New-York tribune., 1885-08-11
SHOT DEAD IN HIS HOUSE.
A LIQUOR DEALER KILLED IN BROOKLYN

A LlQUOR-DEALER KILLED IN BROOKIyN
ESCAPE OF THE EMURDERER-A MYSTERY WITH Jew
CLfws.
man with mortal wound staggered out Of
the basement door OF house in PearsI near Myrtle.
ave-, Brooklyn, late yesterday afternoon, crying with
failing breath. "Help Burglars! Murderl" He
staggered . step two then sank upon
tho area steps and stream of blood gushed from hs
| mouth and hc was dead.
The murdered was Albert r. Herrick, o liquor
seller of No. 90 wilam-st ths CITY, His home was No
ooS Peari-st, Brooklyn, and during the summer
was only occupied at night by himself and his stepson,
Mrs. Herrick and child year old being at ElIcnyille
Ulster County, n Y. Mr. Herrick was in the habit Of
going homo late I'm the afternoon, and yesterday he
followed his usual custom. The neighbors saw him
enter tho house few minutes before 5
O'Clock, and the next of him was
when he reappeared calling for help.
He had entered at the hall door, taken on h coat and
then gone to the basement. There he had lighted .
candle and started to down cellar for what purpose
can only be conjectured. When he reached the lower
step he was startled by the sound of q revolver, and
bullet struck him In the left breast in the region OF
the heart. With the light OF his candle preventing
him from seeing his assasnt the stricken turned
aud fed the steps and through hall to the base
ment door, The marks Of blood upon showed how he
had fumbled with the lock In opening IT, and bullet
hole In Of the panels proof that the murderer,
desiring to make Of his work, hadnred again q
the fleeing man.
Mrs. c. Franck, Of No. BAL PeArlst, carrying her
infant child past the house when she heard sound In
the basement and later Mr.. Herrick appeared
She endeav0red to aid him. but before she could
open the area gate he fell down apparently dead. Mr..
Franck hurried to her husbands drug at Myrtle
ave. and Pearst and gave the alarm, and leaving her
baby went In search OF o policeman. She reached The
Washington Street Police Station before se found one
md an
ambulance was called. But the murdered had been
dead several minutes when the surgeons arrived It
was found that the bullet entered breast uss
above the nipple, and detected and passed down.
ward toward the right sde It caused external bleed
Ing and internal hemorrhsgc. Blood was found on the
lower step Of the celarstairs and the door
whore it was evident that the wounded man leaned
against 1t.
The first thing the police did mako o thorough
search Of the house. No of any person could be
found there any signs that burglars broke
into it, The back basement door wide open but Mr.
Herrick might naturally have opened 1t himsefor the
murderer had left it open in making his escape. Along.
side OF the yard high stone wall of the Of
the Sisters of st. Joseph: step-Iadder hsa been
placed that easy could be had top Of it.
which Is eight inches wide. At the extreme end
one could descend to yard and pass
through tho hallway Of tenement house the street.
No trace could bo discovered to show that anything had
been stolen from the house. After thorough examine
ton Of the house the bullet hole the basement
found, and the attened bullet which made IL wac
picked up In the 1t lifted a 32-calibre revolver
The Of the murder rapidly spread
throughout tho neighborhood and soon
crowd gathered around the house and discussed
the details. The body taken in the parlor and
placed in cebox to await the action OF Coroner.
dispatch sent at TO Mrs. HerrIck Ellen.
vile. One Of the first persons sought by the
officers Of tho law the stcpson
said that he went to the tailor shop Of James DonAuc,
at No. $50 washnRton-st shortly after the crime had
been committed, and c0oy stated that his father had
been shot. Two theories OF the crime
were entertained. One that burglar in tho
house and fearing discovery when Mr. Herrok went In
fed TO the cellar to hide; that there he made noise
which led Mr. Herrick to light candle and seek into It's
Then in order to make good his escape the burg
lar attempted to kill his dlscoyerer. Another
theory, and one which tho police were inclined
to accept that tho murderer did break the
house for plunder but to station himself there TO await
his victim. That he lursd him down cellar by
making q noise. and shot him AZ he reached tho
bottom OF the stairs As to the motive for tho crime
adequate one was discovered Armstrong did not live
good terms with his steptather and It s said THAI
tween them. he is about twentyone years Old and has
recently worked for wechsler Abrahans in delivering
s %a RDs va by his
G them said ha, he gas S d s s
$ss::. $sn.as: . ~ss.
the Monmouth Park races with the Jewels ans, the ser.
vices Of detective were necessary to secure the return
In following up the clews the police found that Mrs.
of Se house v Just after the crime
committed. Her statement was as follows: II was
man Jump on the cement wall and along H. Ho
stopped aud looked back Of him after going short dis
fence and Into the yard OF house IN Myrtle-aye.
That tho last that OF him. He looked to me like
about twenty-five years old. He wore a squsre.,op
Darby hat, was somewhat thick-set and had beard
agaiu."
last evening: Z" / was By my window when saw Mr.:
Herrick go home and ho spoke TO me. About
my baby when heard the rattle Of the basement door
the sound OF pistol shot, dom, Know which Mr;
an
WIS 4.a s % shirt ss, sleeve. S him aaa % nsp Isrsa hu
Sa1 had the 5aSy and the he s
eSsrs S"se get s
who passing sure that no one left the house ~
The murdered Sman was thlrtyfvc years old. and
much aea BY bis s'lnsx, friends rd.nosss as nor
on %sfy fSe esps coey ts Island Parsse
ried Mrs Armstrong about three years ago ana no,sa %
Soase Ss9Shs" iSs he wa. ne '
The statement that young Armstrong went N, to tho
was shot was made Dy. Mr. Donahue to DE.
inS Mr.. Donahue explained to the .po-
lice that he had made mistake BY. eoniound.sg
his own son Thomas with the son OF the murdered
mau as the one who told OF the crime 10
his shop. Acting Captain McNamara SAID.
in reference the story, " y! tnats ex
ploded. Donahue made mistake. We don,s
know that Armstrong has been seen here To-day ~
4. said that he went to the butchers pion,c but The
statement ISN'T verified. His employers sent sfor him 10
mX general alarm was sent out for tue arrest Q!
Armstrong and about midnight he was Luna
Mt the house OF aunt IN fMk::
ave. Ho6oken by two detectives whom he accompanied
to BrooEyn, leaving HobeKen st = m. he dennc
Killing hia stepfatner and expressed gieAt surprise
when inforned of the murder. He said tnAS
he had pistol which he had left at home but tue po.Sc
nd uris locked up ~ tbO