St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-10
O'Donovan ROSsa's Tools in a
Street Fight in New York
City Yesterday.
Th0s. F. Phelan, Of Kansas City, Fa
tally Stabbed and his Assailant
Dangerously Wounded.
Phelan Supposed to Have Given Away the
Secrets Of the Organization,
And Prompt Measures are Taken for
His sRemoval-Other Criminal
Notes.

Chambers street, in which building is located
the office of O'Donovan Rosa and the United
Arisltmem. In few seconds afterward man
covered with blood, tottered down stairs to
the hallway and sank on the front stoop,
while his blood covered the sidewalk in a
stream. The most intense excitement at
once took place, and crowds focked to the
scene. Several officers rushed up, and see
ing few men making towards Chambers
street and the city hall, followed them. One
OF them, tall man, was captured and
brought back to where the dying man was
laying. -.....-
SIS this the man who stabbed yous" asked
an officer. .........
eyes, that is the man, said the bleeding
man, ''but by Heavens if I'm going to die
Pll die game, and there will be two of US. -
With that, and before the bystanders could
realize his intention, he drew revolver and
fired two shots in quick succession at the
mau standing before him. One of the balls
took effect in the thigh of his would be mur-
derer. This still further increased the ex-
element, and the neighborhood became wild
with all sorts of rumors.
hc WuO Was StaUUeu proven 10 De
Capt. Thomas F. Phelan, of Kansas City,
aged forty-nne, and his assailant whom he
says stabbed him, gave his name as Richard
Short, of So Tenth avenue. An ambulance
was summoned and Phelan was taken to the
Chambers street hospital, dying. He is
stabbed in the neck and breast, and several
other places There were rumors that he
gave away some of the secrets of the Fenian
organization. A printer named Schmidt,
who has composing room on the same
floor, next TO O'Donovan Rossa's Office, said :
Il was standing at my work; suddenly
heard noise in Rossas Office with the up
setting Of table, followed by loud, angry
words and curses. This continued for some
seconds, when something heavy was thrown
against the wall and man cried out some
thing that sounded like help But l am
not sure whether that was the word or not.
Then the door was banged open and four
men ran down stairs, each trying 10 push
the other out of his way. Blood was trick
ling down the face of the last man. They
were half way down stairs when the man
with the blood trickling down his face got the
lead Of the others. i then ran TO and opened
the window OF our Office, which looks out
on Chambers street. Then / saw the man
with blood on his face fall on the sidewalk,
put his hand 10 his hip pocket, pull out re-
volver and fire at one of the three men,
which one cannot tell, as did not get u
good look at him. / think, however, he
must have been shot, because he pulled up
his coat, placed his hand 10 his back and
STUN bled forward as II he was going 10 fall
on his face. A policeman standing on the
corner caught him by the shoulder and ar
rested him. A great crowd of people gathered
around the man lying on the sidewalk.
Several firemen came running down the
street and did something for him in the way
of dashing water IN his face and giving him
whisky"
"Did you see O'Donovan Rosa among
the four meni" Mr.. Schmidt was asked.
II can't say that did"
The police claim 10 have letter from
Rosa to the wounded man, telling him to
come on to New York to his
office, that he had important bus
iness for him TO attend to. Phelan was
asked by Fireman Cottrell II he wanted a
minister or priest.
NO" he replied, 81 don't want anybody.
I don't believe in any religion. l am fol-
lower Of Bob Ingersoll." ="
The news OF the stabbiug and shooting
spread rapidly, and inquiries were made on
Phelsn appeared to be known to many men
identified with several Irish revolutionary
societies. Rosa was condemned by
a number OF his compatriots for
giving publication In his paper this week TO
the interview printed in the Kansas City
Journal, purported to be had with Phelan,
giving u detailed account of the operations
OF the dynamiters In England. Threats were
made against Rossa's life, and it is said his
immediate friends had determined TO form
body guard to protect him.
Short, IL is stated, came to this country
with the man, who, in the summer Of 1882,
shot at Jim McDermott in Captain Ryan 3
barroOm on Chamber street. He Is said to
be a native Of Cork, where he was one OF the
principal leaders OF the movement directed
by Rosa.
long interview In the Kansas City Jour
nal was published by Phelan lately. Phelan
was one of the origiuators OF the skirmishing 2
fund, and was at one time suspected of being
the famous "NO. 1" mentioned by Informer
Carey in his evidence. He has been au Irish
Nationalist all his life, and has been always
prominent in the Irish revolutionary move
ment.
Short is said to be one of the Irishmen who
we're driven TO this country by the treachery
of Jin McDermott, Of Brooklyn, VINO is now
believed to be iu the pay OF the British guv-
eminent.
Phelan's clothing was cut in several places,
under which was no wound. -Four stabs in
the back were slight; two just below either
shoulder we're two inches deep. A seventh
was In the right side of the neck; another
penetrated bis chest, and each arm had re-
ceived thrust. His right arm was almost
severed at the shoulder. The surgeons said
his asssilant must have been a very powerful
msn. The patient showed great. fortitude
during the dressing of his wounds. Coroner
Martin came to the hospital TO take the
wounded mans aute-mOrtem statement
Pbelsn said be would give the true story, and
proceeded:
'iOa last Sunday week. an interview be-
tween myself and local editor of the Kansas
City Journal was published in the Journal.
The paper is nov in my pockets. / after
wards received letter from John T. Kearney
asking me 10 come 10 this city. Itelegrapbed
him would be here Jan. 5. When / arrived
to-day called on Kesrney and together We
went to O'Donovsn Rossa's Office. Rosa
vas no, In. A man named Rocky Mountain
0'Brien came in while we we're there. he
shook hands with me In a friendly way
I aud asked how was. He then left and a
man whose name, think, Is Barber, came
in with knife iu his hand. He imme-
diately approached and struck at me about
the chest ! was seated in 4 chair al the
time and waried Of the blor. he made
more tbrusts aud stabbed NE several times.
sprang 20 my feet and ran doEn stairs.
Barber followed me aud cut me again and
again. On the street Barber was brought
| before me. / recognized him a. the man
who stabbed me, aud supposing be would
stab ne again shot him. first met Barber
on nv return from Europe in August
or September last Il was in
/ Rossz's Office. met him there
afrerrard. Eearner and fxo oiher men