The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-09-14
A Bloody Tragedy in a
Seventh Street Tene-
ment.
A LITTLE WRIST WOUND.
Morris O'Brien Cuts an Artery in
Timothy's Arm, and Timothy
Bleeds to Death.

-ndSman Elannelly was walking up
K -,eventh street when he saw crowd
rushing toward No. 154 He hurried
there and was informed that man on
the second floor had been cut by another
man.
He went up to the floor designated and
there he saw Morris O'Brien with q
bloody knife in his hand. He caught the
man by the arm and took the weapon
from him.
A CUT IN THE WRIST.
He then saw Timothy sitting near by
with towel wound tightly around his
wrist.
towel, and it looked as though the man
was dangerously hurt.
He asked Morris what the trouble was,
and all the latter would say was that 1t
was his own fault.
Morris was placed under arrest, and Pr.
Hoffman was summoned to attend to the
injured man. The physician found that
Timothy had been cut in the wrist.
The wound looked as though q knife
with a sharp point and keen edge had
been thrust into the wrist to the bone and
then twisted around.
An artery had been severed and the
blood was gushing forth in spurts.
BLED TO DEATH.
Dr. Hoffman saw that the wound was
in all probability fatal, and ordered an
ambulance to convey the wounded man
to the City Hospital.
In the meantime he tried to staunch
the flow of blood as best he could. When
the ambulance arrived Timothy was very
weak from loss of blood and died shortly
after his arrival at the hospital.
The police Immediately made an inves-
tigation, and arrested Mary O'Brien,
Morris's wife, and Annie Scott, OF No 152
Sixth street, who, they were told, had
witnessed the affray. Morris appeared to
be under the influence of liquor when ar
rested, but maintained strict silence
about the affray.
When he learned that his brother was
dead he made brief statements
THE FATAL QUARREL
He said that some time ago his mother
died, leaving his brother Timothy small
piece of property in New Durham. The
two brothers frequently quarrelled over
this, which Morris maintained was un-l
fair.
Yesterday afternoon Timothy came to
his house and they began drinking. They
continued the quarrel, and last evening
they got to fighting.
Timothy, he claims, attacked him and
he picked up the knife to defend himself.
ARRAIGNED FOR MURDER.
This morning Morris was arraigned be-
fore Justice Stilsing on q charge of muir
der. Policeman FlannelIy testified to the
arrest
Mrs. O'Brien declared that she knew
nothing of the affair and was not called
upon to testify.
Mrs. Scott also offered an aIibi The
policeman said that when taken into Gus
tody as witness she had one of Mrs.
O'Brien's shoes in her possession.
Mrs. Scott explained that she was rum
ming to the house with the crowd when
she saw Mrs O'Brien rushing down the
street half scared to death with one shoe
m, ord rho other in hen. hand
She told Mrs. Scott that there was
row at her home and in her excitement
gave Mrs. Scott the shoe.
O'Brien, who is an elderly man with q
vicious eye, was dressed as q laborer and
appeared to be recovering from a pro-
longed debauch.
He seemed in daze, and refused to say
anything He was committed to wait the
action of the Grand Jury, and the women
were set at liberty.
MRS. o'BRIEN's STORY.
When I first reached the house in
which the O'Briens lived / met Mrs.
O'Brien with a number of sympathizing
women in the lower hallway. She re-
fused absolutely to talk about the muir
der and the causes leading to the crime.
She was too excited to talk, even had she
been inclined to. All the information she
impaired could be summed up in these
wOrdS:-
both the men were drinking. My hus-
bands brother came over from New
York intoxicated about five o'clock.
They had quarrelled frequently. / was
afraid they would fight, so got out and
did not return till late in the evening,
after it was all over don't know who
gave the alarm. When l came home the
officers were carrying my husband away.
/ didn't think when left them it would
turn out this way.
"Were they quarrell1ng about the New
Durham propertys' / asked.
Don't ask me. | can't tell you any
thing more Please let me alone with
my own feelings"
WHY MRS SMITH DIDN'T HEAR IT.
In the next house / enquired for Mrs.
Smith, who lives on the first floor. A
medium sized, stout woman, with full
round face, full of cuts and bruises,
peeped from behind door, which she
held partly ajar.
ibid you see or hear anything of the
row next door, Mrs. Smith?'
Faith, had my own troubles to look
after,' answered the woman with an air
of resignation. Sure, an my husband
was batting the life out of me when the
fight was going on next door. Look at
that face"
None of the neighbors seemed to know
ANYTHING about the affair beyond the ar
rest of the murderer, who was found in
the room where he committed his crime.
None of them saw the arrest made.
SKIRTS TRAILING IN BLOOD.
Ascending the three flights of steps
leading to the apartments occupied by the
O'Briens, through darkened Railways.
fouled with the odor of dampness and
sDrinkled with sawdust, / reached the
oman door of the room in which the muir
der was committed. The scene was that
Of a slaughter house. barring the rude
furniture and small decorations. The
floor. partially covered with oilcloth, was
hesneared from one END to the other with
clotted blood The centre of the pool
looked as though some one had wallowed
there.
Mrs. O'Brien, the niddle-aged wife of
tbe homicide, was wildly pacing to and
fro. with her skirts lifted to prevent them
trailing through the dark crimson fluid,
moaning and repeatedly murmuring:-
Gle was such good man; he never
raised his arm to hurt any one before;
INV God, it must be Greamp
Oyer one of the doorways hung the
framed prayer, "God Bless Our Home, +"
and over another, "God Bless Papa"
stove, q table and black sofa were
the main articles of furniture in this
roo1n. hut a small bedroom, with bright
red carpet and brand new yellow bureau
in the vista, formed q strange contrast to
the horrible appearance OF the Kitchen
and sitting room. A cane-seated rocking