Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-09-01
A NOTED GAMBLER SHOT
ToM DAVIS nLlE0 81 4 TExAs.
Shot ~ rs Own Once ia a How
About Counterfeit Monef Dies
Grasplng a Bogus 5sii.

Nxw Yokz. Aag sI-I0n Davis, tAe
sell knoEa sporting man and gamoisr ~as
shot and almost instantly kllsd AZ ,i5 this
afternoon. Al his odics. lI3 Reads street, -
james J. Holland " Abilenss isK hoi-
land nrsd three shets. Dns bullet psnstfA--
al Dayiss heart and vsassed through his
body. another entered hls back aear the
shoulder blade Either u these wounds
.as s11fsisat ~ cause death. The third
bullet i0dzet ~ the vail
From 4hat can be cleaned Of the tragedy
from the police and others it appears that
Davis and Holland has been corresponding
togsther several days aud Ehis morning
DAVIS, IA respon7s tO a note from Holland,
met lhs latter Al the Merchants Hotel. hoi-
land sas accom- panied b another Texan,
Jas. l. tim. After brief conference hOi-
land and Davis adjourned ~ the lattsr's
once ia Reade street. What transpired al
Dasss's olfice j. not knO~n, but IN lsss than
half sn hour from the time the two msn
we're seen 10 enter the buIldlng reports OF
pistol shots we're heard A few minutes
later Holland 0as seen walking down Vest
Broadway Ia the direction ot Chambers
street, followed by DaVis's brother, lheO-
sullivan a. the murderer Ot his brother.
Holland was arrested without resistance and
taken % Leonard street police station. DE
tectlVo Dunn and Dfticer Cayanagh, Who
had heard OF tho shooting, vent
10 Davls'- Otficc and found
him lying dead On the door. bleeding from
wound ia the chest and another ia the back.
From information furni bed the police BY
Davis's brother Hollands companion, Hill.
xas arrested at the Continental Hotel. Both
prisoners refused % make any statement
concerning the murder. Holland says he i
Si years Of aye. and Wa engaged "a real
estate business IN Abilene, Texas. hiii gave
his age A. 81. and said 10 vas City Marshal
la Abilene On being searched fi.5oO IN
balls wes found on Hill and a t,-calIbre
revolver Of the same pattern ~ the one
With which Holland killed Davis.
Both men we're locked up 10 be taken 10 the
I0mbs police court IN the morning. Holland
a. the murderer and Hill a. witness. After
the tWo men had been locke up, Capt
Eagens went - Davis's Office, and on the
dead man was found st5f ia American bills
and Si5 IN Canadian currency. In the room
was also found a satchel containing a num-
Der % packages Llade up - represent genu-
inc greenbacks. bat on being opened were
found 10 contain waste paper. such u
used by sNiudlers ia what Il known
A. the '-b0odle game" The police learned
that Holland had negotiated with DAVIS tor
the purcha-e OF $1,000 worth Of counterfeit
money for $500 IN good money. Davis, Il
- stated, eOunted 0ut a number Of bills IN
good money and made 10 into packages ani
placed them in the satchel. Hill believing
this counterfeit money handed DAVIS
ka0 in good money according TO the agree
msnE While this business was IN progress
a coofederate Of Dayis's removed the satchel
Holland. who evidently had been suspicious,
ss~ the movement and Immediately drew
his revolver and hred three shots. The
satchel found after the shooting was the
one on which Davis had placed the good
billa. Coroner Levy took charge
OF he cass and gave a permit for the re-
mOvM OF Davis's remains % his late resi-
deuce in Third avenue near Seventy second
street. Davis went under the alias of Jas.
Warren part Of The time. II was IN this
name that his Office rent receipts were made
out and by this he was known tO most OF the
occupants OF she building. Among sporting
characters, however, Tom Davis was
well known not only IN this city, bat
throughout the country, and was recognized
~ an authority IN sporting matters. He was
prominent several years ago a. the hacker OF
FitzGerald. the successful pedestrian,
and last Spring again came be
fore the public "a the patron and
hacker % Willie Donovan. the ElmirR roller
skater. who won the frat six-day skating
match Ia Madison square Garden. Davis
ws- a. years Old. married, and has two chill
dren. Tie j. haid % have accumulated
large fortune during his varied career.
When Holland vas arraignsd he refused
20 make any statement except that he was
ustiied IN doing the shooting. Thomas
Williams. of Jersey City. who was one OF
The frst 70 enter the room after the shooting.
states there was a ye-doilar counterfeit bill
cistched ia the hand Of Davis a. he lay
stretched upon the foor. In an old desk II
the oflica we're bonds OF various kinds. some
purporting 10 be issued by the city Of Mat
toOn. ili