The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-01-14
That Mysterious Case Of Attempted As.
sassinatton.

| WOu0O0s VOTOu0C 0SEtla C&uo
the hospital TO take the, wounde
mans anti-mortem statement. Ph,
Ian said he would give true stor
and proceeded Is follows:
Last Sunday week an interview
between myself and the editor of tn
Kansas City Journal was pubIishe'
In that paper. A copy Is now in m,
pocket. l afterward received = lei
ter from J. T. Kearney, asking me t.
come to this city. I telegraphed hin
would be here January 9Th. WheI
arrived to-day called on Kearney
and together we went to O'Donoval
Rossa's office. Rossa was not in. 4
man named Rocky Mountain o.
Brien came In. While there he shool
hands with me in friendly way ane
asked how I was.
He then left me, and q man whos'
name think is Barker came In with
q knife In his hand. He Immediately
approached and struck at me ab ,ut
the chest. Twas seated in = chair al
the time, but warded off the blow
He made more thrusts and stabbed
me several times. / sprang to my
feet and ran down stairs. Barker
followed me and cut me again and
again. On the street Barker was
brought before me, and I recognized
him as the man who stabbed me, and
supposing he would stab me again, !
shot him.
Il first met Barker on my return
from Europe, In August or Septem-
ber last. It was in Rossa's Office. I
met him there afterwards. Kearney
and two others, w2om don't know,
were present when l was assaulted. +"
The identity of the two men spoken
of could not be established. They,
with Kearney, fled when the butch
cry began. O'Donovan Rossa's Of
fees are on the third floor of the
building, which is an old structure,
and occupied by people of various oc-
cupatiOns. Rosa has two rooms.
The assault occurred in the larger
room. In this an overturned chair
and spilled bottle of ink were the
signs of q struggle. There were also
numerous spots of blood on the walls
and the floor. Along the walls of the
stairway more blood blotches were
seen. The police fouHd the knifo
with which the crime was commit
ted, on the top step OF the second
flight. Its blade was Ave inches long
and sharpened on both edges. The
handle was twisted with twine to
give q drmer grasp. Police Captain
Webb and his officers are after addi-
tiOnal facts. Three letters found in
Phelan's pocket they will not allow
to be seen.
O'Donovap Rosa came to his Office
after nightfall and pretended lgnor-
ance of the whole affair. When told
that man had been hacked to pieces
In his Office he smiled incredul0usly,
but afterwards he showed consterna-
ton and asked all the particulars.
He was told to go to the station house
for information, and he suddenly
locked his door and disappeared.
Rosa lives on the outskirts OF Brook
lyn; but a ring at his door bell to-
night brought no response. Some
friend of his said he was lately heard
to talk of "treachery" among certain
parties; but he was surprised that
men should SO far forget themselves
as to fight. He was sure Rosa knew
nothing about the affair, and that if
Rossa had been present the stabbing
would have been prevented.
At a late hour tonight Phelan's
condition has not improved and it is
believed he will die.
KANSAS CITY, Jan. 9.-The news
of the stabbing of Capt. Thos. Phelan
in New York, has created quite q
stir of excitement In the city. His
absence was not generally known,
and only q few friends were aware of
his visit to New York. Phelan took
exception to the comments in
O'Donovan Rossa's paper, upon the
interview published here, and he left
for New York City on Tuesday night
with the intention of asking an ex-
PLANTATION or retraction of them. He
presented to his wife that he was
going to st. Louis, and she was not
aware of his mission to New York
until informed this evening Of his
there. She will leave for
New York City tomorrow to attend
her husband. Capt. Phelan has
been a resident here since 1864. He
served in the federal army during
the war, and has figured conspicu-
ously in local politics. He has al
ways been an ardent supporter ofthe
Irish cause and q man of violent
temper. He has been superin-
tepdent of the work house for nearly
q year past.
New YORK. Jan. l0.-At l o'clock
this morning the surgeons at the
hospital said they entertained hopes
of Phelan's recovery. They have
discovered three additional wounds
in the patients's head, making twelve
in all.
The condition of Capt. Phelan con-
tinues to improve. This afternoon
John T. Reilly, q friend, had q con-
versatiOn with him. To his friend
Phelan said he came here to explain
certain matters to ROssa about an
in the Kansas City Journal
He now believes he was deliberately
to be murdered. Tom said,
Reilly, when l knew you in Kansas
you were alway to quick with your
pop to be caught on the snap. Why
did you let them catch you this way?''
Il didn't get time," returned Phelan,
'and besides the room was 80 small
and the attack so sudden that l
get my pistol out" Reilly said
20 reporter afterwards that he knew
Phelan we'll In Kansas City in ~,
when he once prevented him from
4 ghting q duel with 4 man named
McCaffrey. He said while Ph Ian
was man of spirit and quick to act
# aroused, yet ne would take q great
deal of abuse before getting angry.
Phelanss Case.
New YORK, Jan. 10. Richard
Short, the man who stabbed Captain
Pbelan yesterday, in -O'Donovan