Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-09-01
SHOT AT HIS DESK.
A Sharper Killed by a Man whom Il In
Supposed
That He Had I'm Alleged
Stock Transactions.

New YORK, August 3l.-About Q o'clock
this afternoon Tom Davis, otherwise
known as William Warren, was shot and
killed in q room which he called his Office,
at No. 1l3 Reade street, by a man who
gives his name as James 7. Holland, and
says he is a Texan, and that he came here
from Abilene, Kas. Davis is q well-known
sporting man, occupying this room for sew
eral years, conducting an alleged brokerage
business in mining and other stocks. The
room is only about 6x10 feet, lighted by a
single window, and is filthy in the ex-
treme. "The" Davis, the brother of the
murdered man, was present at the time of
the shooting, and tumbled down two
flights of stairs in his haste to
get away. As Holland was walking
rapidly away from the scene" The" Davis
pointed him out to a policeman, who ar
rested him. Holland was r~eticent about
the matter, merely asserting that the kill
ing was ~justifable. 1t is supposed that
the shooting grew out of some transaction
in stockr. When searched at the station
a heavy revolver, $500 in money and two
gold watches were found on him. In the
right hand Of the dead man was a S. .bi |,
and scattered about on the floor were
bonds OF the face value Of $500. In the
desk was a large quantity OF appa-
rent securities, among them $780,
SEQ in bonds of the city of Nation,
Ill, signed by Thos. B. Lane, supervisor,
and w. o. Ellis, clerk. The desk also
contained blank shares of the Santa Rata
Silver Mining Company OF Nevada and of
the Pioneer and Innskeep Mill and Mining
Company. Davis was shot twice, once
through the breast near the heart and once
in the neck. Little or nothing is known
of Holland. 1t is said he has used several
names and came from Colorado. He is
! about five feet eleven inches in hight,
has a light complexion and is we'll built
he has straight, light brown hair and a
light mustache. He claims to be single.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
The following additional details of the
| occurrence are learned from "Ihe." Davis,
| the brother of the murdered man: Hol.
land cslne to New York in response to q
letter from Thomas Davis, to buy coun-
terfeit money. His visit to the Office was
for tie purpose of obtaining $4,000 in
counter cit money. On his arrival he en-
tered the room occupied by Thomas Da-
In the adjoining room, unknown to Hol-
land, Theodore Davis was concealed. Da-
Wis produced and showed Holland $4,000
in genuine greenbacks. Holland examined
the bills and handed them back to Da.
viz, who placed them in a black hand.
bag on the desk close to the
partition. He hen endeavored to
engage the Texan in conversation, and
tried to distract his attention. AT what he
thought was the proper moment he gave
concerted signal, and Theodore Davis
opened q trap-donr in the partition snc
removed the bag, intending to replace il
with one similar in appearance, but con
tanning only a Quantity of paper done az
in packages, looking like bank notes. Al
this moment Holland CHANGED to glance
up from counting his money and saw the
movement. In a moment he was on hi
feet and had drawn his revolver. "Yor
-----," he cried, "trying tx
rob me. Take that" and fired
Holland turned and fred a shot through
the partition of the room in which Theo
dore Davis was concealed. Then thu
Texan walked down the stairs and init
the street, when Theodore Dayis followed
him, crying: "He has shot my brother! J
$50 l did" retorted Holland, "He tiiec
to rob me, and this is the pistol shot hin
with" The brother, with the murderel
and officer, went back to the Office a
Reade street, where Holland pointed
to the bag containing the spurious
money, saying: "Oficer, 1 want yor
to take charge oil this bag" Hol
land Was then tasen to the station
while Iheoiore Davis put on his hat anC
coat, and taking the SO, 900 in good money
which had been unnoticed in the bsci
room, disappeared. When he went to tn,
station to surrender he no longer had thu
$4,000. Ia the crowd he saw a maj
whom he knew as a friend of Holland, ant
called upon the police to arrest him. III,
man was arrested and gave his name a
| ,John l.. Hill.