The morning call., 1890-08-04
MORE SHOOTING.
Reckless Pistol Firing in the
Foundry District.
James Corcoran, Deputy Sheriff, Exchanges
Shots With Policemen-Three Arrests
Made for the Day.

James Corcoran was taken TO the Receiv-
| ing Hospital last evening to be treated for
a pistol wound in the right shoulder and
laceration of the right hand, also produced
| by pistol-bullet.
Coreoran is single man, aged So, who
| lives at.236 Fourth street, and though an
| iron-molder by occupation and member of
| the union, is at present deputy under
| Sheriff Laumeister. An examination Of
| his injuries showed that the wound in the
shoulder was the only serious one, the in
! jury to the right hand being merely SUPER
| fetal.
The Police Surgeons probe proved that
the bullet had passed clean through the
shoulder, touching no vital point, however,
and producing a wound that, while painful,
will not prove fatal. The bullet entered in
| front and made its exit just over the shoul-
der blade.
THREE CHARGES ENTERED.
When the Police Surgeon had completed
his work Corcoran was taken downstairs
| to the City Prison, where three charges of
assault to murder were placed against him,
two by Police Officers Carr and McGrayn
and one by Special Officer Dawes, and one
by the same officers with N G. Brown as
the witness, he being nCn-union molder
employed in the National Foundry, on the
corner of Howard and Beae streets, and Of
which Marschutz Il Cantren are the pro-
prietors.
A general outline Of the facts in connec-
tion with Corcoran's injuries and the
charges placed against bin are as follows:
| A few moments after o'clock last evening
C0rcoran came down Howard street, and,
in passing the foundry, looked up at the
windows on the second floor, at which
number of non-union mOlders employed
III the foundry were standing.
Words were exchanged between Corcoran
and the men inside. Then COrcOran, from his
position on the opposite side of the street,
drew pistol and fired at the men standing
at the foundry windows. He then went
down Main street towards Mission, and on
the corner of Main and Howard streets
fired again at the foundry.
CoRCoRAN PURSUED.
Special Officer Dawes, who is engaged to
watch the foundry, was standing In the
door of the foundry when the first shot
was nred, and with Officers Carr and Reilly.
two Of the extra detail Of regular officers
sent down daily to preserve order in the
foundry district, started alter CorcoraD,
who, as soon as he saw them coming, ran
up Main street.
The fugitive was ordered repeatedly to
halt, which orders he disregarded, and only
accelerated his speed. A general exchange
of shots took place between them. Corco-
ran went up. Main TO Mission and along
Mission. Half way up the block he turned
around and fired again. Suddenly be stag
gered and. it is supposed, he then was
struck in the shoulder by bullet from Of
ficer Carr's pistol.
He kept on, however, and near Spear
street he was intercepted by Officer Nc
Grayn, who was attracted by the shooting.
As Corcoran and tile officer came together,
COrcOran brought his pistol right up against
the officers breast, and the officer did the
same with his 10 Corcoran.
THE WEAPONS MISSED FIRE.
Both pulled the triggers at the same mo-
ment, but NEST singularly both the pistols
missed fire and neither was injured. Cor
coran diyed around the officer and was
daShlng OH again, when his pursuers, who
had gained on him by his encounter with
Officer McGrayn, were almost up to him.
Corcoran sped up Spear to Howard and ran
up Howard to Beale. where he was caught
by Officer Reilly, who threw his arms
around him from behind and piniOned him.
Even then he resisted and again dis
charged his pistol. A rap from one of the
officers clubs finally quieted him. Quite a
crowd gathered and one man drew pistol,
and before Officer Reilly caught Corcoran,
fired at the uftcer. The officer returned
the fire and the man who had attacked him
ran away.
Corcoran was promptly handcuffed and
hurried off to the new City Hail. When
searched at the Central Station. new
Colts revolver, 80 caliber, with four of the
six chambers discharged, The remaining
two being loaded, was Identified by the ar
resting officers as having been taken from
Corcoran when first pla ed under arrest.
One of the two remaining cartridges was
found to bear hammer mark on the rim,
and was no doubt the one that failed to ex-
plOde when he attempted to shoot Officer
McGrayn.
A SPECIALS ACCOUNT.
tIoHN n.
ran came down Howard street and com-
menced abusing the men inside the foun-
dry as soon as he caught sight of them, call
ing them all manner of vile names. He
was, in Dawes opinion, greatly under the
influence of liquor
Corcoran, almost coincident with his call
ing the men in the foundry names, pulled
his pistol and fired at them. He then ran
to the corner of Main and Howard and fired
again. Then he started off and ran as fast
as he could down Main street. Shots were
exchanged all the way to Mission and to
Spear, where Officer McGrayD met Corcoran.
After eluding McGrayn, Corcoran sped
Hp Spear street to Howard to Beale, where
he was finally captured. Dawes also states
that just at the time that Corcoran first
started to run, a number OF men on the
corner of Main and Howard streets,
who, he says, were union pickets, and
among whom one, Charles Culbert, was es-
pecially prominent, urged him by name to
run ana not let himself De caught.
Also that several of them joined in the |
chase and kept encouraging the fugitive. |
He also states that just as Officer Reilly |
came up to CorcOran that tall, heavy set |
man came up to the two men with pistol |
in his hand and shot at the officer, who re-
turned the fire.
BULLET-PRooF KORAN.
In this connection it must be stated that |
few minutes after Corcoran had been ex- |
amined at the Receiving Hospital John Ho- |
ran, who stated that he is marine fireman,
residing at 129 Folsom street, and last EN-
>plOved on the steamer Zealandia, came to
the hospital aud stated that he had also
been shot in the shoulder.
A large bullet hole in his coat was to
some extent corr0b0rative proof, but when
he took off his clothing it was ascertained
that the bullet had been DETECTED by the
thick folds of his vest and under clothing,
and that the bullet thad stopped, caught
in the last thickness of material that it
had to traverse to reach his body. As lie |
took off his undershirt the bullet dropped
out of it.
Horan said that he had no pistol, nor had
he made any attempt to take Corcoran's |
part On the contrary his purpose was TO
stop Corc0ran when he saw the police Off
GERS chasing him and shouting out stop
him." He went up to Corcoran on the cor
ner of Howard and Beale streets for that
purpose, when one of the officers fired point
blank at him.
HoRAN ALSO ARRESTED.
After John Horan had had an interview
with Chief Crowley and said that he bore
no hard feelings against the officer who
shot him, he left the City Hall and pro-
ceeded to the South Harbor Police Station,
where he gave Charles Cullum, the officer
in charge, a full account Of how he came to
be wounded.
After leaving the station he walked up
Folsom street. and was met by Officers
Reilly and Bean. who promptly arrested |
him, and, taking him back to the South |
Harbor Station, placed charges Of assault |
with G deadly weapon and attempting to |
rescue prisoner against his name.
Horan seemed greatly surprised at being |
arrested, and then explained that he was |
sitting in Monaghan's saloon at 129 Folsom
street, reading the paper, when he heard
shot fired, and running out saw Corcoran
with pistol in his hand struggling with
an officer, who was shouting for help. He