Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-09


ton Street the Scene of the shooting
Self Defense Alleged-A Terrible Warm
ing to Tramps, Thieves and Thugs.
Ii has come at last No one viii be
surprised, and outside of the dead mans
friends, we presume no one viii regret
the act very much. 1t is simply what
every citizen believed the influx of tramps,
thieves and thugs would lead to, namely,
murder. This, however seems to be Il
case of killing in self defense,
Monday night about $3.50 Harry Meyer,
of Norristown, Pa, superintendent of
the carpenter camp of Mr.. Hughes, the
contractor, just below the site of the old
Opera House, on Washington street, shot
and instantly killed james Mccormick,
said to be from Twenty third street,
Philadelphia. The full particulars of just
how the trouble began were pretty hard
to get, as every one who witnessed the
killing were more or less excited
1t appears that Sunday night McCor-
mick, who was q perfect stranger
to all the men in the camp, en-
tered one of the tents and laid
down to take sleep. He evidently was
tramp. One of the men belonging to
the tent camp along and finding the
man in the tent notified Meyer. Together
they undertook to put him ont, and as he
was quite an ugly customer, it took some
rough usage to do it. They succeeded,
however, in getting Mccormick to leave,
but with the avowed intention of coming
back sometime and getting revenge
Monday evening about 9:20 Mccormick
with two companions, all more or less un-
der the influence of liquor went over to
the Hughes tents with the avowed pur-
pose of looking for fuss. The first tent
they entered happened to be the one in
which Meyer and one or two of the men
belonging to the camp were en-
gagged in conversation. McCor-
mick no sooner saw Meyer, than
applying a vile epithet to him said, at the
same time covering him with revolver,
you are the man that hit me and
put me out of the tent last night" What
transpired then cannot be explained ex-
cept by MoYer, his companions having
scampered off as quick as possible. This
much is certain, however, Meyer fired
and his aim was so true that his assailant
must have been killed instantly, as the
ball entered the left breast and probably
lodged in the heart.
Meyer was Immediately arrested and
taken to the lookup, where an attempt
was made to interview him, but without
success, He claimed he was struck on the |
head and did not know what he waa do |
ing, He was evidently in high state of
nervous excitement and could not talk |
nationally about the killing.
DR.. D. y. Evans, the Coroner, was mott |
fed and arrived at the camp |
at 10;3O o'clock, and empanneled |
jury, composed of the following gen
tlemen; James Milligan. William Strouse,
McClelland Liggett Isaac Harris, Her
man Oiler and Charles E. Lout The
jury examined the body, but nothing was
found on 1t except a razor and comb, and |
a number of handkerchiefs.
While the jury was looking for
evidence of identification, young
man, considerably under the in
iuence of liquor, appeared and claimed
to recognize the dead man, and gave his
name and residence as above. He was
taken to the lookup to be held as a wit
ness.
No testimony was taken by the coroner
as to the actual facts of the shooting. He
adjourned the jury to meet at . O'Clock
this afternoon at the office of Burgess
Horrel
The men belonging Mr.. Hughes camp
have been greatly annoyed by tramps .
since they pitched their tents, and scarcely
day passed but what some of them lost
articles Of wearing apparel. In fact the
uamps would steal anything they got
their hands on. Meyer, who did the
shooting, is held in high esteem by his
employers, and they said last evening he
was the last man they would ever think
Of shooting any one even in self defense.
The body of the dead man was re-
moved to Hendcrson's morgue, and Cor
oner Evans, although he had adjourned
the jury until two O'Clock this afternoon.
reconsidered and took the evidence of two
witnesses in the Office Of Mr. Henderson.
Their testimony was substantially the
same as stated above, with the exception
that they testified it was one of McCor
micks companions who pointed the pis
tol at Meyer, and that all three of the
men jumped on him and beat him in
terrible manner. The inquest was then
adjourned to meet at Dr. Evans Office,
No. 50t Morris street, at seven o'clock
this evening.
The men who were with Mccormick
succeeded in making their escape but
shortly after eleven O'Clock one of them
was apprehended on Main street, and
taken to the lookup.