New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-05
SHOT FOR A BURGLAR.
MIR. CHIvvIs WAS AT THE WRONG DOOR:
THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE SENT FOUR BULLETS
AT HIM AND ONE STRUCK HIM-MoUNT
VERNON THOUGHT 1T HAD
A MYSTERY.

MYSTERY
F. w. Chivvis, who for many years was Q
member of the dry-goods firm Of Conkling &
Chivvis, in this city, and who is now a promi-
ncnt resident of Mount Vernon. was shot about
. o'clock yesterday morning. Mr.. Chivvis had
been dining out at neigbbor's house, and
reached his home shortly after O'Clock. When
his wife opened the door he said: Pm shot,
and walked straight upstairs and threw himself
on his bed lie did not say who had been his
assailant, or make any statement which would
lead to an arrest DR.. Robert Taylor was i'm
mediatey sent for, and attended to the wounded
mans injuries
The affair created great sensation in Mount
Vernon yesterday when it became known
throughout the village, and there were all sorts
Of surmiscs as to who did the shooting. A
dozen contradictory versions Of the case were
in circulation, and even the injured mans rela-
tives professed ignorance of the real circum-
stances surrounding the affair In some quarters
it was supposed that Mr.. Chivvis had been at
tacNed by two highway robbers as he was re-
turning home by footpath across n number Of
dark vacant lots, as he had the reputation Of
always wearing number of valuable diamonds.
Another theory was that he had been shot at de-
Iberatcly from behind an ambush by some un-
known enemy.
\ Tribune reporter visited the scene of the
shooting yesterday afternoon. 1t appears from
the statements of the family. and the intimate
friends of Mr.. Chivvs who were in his company
on Thursday night, that the shooting was entirely
due to an accident Mr. Chivvs left his home
on Chester Hill early on Thursday evening to
dine with J. Concord Smith, and he did not
turn until shortly after o'clock yesterday morn
ing. At Mr.. Smiths house he met j. Frank
Wright principal of Grammar School No. in
this city, and, according TO the statements OF
Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Wright, they all felt good
when the hour for breaking up arrived Mr..
Wright lives few blocks above Mr.. Chivvis on
Chester IIill but as it saved time for the latter
to cross some vacant lots, the men parted at
Prospect and Fulton aves, some distance above
the house Of Charles l.. Adams, in Summt~ave.
Mr. Wright says that after he reached his home
le began to wonder whether his friend safely
under his own roof, and he walked down to the
latters house The lights in the upper windows
dispclled his anxiety and he went home 10 bed.
lie says he did not hear the report of pistol.
although the two men were III shouting distance
OF each other all the time.
Mrs Chivyis has evidently suffered great
deal from excitement. She said yesterday Il
coul,sno sleep on Thursday night, and was anxious
to see my husband return. / sat up at the win
dow watching for him. few minutes before
he came in | saw couple OF men hurry paso
the house at a run thought it rather sus-
pcious circumstance. and then my husband came
up the stoop. | ran to the door and let him IN.
said to him, Why are you SO late" and he said
Don't scold me, pm shot,. Then he went up
stairs and lay down and took of his walstcoat
and found his shirt covered with blood. Or.
Turner was sent for, and y. Is. Gulcn. our neAt
door neghbor, was called out of bed 10 help us.
They extracted the bullet about o'clock this
morning The wound proved to he not very
serious. being merely fesh-wound, the bullet
having struck rib and passed under the flesh, Just
above the heart. This afternoon another bullet
was found in his ovcrcoat pocket. IL Is 3s-ca!-
ibre bullet, but the clothing shows no signs OK
burning, that we think the revolver was dis.
charged at long range. That Is all KNOW OK
the matter, as my husband has been under NOR
phiDe since the operation and the doctor has pre-
scribed absolute silence. lie has not therefore.
made any statement of the affair 10 any OF us
Mr. Wright inclined 10 the opinion that MI INV
Wis had received a spent bullet intended for Dur-
glars escaping from Charles ). Adams house III wds
rumorcd around town that Mr. Adams had gwen
q warm reception To a burglar or burglars at an
early hour yesterday morning. The reporter waited
for Mr. Adamss return from ork by the o
o'clock train, and that gentleman undid the whoie
tangled mesh OF fact and fiction.
my room and said there were burglars III the
hall vcstibulc attempting To get ln'o tIe mus.
She had been downstairs Tor something, anu III
The darkness had seen n mans form outiine' Oh
,L. stoinrI-olass panels of the hall door She
also head a mans voice say Get back, ana she
thought there must be some other men ou'sl'e.
| went downstairs with her. one of t,c ou.er
yestibule doors WAS open, and saw man endlhS
down over the lock and pushing AT the inner
door | thought he was PICKING the ioch . anu
fired four shots in rapid succession iioni 'hc ioyo
bnfS loI
of the door the other two penetrated the glass ana
| must have hit mS man. lie turned ana "eio
ont into the garden. and followed nm 70 10 ',o
door ard told him 10 get ont oi ths 4. o,'r, IT, cr T
I ,vnuid rive him some more. lhen went od.N
- heI but not to sleep | did not know VIII.
the man was. of course. and the lrst l ncaru VI
Mr. Chivvis having been wounded was 'is al@,
nnop The news was tclephoned down 10 me az
,,. n,,ic, NJ Onc-hundrcd-and- nd-thrty -elghth-st
ps nor mink there is any doubt Mr. Chivvis was
thc man shot, and / am sad IT i noo @ ~,V =, ,h:
suppose ic had wandered out OF ms Way ny -, ,,
da rincss and mistaken my door for MS am sorry
! nctcl so hastily but saw man trying 10 er1
into nv house at o'clock in the morning. TIL a,,a
| supposed he had companions @ "naS,uf ''i,h;n the
boyc been SO many burgares here wl'hli 'no
last few months that ! am de'Frmlnrd NOV 10
lct any burglar get the drop on me- Eve,I mai nii
in his pace sleeps with n revolver under HIS pIi-
low in consequence of the numerous scareS We
hovc had Tie women here are scared 10 dea'r
tLcrc have been So many houses broken lntnu mo
DR. Robert TAYLOR and DR.. Archibald ,amp.Mrn M
hold a consultation yesterday afternoon IN ,ns
,"omndcd mans room. They do not apprehena
any serious consequences unless lhnam"a'po"
should set in. ..,,. hods;do all ves-
.ordav forcnoon. and visited the house at short
-; " ,nryrols last evening The patient Is noin8
,,nu bnt hc is forbidden by the doctors 20
talk and has not yet given his version oi oho
shooting.
THEY WANT SUBSTITUTE FOR THE PEACH CROP
Of