New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-04
KILLED ON NEW YEARS NIGHT
A SHIPPING CLERKS HEAD BROKEN.
HE SAID HE WAS ASSAULTED. BUT NO cLEws HAVE
BEEN FOUND YET.

he SAID HE WAS ASSAULTED. BUT NO CLEwS HAVE
BEEN FOUND YET
supposed murder by footpads was being IN
vestigatcd yesterday by the police OF the Ninth
and Sixteenth Precincts. William j. Hanna,
clerk, thirty years OF age, died III his nome
at 493 West Twenty y-secOnd-st. carly In the day
from fracture Of the skull. He had previously
said that he had been attacked by robbers at
Greenwich-ave. and Eleventhst. on Monday night.
The police were not informed Of the case until
he was dead.
Hanna was employed for fifteen years as
shipping clerk in the store of G. A. Schmidt, an
uphosterer in West Fourteenth-st. About two
years ago he was married and took his young wife
to live in the two upper stories of the West
Twenty -second-st house. Late on Monday after
noon Hanna went out to make some calls, telling
his wife that he would be bnck carly In the even
ing She waited until nearly IL p. m when
the bell rang she went down to the door ana
found her husband in pitablc plight, supported
by two men who looked like laborers. Blood was
flowing from cut under his right eye and his
clothes were torn and muddy.
This is my wife," Hanna said fccbly to the
men.
Pm sorry for you, madam, said one OF them'
who shook her hand in parting. She helped her
husband UPSTAIRS and got him to bed. lie COM
a
assaulted by robbers. " One Of them struck me
on the head with wrench" he said, but they
did not get my watch ,,,
washing the blood from his face.
"One of them stabbed me with penknl1e,
he replied.
NO TRACES OF ROBBERY
| lie had not been robbed and he did not seem
| inclined to say more about the assault. once
| he said that the men who had helped him home
were strangers and knew nothing about the
| attack on him. Then he seemed to fall asleep
| Toward morning Mrs Hanna noticed that he
| breathed with difficulty and sent another occt-
| pant Of the house to call Dr.. Mckenzie, OF NO;
| 432 West Twenty -second-st. The physician iound
| Hanna inscLsible and suffering from fracture
Of the skull: The young man remained uncoh-
The police of the West Twenticth-st. squad
| made brief invest igation and sent word TO the
| polce of the Ninth Precinct as the supposed
| assault had been committed in that precinct. De-
| tectivc Burlegh, of the Charlcs-st. squad ascer-
| taincd that Hanna had visited Joseph OFF NJ NO.
| $50 1-2 Hudson-st. on Monday evening llama
left Orrs house about p. M, saying that ne WA was
going to see James Lynch a liquor dealer at Mac,
| dorgal and West Third SITS, who lives at No ga
No. Se'' lso Wavcrley place saw Hanna lying on
the sidewalk apparenty drunk in front OF cyrus
| Ovcrbaugh's liquor store the OrapeVlhe' al
| Elcventll-st and Grecnwlch-ave.
| LAST GOING HOME FROM THE GRAPEVINE.
Overbauqh and his bartender helped Mr.. Pulver
| carry Hanna into the store They thought the
Young man was drunk. although they noticed
| the cut under his eye. He did not complain OF
any assault and after he had rested few minutes
| TO wall, he was permitted to go alone.
| Detectives were trying last evening to trace
| Uanna's movements after he lett OTIS mouse
| r. was said that he had not been TO see Lynci,
| and the liquor dealer had gone out of the city
to attend the Guttenburg races. Captain Copeland
| was inclined to doubt that Hanna had been
| attacked by robbers but said that the young man
might have been knocked down in drunken
| brawl Mrs. Hanna was Frustrated by her nus,
| bands death Yesterday and it was feared that
| excitement might endangcr her life. Charles
| Hanna. the young mans father. is mechanic
| employed in the Brooklyn Navy Yard