New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-05
KILLED BY A MADMAN.
A PATIENTS FRENZY AT BELLEVUE.

| fRACTUKING A TAILoRS SKULL WITH A STOOL
| KEEPER CoNNERs's BRAVE FIGHT.
In the southwest wing of Bellevue Hospital, on
the ground floor are situated the cells in which the
patients suffering with delirium tremens and with
| bad cases of alcoholism are confined. 1t Is called
! the Alcoholic Ward, and is under the charge of
Keeper Connolly, an old man. A large open corridor
in the centre of the cells and into which they oDen
is given pdurng the greater part OF the day to the
patients for exercise. In this corridor yesterday
morning. patient suffering from dellrium tre-
mems murdered another patient, and seriously in
Jured an assistant keeper.
Mr.. Connolly, the keeper gave the patients their
breakfast at o'clock, as usual, and everything be-
ing quiet, he went away, leaving the
place III charge of Assistant Keeper James
Conners. About dozen patients were in
the corridors, some pacing back and forth and some
reading newspapers. Suddenly cry " Put down that
pistol startled Conners, and looking up he saw
big, muscular, dark-comple le1ioned patient named
George Mahon seize heavy stool that stood on the
floor
Don't you shoot" Mahon cried, and he brought
down the stool with all of his force upon the head
of a patient who sitting quietly at little table,
reading a newspaper. The man uttered groan
tumbed out Of the chair upon which lie had been
sitting, and fell forward in heap upon the floor.
u
nadman. lie kept shouting at the top of his voice.
and still using the stool with deadly effect, he
shattered the skull of the PROSTATE There
was wild excitement in the corridor at this moment
Tmid and nervous patients fled to the farthest end
Of the place, while a half-dozen of the more
courageous went to the assistance Of Mr.. COnners
The assistant keeper cried out: Look out for
yourselyesl He has the horrors
Then he rushed toward the maniac. Those
among the patients who not fright ened joined
him. Mahon he them coming towards him,
dropped his stool and fed down the corridor
towards the door with the intention of escaping.
10 locked, and after one or two desperate
and Intellectual attempts to open it, he turned
furousy upon his pursuers. SEEING
large earthern spittOon that stood near
the door, at one blow he knocked
down Conners and one Of the patients. The brave
keeper got up, though stunned and bleeding aud
held on to the maddened patient. BY the help OF
the others he was finally overpowered and thrown
down. rhey dragged him into his cell, and secur-
ing rope, tied him down TO the bed. During this
proceeding MahOn yelled aud struggled but when
he found himself bound 10 the bed be queted
down.
By thu. time the noise and uproar in the ward had
attracted the attention of the assistants IN the
other parts of the hospital They flocked into the
corridor and picked up the unconscious patient who
had been beaten with the stool. HIS name was
Michael kellaher, a merchant tailor, OF No. 30Z
hospital two days His head was battered
up In shocking manner pool OF
blood had formed on the floor, and was splashed
over the white-washed walls of be place. The in
iuTed man placed upon cot in one OF the cells
An examination showed that his skull had been |
fractured in several places. He died IN an hour |
Counrrs the a. istant keeper, had received com
pound fracture tn" skull, the house surgeon "t
bellevue found. Two splinters of bone were taken
from his wound.
Word was sent to Inspector Byrnes, at the
Central Office. to send policeman To the hospital
20 guard the murderer The Inspector teiegraphed
Ia Cap am Ryan, OF the Twenty-hrsi Precinct, and
Officer DIckcy sent to the hospital. Last even
Ing when q iPIBUNE reporter yisitsd the scene OF
tho tragedy, the murderer was still confined IN a
sirait-iackct ~ his cell lie was talking to tho
officer about the occurrence Of the morning in n
broken eXcited manner. He was insisting that the
unfortunate kellaher was just drawings pistol TO
shoot him, when lie. struck him with the stool |
Mahon is thlrtv-one years o d and Is the engineer
wife and enid. lie lives at No. 329 |
East Twenty-eIghth-st. on tho top hoor
OF te elnent house. His family and |
tnat of a brother live together. Mahon lew weeks
ago had bocn patient IN Bellevue Hospital, where |
he ned been treated for alcoholism. He was quiet
aud inoiiruslve during his stay and after short |
tmo was discharged as bcnR cured. On last Thurs |
day he taken 10 the hospital second time, |
suffering from ms old complaint IN an aggravated |
form. lie was disposed to be- sulGy and violent at |
times aud therefore was sent TO the srong rooms ~
or cells IN the Alcoholic Ward.
Mr. Conuey SAID that MahOn had not been |
considered dangerous enOugi, however, to keep |
locked up. 81 1t Is only when the horrors come on
them tnat they become treacherous,' he added. |
" When MnhOn was here before be peaccable, |
and took for granted that he would be quiet tnls
time ais, lie Is not aware yet that he has killed |
any body, but he thinks he did u good thing to |
strike Kellahcr. He Insss that kellaher was ON |
the point of shooting him. and says there is con- |
spiracy on iOOt 10 Kill him."
=" Does he remember all of the circumstances of |
the murningP
Yes" said the keeper " that is one of the pecu-
lahties ot men wno have deIrum tromens. When |
they have them hard, they can recoi-
lect every little thing thai happens TO them dis
thctly. He will no, be tins lit of the horrors
for two or three days; then he will come around all
ghL may be cured sufficiently 10 be discharged
from "A week or so. Tlen of course, the law
VIII AXE hIm char .e.V
Officer Baker relieved Officer Dickey from watch
ing the pr. soneT u O'Clock last NJ ght. Deputy
Coroner Mcsscmcr III the afternoon made an autopsy
on the body Ut the murdered tailor kelaher was
q married man and was fOrty-Oue years old. In the
evening his son called at hospital for permit
to move the body of his father TO his home Coroner
MeIkie granted II aud the body was removed.
Although tine wound OF James Corners, the brave
ssis ant keeper Is an ugly one on the right side OF
the forehead It IN Thought he will recover.