The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-12-19
KILLED BY A MADMAN.
Michael Harvey Murders One Friend
and Wounds Three Others.
THEN CALMLY SHOOTS HIMSELF.
1t was I'm Brooklyn Tenement-The
Suicide Had just Been Released From
an Insane Asylum-The Authorities
just too Late.

BROOKLYN, Dec. ia frightful trag-
edy. the work of a mailman, shocked
South Brooklyn yesterday. In revenge
for what he fancied was plot to rob him
of his liberty he started out to murder an
entire household. He succeeded in killing
a friend whom he had known for years, in
wounding two others, and in forcing his
sister and her baby to jump from window
to save their lives. Then he laid himself
calmly down on bed and sent ball from
"A AZ calibre revolver crashing through his
brain, killing himself instantly.
The murderer and suicide was Michael
Harvey, who, until less than fortnight
ago, was an inmate of the Flatbush in
sanse asylum. The scene of the tragedy
was the house No. 1873 Van Dyke street
Harvey proved a mild and tractable pa
tient in the asylum and on the 9th of the
present month DIR. Fleming considered
him tit for conditional release i'm charge
of his sister, Mrs. Catherine Duffy The
latter, under the terms of the re-
lease, was bound TO report his condition
weekly TO the asylum. On Monday last
she reported that he was doing well. On
Thursday night, however, he grew cross
with his sisters husband. He was
worse yesterday morning and his sis
ter concluded that she would have to no
tify the asylum authorities. She tele-
phoned about 10 o'clock and asked the
keepers to be sent 10 her home.
She feared to return alone, and
brought with her John Connerton of No.
32 Dykeman Street, Mrs. Dickinson of
No. $50 Clinton street and her brother-in-
law, Samuel Dickinson, of the same ad-
dress. Harvey greeted them coolly. and
at noon all sat down TO dinner. Harvey
ate heartily but rapidly, and before the
others had finished he arose and went into
the little parlor
Inamoment he reappeared, his eyes glist-
enng his face livid with rage Behind
his back he had his right hand, and in it
CLEANED nickel plated AZ calibre revolver.
He stepped quickly to the table and
glanced at each of the ones at dinner. His
sister grew pale with fear and pressed her
baby To her breast
Conuerton made a spring at the mad
man, but he was late. With demoniac
glee Harvey laughed as he sent bullet
through the dnad mans Tha 9rain, Uonnerton iton
fired three other shots in quick succession.
One struck Dickinson in the right wrist,
another struck Mrs. Dickinson in the
right hand. She fell, and she did Harvey
fired at her again, the shot failing to take
effect and just grazing the head of one of
Mrs Duffy's children.
Dickinson rushed for the window and
jumped into the yard, three stories below.
Mrs. Dickinson followed him, and after
her jumped Mrs. Duffy with her baby in
her arms. When she had jumped from
the window sill the madman quietly closed
the window, went into the kitchen, picked
up the body Of Connerton, which was on
the floor, and placed it in "a chair and then
went into the room and threw himself on
the bed
Mrs. Dirkin, the landlady who heard the
shots, rushed up stairs and entered Duffy's
apartments She saw Harvey on his bed
fondling the revolver. She fled, but had
not reached the bottom of the stairs when
another shot ran through the house.
Harvey had ended his life as he had that
of Connerton.
Mrs. Duffy was removed to the Long
Island College Hospital; one of her ankles
was badly strained and she received slight
internal injuries, as well as bruises on the
body. Neighbors took charge of Mrs.
Duffy's three children, who were out at
time of the tragedy.
Twenty minutes after Harvey killed
himself carriage halted in front of the
house. IL was from the asylum and had
been sent to take Harvey back to Flatbush.
Connerton was married man, about 35,
and a boiler maker He was an old friend
and fellow workman of Harvey's. Ten
days ago his wife and children sailed for
England TO spend Christmas with relatives.