The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-10-26
BULLET FROM THE SKY.
Alarming Midnight Occur
renee at Mrs. Pierson
Rector's House.
WAS MURDER MEANTf
Someone Shot a Hole Through the
Root and Terrified the Family
Police PHzzled.

Dalton at work upon one OF the most
nys erious cases that have come before
him since he entered upon the duties OF
superintendent. Chief Murphy has been
asked his opinion Of the case, and he like
wise is mystified.
A few nights ago the inmates of Mrs
L. Rector's home at No 100 Grand street.
were aroused from their slumbers aud
thrown into state Of the widest excite
ment by hearing the report Of d guu, fol-
lowed by crashing of plasteEson the top
fioor directly over the stairvd
Mrs. Rector was the frst bne on the
scene. Sne at ence saw the he of plaster
on the floor. and glancin up, noticed
| about three square feet of had fallen.
What surprised her most, wever, was
the fact that she could see tIle st'lI1nur-;,,n-
ing through hole besween
and through the tin roof.
A BIG RIFLE BULL
BY this time all the inma
sembled on the top floor
Morehouse, in scraping a
fallen plaster discovered
rifle bullet. This discovery mi
more extraordinary and the
tered in every direction, seek
In adjoining rooms. believing a
someone was on the roof q
| down into the house.
OF the adjoininR
aroused. and after
gentlemen creHt cautiou
the scuttls TO the roof. No :,
1 he ~
that any one had been there. BY tt
of lamp, however. the bullet hole
located and the discovery made th
did not point straight down but
slightly slanting.
WAS IT A SPENT BULLETf
The report was heard at eleven e,clol
| and from that time until daybreaE
one in the house did any sleeping.
nine o'clock Mrs. Rector reported III
case to Superintendent Smith. Detective
Dalton made an examination of the roof
| and found that the ball had penetrated
the tin. layer Of one inch boards and thez
lath and plaster directly over the
way. Dalton secured the ball and
ed his Investigations te aupsrj
Smith. teS'a
Dr. Dodd of Grand street. who vwRs
the house adjoining Mrs. Rector's, upon
examining the ball aud the hole in the
roof, remarked that it was highly prob
able the rifle had been exploded in the air
and then the ball, in its downward flight,
gained sufficient velocity to penetrate the
| tin, boards and plaster. Superintendent
Smith will not accept any such theory. as
he believes such thing to be an impos-
sibility. Chief of Police Murphy is Of
| similar mind.
WAS MURDER MEANT?
In speaking of the case this morning,
| the Superintendent said:-"The bail
have here is, as you see, about two inches
long. 1t is forty-fve calibre long range
| rife ball. In my opinion it could not
penetrate that tin roof and plaster unless
it was fired within short distance from
the roof Mr.. l.. P. Hansen is of the opinion
| that it was fred by some one not many feet
from the roof. He believes it to be an
utter impossibiity for that ball to pene-
trate the materials it did If dropped from
the air. 1t requires greater velocity than
it would attain IN this manner TO sink
through a tin roof with board backing
alone.
"There is much that is peculiar about
the case. II the shot was fired by any
one from the roof with murderons in
tent, why did he not fire. it over a bed
roomP The ball dropped in the hallway
where no one could have been injured.
The theory that the shot might have bean
fred from a neighbpring roof at the time
of a parade is shallow because there are
no higher buildings in the Immediate vi
ciuity from which any firing of guas was
done or even firewol ks exploded. There
was no parade In progress anywhere near
by at the time. The case Is still
shrouded in mystery, but Detective Dali
ton will probably solve it."
At the home of Mrs. Rector nothing
could be learned of the mysterious affair.
The ladies have not recovered fully from
their fright as yet. being, under the i'm
preston that somessp person Is looking
about the house with murderous intent.
,------.1ss---aaz--@---- -.1ss---aaz--@- w - "A =.
sy'f7s CITY NEWS NOTES.
The Board of Education will hold =