The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-25
DUNHAM SHOT FROM BEHIND
LEANING AGAINsT A WINDOW WHEN
SOMEBODY FIRED FROM WITHOUT.

SOMEBODY FIRED FROM WITHOUT
He Had Just Been Hustled Ont or che Bar
room in Hts Beilevilie Road House Afser
. Quarrel with HIis Reputea wirs and
Rostier Pheian - Hts Own Revolver.
which Had Been Taken from Him when
lie Threatened rheian. Apparently No<
the Weapon that tho Murderer Used,
md Phclnn Not the Murderer.
william II. Durham. the keeper Of road
house at tho corner OF Washington avenue and
william street. Bclleville. n. j.. and u another
on the river road. near Delawanna, was shot
and instantly killed Just before midnight on
Wednesday. Dunham's plnce is resort for
the toughest citizens Of Bellcvllle. as we'll rs
a stopping place for sporting men and
dashing women. who drive on Washington
avenue. from Newark or Passaic. He
was n short. stouty built. ill-favored
man Of 3S years. with a reputation
for III temper and n disposition to fight on the
slightest provocation. He was drunk on We'd
ncslay night and It Is said that nearly every.
body in the place was under the influence OF
liquor with the exception OF the pretty blond
German woman Of 70 or Whereabouts, who for
several years has passed for Dunham's wife.
and has recently attended to the business in
the upper road house. which has a worse rep
utation than the ono In Bellevlllc.
The woman who is called Mrs. Durham was
tending bar after return from the upper house,
Durham was going around In an ugly mood.
finding fault with everything and everybody
There were eight men in the room. four Of
whom wero seated ut u table playing cards.
They were Whaley Drown OF William street,
William Kennedy Of Daw street, Fred Taylor
Of Holmes street, and Patrick Phelan. one Of
Durham hostlers. who had brought MrsDun-
ham down from tho other house. Mrs. Dun
ham had gone to the upper house at noon.
Durham told her before she went to get
back early, us he was short handed. He had
given his bartender. William MacMahon. the
day of. MacMahon's usual day of is Friday.
but n big business was expected for
that day. Christmas. 80 MacMahon took
Wednesday. Instead OF returning early
Mrs. Durham was later than usual.
and this was taken by Dun ham as an excuse
for auarrelling with his wife while she was be-
hind the bar serving out drinks TO the crowd in
the saloon. He accused her OF being too fond
Of the men who visited the upper house. and
asked her L certain persons we're there. She
hna
and ineIsn told bSnha@ that he WAS was 1 Wrans
You're gentlemen" said Phelan;
sprang az him aqd struck i'm. Pheisn
s G% lis back pocket and bloWn Who OS as eo P ssa
ward ara seized 1snbs%s am s and: Wiz i he
the sitehsn In tho rear and I'LL to one SIDE
Il oSs
turned to the barroom to continue the
as Of pS a1 and out Brown 81 tie
hoodthirsty tsentments he was
tsss ~ y9 va ssSl SEssS
the pnssageway to the barroom when he heard
ss sf Sssd
irS% wound r.. bsSina 5is lsit esTsPd broken
wnans was Called and sent ior County physI.
tectvs HoiE q shs ProsecStoPs el eee with
and
Eensa Tor fully twenty minutes. she, was Be-
WIS brought to her. Justice La Faue6eris 81
until morning Everybody In the house was
arrested ss he @ns~ @Fs seSod that
s Hns sa %ea assss
was biacened with i,lH powder. The supposition
was that tho shot was fired with Dpnham's re-
where II was said TO- have been thrown BY
+ -Four r Sssa%'e %sae sadss ne a E
contained neither cartridge nor shell. Durham
WAS y tho habit Of shooting at stray cate and
anytLing on Wednesday,; and Mrs. Dunham
Jay on tho chair besid" their lei bed. She U exam
incd i. AM! al the chambers, were loaded.
tive S WIZ shs E Sat
had not f benz snG red but tho result Of
the tn =. autopsy which was made last night seems
VA l"a%a to Be- 81 ss-caliGre. His revolver IS
a a,, tho shot that killed bgnham. but thss
other men 10 the paco testified Yesterday that
Me was stupid drunk. and notwithstandinc |
what had happened went TO bed after the muir |
lay ss aen tS NOW NoWa WI liz s
Wers %9o bad been arrested were tdischarEed
boon TAKEN. Cpanty I Prose s Crane told
thTm had Ind naytaing to dc with the king
trying to lind somebody who could givo.a clue |
Z, H., ~, murderer There are some tough men
t' rm'Ia Durham has made many enemies.
while ho was away and the woman and boy |
ia. charge. He caused tho arrest OF four mon |
last Year for assaults In his place aud It was u
common thing to hear threats against his@ife. |
Dunhani,s record was bad. He was a button
ssn an% nd Sa 81 and
Y companion VI loose women. Ho deserted his
wife and child and associated with Nettis
a snI who kept dive on Railroad avepue.
and aiterward ran several places in various
Earts OF the city. with Durham as her bouncer. |
;wnsy said they were married: and soon after
fsysersser q the Poor. and ",Billy was put un-
ger bonds to support her. He had been pay
my her weekly sum ever since.
a.. IN n, 1887 Nettie Aarons died. and Durham
and opened a tough saloon Ia Belleyills
hWI II. nue. where he had trouble with the police
ir1,h associlting himself in the mean time
W,tn ne frr,haired Muller woman. whom he
inc Belleville house became q, fayorite