The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1892-03-19
HIS BLUFF CALLED.
Steamboat Tommy Attacks the
Wrong Man.

A special to the Spokane Spokesman,
Monday, gives the following account of
the shooting of Steamboat Tommy at
Sand Point: Thomas Meagher, well
known all over the Panhandle of Idaho
as steamboat Tommy" was shot in
dance hall here at AIS this morning by
Pat Cunningham, the manager of the
place. Meagher, who was quarrel
some fellow when drunk, went into the
hall about o'clock and became abu-
sive. Cunningham tried to paeify him,
when Tommy picked up an iron bar
used for poker, started for Cunning
ham and struck at him. saying that he
would kill him. Cunningham then
drew his gun and struck twice at Mea-
CHER. fhe second time he struck
Meagher the gun went off shooting the
man through the jugalar vein. Death
was almost instantaneous. Cunning
ham gave himself up to Deputy Sheriff
Davis, who placed him in jail. Coroner
Martin came from Hope, empane!sd
jury and held an inquest. The verdict
Of the jury was that Thomas Mergher
came to his death by being shot with a
pistol in the hands of Patrick Cunning
ham, the evidence leading them to be-
lieve it was accidental. After the in
quest Cunningham was placed in the
hands of special officer and liberated
from Jail.
Steamboat Tommy was a well known
character in the Panhandle country.
He acquired his title by reason of the
fact that at one time he resOrted to
honest labor as means of making a
living. This fact made him marked
man among his associates here. He
was known to have been the boss
stevadore on one of the steamers plying
on Lake Ceur dAlene. He herded the
deck hands and filled his position ae-
ceptably. He had enough of the bully
about him to hold this class of men in
control and keep them sweating. His
training acquired while herding the
steamboat roustabouts well fitted him
for the position of herding the
women of the sand Point dance house.
Having formed an entalsling alliaDe
with a woman known by the name of
Maud he gave up all inclination for
hard work and became the Ward Me
Allister of the Seattle Mug 400 Of sand
Point. He was in the employ of Gun
ningham at the time of this trouble
and led the sand Point german, which
was danced nightly at the Seattle Mug.
In his capacity of social dictator,
Steamboat Tommy was as Jealous as
his New York prototype in wedding
out of the society over which he pre-
sided, all persons whose social gualiti-
cations were not up to the standard of
the Seattle Mug. In short Tommy was
every bit as good bouncer as Ward is.
Steamboat Tommy was a fine looking
young fellow, straight as an arrow. and
he possessed the physique of an athlete.
When sober he knew how to be cour-
teous and gentlemanly, but he generally
preferred to act the bully. When drunk
he was abusive, and has been known to
Threaten to fill people with holes at
times when he had no gun on his pei
son. He was buffer, and when drunk
be was very injudicious with his
blufiing.
This tragedy has caused very little
excitement here. No one who knew
the man is surprised. The general ex-
preston of those who know Tommy's
past record is that it is surprising that
he did not strike the wrong man be-
fore this,
Patrick Cunningham who did the
shooting, is young man and aside
from the questionable business he is Ell
gagged in is a tolsrably decent fellow.