Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-03-31
PANIC ON A STEAMER
One Man Chases Another With
a Revolver.
SLEEPING PASSENGERS AROUSED
An Englishmau Tries to Commit Suicide
But is Prevented BY His Roommate

Men Ran About the Boat Half Dress ID
Women Screamed and Could Not be
| ApPeased Until Assured that Nothing
seri0uH Had Happened-The wOuId-be
Suicides Nerve Failed Him at the Last
MOment-Stck and Out of Work.
NEW YORK, March "a. - When the
Sound steamer Plymouth was passing
Fort Schuyler on her way to New York
| from Boston in the morning at $3.50
O'Clock the passengers were awakened by
the report of two pistol shots in rapid
succession. In an instant the boat was
in an uproar, and men half dressed were
| running about the deck in the cool
morning air to find out what had hap
pened.
Women screamed and wonld not be
appeased until the officers of the boat
had explained that nothing serious had
happened.
The sight that met the eyes of the men
did not tend to allay their fears. They
saw two men running round the deck.
Both were without their outer cloth
ing: An elderly man was running and
pursuing him was a younger man with
a smoking revolver in his hand.
The officers and passengers started in
pursuit of them. The man with the
pistol was overhauled and the weapon
taken from him, while the other man
ran back to his stateroom.
An immediate investigation was insti-
tuted. The prisoner, it was found, was
young Englishman named Arthur J.
Howson, OF No. 100 Harrison street.
Boston. The other man was Anton Ken
nedy, also of Boston. Both occupied the
same stat Groom.
This is Mr.. Kennedy's story: 'When
the boat left her Boston pier found Mr.
Howson already occupying his share of
the stateroom. l babe him good after
noon,' and he replied pleasantly. After,
dinner he went to the cabin and was ell.
gagged for long time in writing a letter
At times he would burst out crying, and
felt sorry for him. About 10 o'clock
we both turned into our hunks, but
before going to sleep 1 asked him if he
was in trouble, He said that he was
Respondent, as he had for long time
suffered ill-health and had lost his posi-
ton as travelling salesman for a whole
sale clothing house at Boston and that
he intended to commit suicide. ad-
vised him against doing anything so
foolish, and he handed me a letter ad-
dressed to F. P. Ritter, Whilford Block,
Waltham, Mass. The envelope was
stamped. 1 told him 1 would help him
and, thinking that with that assurance
he would go to sleep, myself sought
Morpheus. 1 slept until about 3:15.
II awoke with an uneasy feeling as if
some evil were impending I then no.
t1ced my room companion sitting up in
his berth with u large revolver in his
hand.
''He said, am going to do it now, so
here goes
IF told him not to, and got up in or
der that L might get my checkbook from
under my pillow. l wrote out a check
for 500, and was just handing it to him
when the pistol went off The bullet
crashed drought the partition over his
head. Another shot followed it. and |,
thinking discretion the better part of
valor, went out in the main passage
way. Howson soon followed, and say
ing, Don't be afraid, won't hurt you
walked toward me, but did not care to
get too close to him. l walked around
the deck and he followed until he was
placed under arrest by the officers of the
ship. There was great excitement on
board for some time, but it soon sub
sided.'
Howson was arraigned before Justice
in the Tombs Police Court. He said that
he intended to commit suicide, but at the
last momenr his nerve failed him. The
reason he wanted to kill himself was
that he had been sick and was out of
position. He held his hands to his face
and cried. The letter was opened and
was read in court It was merely a re-
cital of his ills and said that he did not
want to bring disgrace upoo his friends
or upon Wilbur Lodge, F. and A. NJ.