Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-11
ONE MURDER A WEEK:
The Third One Added to the List BY
the Death of Peter Tierney.
WASSHOT DOWN In A STONE FIGHT
James ROney, the Alleged Murderer, Will
Claim 1t Was Accidental.
GAYGRENE AIDS THE BULLETS WORK

The third local murder inside the last
three weeks was reported to the Coroner
yesterday and the alleged murderer is under
arrest. This time the victim was boy,
Peter Tierney, aged 13, who lived with his
father, John Tierney, in Denuy's court near
Thirteenth street. The man who is alleged
to have shot him is James RoEey, who lives
on the hill above Thirtieth street. He is 80
years old and for the past Is years has been
q boss paver in the employ of the city. The
man has always borne an excellent reputs-
tiou and his plea will be that the shooting
was accidental. The boy died at o'clock
yesterday afternoon, at the Homeopathic
Hospital The story Of the shooting is as
follows:
On April the boys along Penn avenue
were having one of the famous stone fights
with the hill boys. There has always been
4 rivalry between these two factions,
and these stone fights have been
continued from one set of boys TO
another during the past 40 years. During
the progress of the fight the stones pelted
in on Mr.. Roney's house. when that gentle
man ran out and commenced firing upon
the boys.
One of the Boys Wounded.
Peter nerney was wounded in the knee,
and was deserted by the boys. Arthur Steel,
4 big colored ironworker, picked up the
boy and carried him to DR.. Staub's
Office, on Penn avenue. The boys
wound was dressed there, and then
an ambulance removed him to the Homeo-
DsthiC Hospital At the hospital blood
poisoning and gangrene set in. The physi-
clans there say the boys sufferings were ter
rible. Attempts were made TO relieve him,
but without avail, and yesterday afternoon
he died.
At the time of the shooting James Roney
was arrested but gave bail. When the
Coroner heard of the bows death he ordered
the mans rearrest. Last night he impan-
eIed jury ana commenced the inquest A
post mortem was also ordered and that duty
viii be performed by the staff physicians at
the hospital. The inquest will be continued
this afternoon at ? o'clock. In the mean
time Detective Robinson had gone in search
Of James RoneY, and shortly before 4
O'Clock he appeared with his prisoner.
MIR. Roney Greatly Affected.
Mr.. Boney seemed greatly worried over
the affair, and was very nervous. He is
about feet inches tall and well built. He
Las frank, open face-in fact, is decidedly
me looking. His brown hair is pIentifulIy
streaked with gray, and his heavy mustache
and goatee are almost white. He told the
following story Of the shooting:
THE boys are fighting nearly all the time
in the nelghborhood of my home, and when
anyone speaks to them they only swear at
him. On April 1 they were worse than
usual 1 had not said anything until L
heard them firing a pistol, 1 don't know
how many shots were fired. i ran out and
one boy dropped a pistol and ran away.
When L picked it up the bows COM
menced throwing stones at me. 1
was trying to dodge the stones
when the revolver went of. 1 was throwing
my arms up to protect my face when the
shot was fred. 1 did not think it had hit
anyone, and am told that the boy who it is
said shot was standing away up to the side
about 100 feet away from me when the pistol
wep. OF. The Tierney boy also had
broken arm, and his father. who works for
the Pennsylvania Railroad, said the boy
had been treated for that for the past six
weeks.
Il am sure I did not want to harm any of
the boys" and big tears stood in the old
mans eyes as he was led off to his cell.