| liquor and tobacco-smoke. The police learned that
two minutes previous to the shooting four persons
were in the bar-room. Harry" Hope, young son
of Jimmy" Hope tthe most noted bank burglar in
this country, now in California prison. and a
brother of John Hope lone of the Manhattan Bank
robbers), was Diapers bar-kceper, and he was be-
| hind the bar on the south side of the room. John
| Walsh leaning against the bar talking TO
| Bill" VOsburg and Pat Leary, who were stand
| ing beside him VOsburg is well known sneak
| thief and has been arrested many times He re-
Gently regained his liberty after serving five years
term III prison. Patrick Leary is ticket Speculator
aud the police say he has not been convicted OF any
! crime, but they declare that he had been COM
paniou of thieves and gamblers. Samuel Roth an
ex convict, in small room OFT the billiard
! roOm Michael Fay friend of Leary, had been
drinking in the bar-rOOm aSU but the police did not
find him after the shooting and IL thought that
! he went out before 1t began. The front entrance
! to the bar-room was locked and the window cur
! tans were drawn down, but the door leading INTO
the hall on the north side of the building open.
From this door to the bar less than ten feet
| HOW THE MURDERs WERE COMNnTUED.
Suddenly John Irving and William Porter entered
the hall and appeared at the side door of the bar
room. The firing began without word OF warning.
| Captain Williams said later that the facts CLEANED
from the witnesses and shown by the wounds and
weapons indicated that the double murder was COM
mitted in the following manner: Irving shot at
! Walsh first and wounded him in the left hand.
| Walsh was taken by surprise and fled behind tho
refrigerator at the end of the bar. He passed
| through the small doorway into the billiard room
| and drew his own pistol. Irving pursued him and
ran into the billiard room through the middle door
Before he could his revolver again, however,
Walsh shot him in the head at short range and also
through the shoulder, killing him instantly. Porter
had followed Irving into the bar-room while Hope,
Vosburg and Leary were dOdging about to get ont
| of the way of the expected bullets. When Porter
saw Irving fall he darted to tho door next to the
refrigerator and shot at Walsh behind his back
The bullet passed through Walsh's clothing without
iniuring him. Walsh turned on Porter and fired a
shot which went wide of the mark aud lodged IN
the south wall. Porter then shot Walsh through
the heart and fled into the street.
After his arrest Porter said that he had not been
inside of the bar-room The pistol found IN his
pocket was of thirty-twO-calbre, and Walshs
fatal wound was inflicted by bullet Of that size'
POrteTs revolver had three chambers freshly DIS,
| charged Irvings body was found on the floor OF
the billiard room the large door His revolver
was Of ghtcallbre and had been discharged
only since it was last cleaned, Walshs pistol,
| a large weapon, had three empty chambers.
The bodies Of the two dead burglars were taken TO
| the Thiricth Street Police Station before dtybreak'
! and Coroner Martin aiterward ordered them Ia, DO
ssnt to the MOrgue. Ii was not known To thG ponce
yesterday where either of the dead men had LIVED
lrvings brother, who said he would pay part OF the
! funeral expenses declared that he dld not Know.
| A" Aho" Coaliley, who was accused OF completely IN
! the Manhattan Bank burglary, but who was ac-
| tpl aft
aud said that he would pay for the burial oil John
| Walshs body. Porter was locked up at
directions to have him., confined there IN
Il the inquest on Friday william liniIi,,ij +
| to see him i'll the afternoon.
CoNoNER MARTINS ExAMNAIoN.
| Coroner M;atin began preliminary examination
at o'clock. Patrick Leary was the first witness.
| Tie testifcd
was in Thomas Drapers saloon this morning. standing
Vosburg. We had finished drinking when heard
noise and saw Irving coming through the sde Snn wsS
! lriug at him with the pistol pointed down low az
aud irving followed heard shots when they reached
the back Then started for the street Out on ths
sidewalk heard four or lye shots IN rapid succession
| Henry Hope the bartender, ran out with me.
AGFyard saw ., the or man d who nD,oG IImS @ oms IN
10 Detective Hickey am told he Is william Porter:
Arrest this he is OF them" did not see Por-
ter fire pistol.
William vosburg of No 1s1 East One-hundred--
and eighth-st.; Henry Hope, the bartender, and
| John Stagcr messcnger-bOy, who was returning
home when the shooting took place, also testified.
| Coroner Martin discharged all the witnesses ex-
| ccpt Ieary who was sent to the House of Dctcn-
ton. Porter ho placed under the care Of Inspector
| Byrnes and Captain Williams.
THE AUTOPSY.
About noon the bodies reached the MOrgue. and a
! large crowd were assembled around the building.
The bodies was stripped and stretched on marble
| slabs Coroner Martin arrived at the Morgue about
| 4 o'clock, and Deputy Coroner Jenkins then began
| the autopsy, assisted by DR.. McMullen. lrving's
! hodY showed only the presence OF two bullets,