New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-10
PART II.
PAGES II TO IL.
WHO KILLED ROBERT LYONSi
THE TRIAL OF MICHAEL sLr,EY BEGUN.
CONTRADICTORY CONFESSIONS OF THE PRISONER
-FOUR WITNESSES EXAMINED.


-FOUR WITNESSES EXAMINED.
The trial on an indictment for murder In the nrse
degree OF Michael T. sney for killing Robert Lyons
On the afternoon OF November o5 last was begun be-
fore Justice ngraam and jury In the Court OF Oyer
and Ter1niner yesterday The jury had been secured
the day before The case Is peculiar one and has
attracted a good deal OF attention from the police.
slney ~as n warm friend OF the dead man, ana.
although he was arrested for the crime soon after the
murder was committed he was exonerated by tno
Coroners Jury. lie kept In custody. howev@'
and his subsequent action added To the mystery.
While sliney was in the Tombs he made confessAon
In which he declared that he had seen Robert killed
by his brother, "Jm' Lyons. The two had Deem
Quarrelling Slney declared, and Jim seized heavy
meat ceaver and struck his brother with It, inc
crime WIS committed In the butcher shop owned by
the father OF the boys,
Soon after the first confession sllney madc another
In which be asserted that there had been conspiracy
between James and himself to kill Robert. "Jim'
was to have the management OF the shop and tho
prisOher was to receive 5000 In cash. This second
confession not satisfactory to Inspector Byfnes
and he got another from Sliney In which he COM
petely exonerated James Lyons and said that he had
killed Bob himself but ne asserted that the deco
was done in defence. james Lyons was arrested
on the strength OF Sllneys first confession and he H.
still in the TOmbs.
Assistant District-Attoney Welman opened the
case the people and after making his opening ad
dress to the jury he called Mrs Lyons, the mother or
James and Robert. to the stand. Mrs. Lyons told
The jury that on the day on which the murder was
committed she saw sliney In the shop leaning against
some barrels The witness called to the boy ironisch.
who worked in the shop, to bring her some coal ana
siney called back that the boy had gone to the prese
with a note. Soon after that Robert came staggering
into the room with his apron all covered with BLOOD
His throat side and he died soon AFTER
ward Mrs. Lyons testified that she saw sliney after
be had been arrested and he said to her.
"was 1t me, Mrs. LyOnsl'
To which she replied
ats you You've done murder. 1t was my boys
dying words.'
On cross examination the witness could not recon-
Gle the two stories, which she had told before
the Coroner's Jury that she had not seen snney In
the shop and that she only heard him speak, and the
statement which she made yesterday that she had
seen the prisoner.
Deputy Coroner Donlin Illustrated for the benefit
Of the jury the nature and the position OF the wound
Nellie Burt, seven ear-od GIRL testified that she
went into the butcher shop to get some meat on the
day OF the murder and Robert and Siney in there.
She observed Sliney handling the clever. When she
returned later the day Robert Lyons was lying on
the floor dead.
Frank Hronisch, the boy who was sent with q note
to Father Kean, was the first witness called alter
recess He first told about being In the butcher shop
on saturday November 81, when Mrs. Lyons tho
mother Of James and Robert, said to James
al will see that you will get into the store to-
morrow have told Robert to let you in and II he
does not let you in l will sell the business
james replied that he would get In next week.
The witness told Robert what his mother had saA
and Robert replied:
I" In case anything happens to me you know whas
mother and brother sa,d'
On the following Tuesday the father Martin Lyons
come into the store drunk, the wttress said. Mrs.
Lyons came In and knocked her husband down. After
he got mp he told Robert what Mrs. Lyons bad done
and then she struck Robert. Mnrtin got up and tried
10 strike his wife, She seized steel, which RobeN
tDok away and then he struck his mother, knocking
her down. The mother declared at the time that she
would tell Jim and have him :" fix" Robert. The
witness had Slney In the store several days prior
to the day which the murder was committed. On
the day of the murder Slncy there at AS In the
morning and remained for q short time. lie and the
dead man seemed friendly. few minutes before
4 o'clock Sliney came back again and asked II the
witness could go on an GRAND for him. siney spoke
TO Robert and they went out together and had drink.
Robert came back first and Sliney went TO his own
house. Robert went out again and girl came In to
buy some chops Robert came in again within few
minutes and slney was right behind him. As Robert
was giving the girl her change Sliney stood at the
ohopping block with the cleaver In both hands. Rob
ert gave the witness piece OF paper and told him
to take 1t to Father Kean. He took the paper TO st.
JaHess ChuNh ana gave IL " seiN"'i'' i'c TO
turned In fifteen twenty minutes and saw the am
buance before the door. james Lyons opened the
door for him. Detective Stapeton there and
told him to go back and get the note. He went and
brought 1t back. This note purported to be signed
by Father Kean and the priest has declared that he
never wrote 1t. The boy said that James Lyons
called him into the store that night and told him to
tell the people at the police station that red fnced
man had called and handed the note to Robert II
he would this and say that James had been work
tpO d. he
that James had promised that he would give him $500.
The witness declared that he had heard James Lyons
crying In the dark night and had heard him ex-
claim:
..oh God couldn't help 1t. had to do it last
night
Then he heard q man tell him to keep snn. The
witness told how James had urged him to stick to his
story and how he had threatened to =" fix him II he
did not. .
Several policemen were called and testified to the
arrest OF Siney and what he had said and then the
case was adjourned until this morning.