Morning journal and courier., 1885-09-01
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. A SPORTING MANS END, Tom Davis Killed By A
 Texan. THE PURITAN AND GENESTA Getting In Trim For
 The Races. THE MONUMENT TO GRANT. A Protest Against Tariff
 Tinkering.


A NOTED SPORTING MAN KILLED. Tom Davis Shot Dead While Clos-
 ing a Sale of CounterfeIt Money
 With q Texas Real Estate Dealer.
 NEW YORK, Aug. 31.-Tom Davis, we'll known sporting man and gambler, was shot and almost instantly killed at :45 this after noon at his office in the building 113 Reade street by James J. Holland of Abilene, Texas. Holland fired three shots. One bullet pene- -trated Davis heart and passed through his body Another entered the back near the shoulder blade. Either of these wounds was sufficient to cause death. The third bullet lodged in the wall. Holland then ran out of the building and down West Broadway. He was followed by Theodore Davis, 8 brother of the victim, whose shouts quickly attracted large and excited crowd. Near Chambers street Policeman Sullivan stopped Holland and had no difficulty in disarming and secur- ing him. Holland seemed perfectly cool and indifferent. He and a companion named Hill were locked up. Davis body lay stretched upon the floor of his office until the coroner arrived. A guard of police meanwhile surrounded the building and kept back an inquisitive crowd of people who had gathered there on hearing of the murder.
 NEW YORK, Aug. 31.-The shooting of Tom Davis caused the greatest excitement this evening among sporting men and gam blers to whom the deceased was well known. From what could be learned of the tragedy from the police and others it appears that Davis and Holland had been corresponding together for several days and this morning Davis in response to a note from Holland met the latter at the Merchants Hotel. Hol- land was accompanied by another Texan named James T. Hill. After brief confer ence Holland and Davis adjourned to the lat ters office in Reade street What transpired in Davis office is at present not exactly known but in less than half an hour from the time they entered the building the re ports of pistol shots were heard and few minutes later Holland was seen walking down West Broadway in the direction of Chambers street followed by Davis broth CT Theodore, who pointed out Holland to Officer Sullivan as the murderer of his brother. Holland was arrested without re- sistance and taken to the Leonard street po- lice station. Detective Dunn and Officer Cavanaugh. who had heard of the shooting, went to Davis office and found him lying dead on the floor, bleeding from wound in
  information furnished to the police by Davis brother Hollands companion Hill was arrest ed at the Continental Hotel Both prisoners refused to make any statement concerning the murder Holland says that he is thirty three years of age and was engaged in the real estate business in Abilene, Texas. Hill gave his age as thirty-one and said he was a city marshal in Abilene. On being searched $1 500 in bills was found on Hill and for weight calibre revolver of the same pattern as the one with which Holland killed Davis. Both men were locked up and will be taken to the Tombs police court in the morning, Holland as the murder and Hill as wit ness. After the two men had been locked up Captain Eakins went to Davis office and on the dead man was found $554 in American bills and $65 in Canadian cur rency. In one corner of the room was also found a satchel containing number of pack ages made up to represent genuine green backs, but on being opened they were found to contain waste paper such as IS used by swindlers in what is known as the "boodle game" The police learned that Holland had negotiated with Davis for the purchase of $l0,OOO worth of counterfeit money for $500 in good money. Davis it is stated counted out mum Der of bills in good money, made it into packages and placed it in a satche1. Hill believing that this was the counterfeit money handed Davis $500 in good money according to agreement. While the business was in progress a confederate of Davis removed the satchel. Holland, who had evidently been suspicious, saw the move ment and immediately drew his revolver and fired three shots. The satchel found after the shooting was the one that had been sub stituted for the one in which Davis had placed the good bills. Coroner Levy took charge of the and gave permit for the removal of Davis remains to his late resi- dence in Third avenue near Seventy-secend street.
 Davis went under the alias of James War den part of the time. It was in this name that his office rent receipts were made out and by which he was known to most of the other occupants of the building. Among sporting characters, however, Tom Davis was very we'll known not only in this city, but throughout the country and was recog- nized an authority in sporting matters. He was prominent several years ago as the packer of Fitzgerald, the successful pedes- trian, and last spring he again came before the public as the patron and packer of Willie Donovan, the Elmira roller skater who won the first six days roller skat- ing match at Madison Square Garden. and had two children. He was man of fine physique and pleasing manners. He IS said to have accumulated large fortune ln the course of his varied career. When Hol- land was arraigned at the station he refused to make any statement except that he was justified in doing the shooting. Mir. Thomas R. Williams of Jersey City, who was one of the first to enter the room after the shooting, states that there was $5 countexe1t bill elutched in the right hand of Davis as he lay stretched upon the floor. In an old desk in the office were bonds of various kinds, some of them purporting to be issued by the city of Mattoon, Ill.