Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-03-04
SHOT DOWN..

nan.a King"-He shoots Him In this
Back on San Francisco street and
Then Attempts Suicide-He VIII Prob.
ably Die, While His Victim May Ro'
san FRANCISCO, Feb. 25.-John w.
Mackay, the famous Bonanza million.
aire and president of the Postal Tel
egraph company, lies in bed at the
Palace hotel with bullet hole in his
back just below the shoulder blade
w. c. Rippey, the man who shot him,
is at the receiving hospital with bull.
let wound in his chest, self-inflicted
and probably mortal 1t was case OF
attempted assassination. The intended
victim will surely recover and the
shooter will almost as surely die.
There is only one conclusion as to
the motive, and that is that Rippey
was practically insane through losses
in mines and mining stocks, and that
his mania, assuming the homicidal
form, was directed against ohm MaclSay
as the author of his misfortunes.
The shooting occurred in the paved
court back of the Lick house, which
runs from Sutter to Post street, be.
tween Montgomery and Kearney. A
white-haired man was noticed walking
around Sutter street acting very
nervously during the early por.
tion of the morning, throwing his
hand back toward his hip pocket
1t is the custom of John w.
Mackay to come about noon time
every day to the jewelry store at the
corner of Sutter street and Lick alley
to compare the time of day, and he is
always very prompt. AS Mackay
reached the end of the alley nearest Sut-
ter street and was a few feet away
from where the old man was standing
the latter pulled out his revolver and
fired one shot. The bullet struck
Mackay in the middle of the back.
After firing the shot the would-be
murderer then supplemented his crime
by turning the pistol on himself and
firing shot into his own body. The
self-inflicted wound was serious, but
as long as he could walk he followed
Mackey up, trying to fire at him again.
but he was so weak that he could not
pull the trigger of the pistol. He then
threw up his hands, exclaiming: my
God! / am satisfied
Mackay put his hand behind his
y back and some one raised his coat. AS
nc uTeW MS OuS IL was cONeTeu
with blood, and he exclaimed to one of
his friends that the shot had taken eff
feet in the middle of his back.
Mackay was placed in buggy
and taken to the Palace hotel. where
medical attendance was rendered
him. MaclSay's assailant was taken to
the city receiving hospital.
Soon after . o'clock the physicians
extracted the bullet. DR. John Il.
Morse, who performed the operation
in conjunction with DR.. Keeney, said
that the bullet entered below the
right shoulder blade, and, rang
ing slightly to the right, struck
the vertebrm and lodged in one
of the spinous processes. DR..
Morse said that the wound was
not necessarily fatal, but that the
patient was by no means out of danger
Maclxay was about the coolest man
in San Francisco. After being ex-
amined by the surgeon he walked
about his apartments talking with
friends. He said he did not know the
man who shot him or why he did it.
He supposed he was some crank.
Mackay said he was going into
the jewelry store to compare his
watch with chronometer when he
heard the report and felt the sting OF
the bullet in his back. He turned and
saw the old white-haired man, whom
he failed to recognize, with revolver
pointed at him. He walked out into
the street and the man turned the
weapon to his own breast, fired, and
|, fell to the ground.
The old man who did the shooting
was taken to the receiving hospital in
patrol wagon. The man was con,
bcious, but could not articulate. The
patient was placed on an operating
table when blood was seen to ooze
through his clothing about the
upper portion of his body, Further
examination revealed that the bullet
having entered his left breast hat
passed through the trunk, coming on
just below the left shoulder blade
The bullet was found just under tn,
chin. The patient was apparently
!, about 20 years of age, with white hai
and close.cut white beard. In his pan
falcons left-hand pocket was foune
forty-eight-caliber revolver o
the bulldog pattern and all the cart
ridges intact; also in his pocket was
puioC SoueaihhhS p"Shey SSheS, Civ oa
envelope containing paper. on which
was written: "Dr. l. r. Linton, Palac,
hotel-End not yet"
A letter addressed to the Examine
read as follows:
Food for reflection. Paid sl50,0O0 for
sapphire to place on the iaded person of his wife
A sufficient amount to have saved 500 of hi
paupers from q suicidal grave Just think OF II
1nscribc 1t on his tomb"
William C. Rippcy was we'll know
to old timers in San Francisco and wa
. familiar figure around 1920 Powell
street, where he made his home. Every
body knew him and considered him
harmless old man. From people in tn
house it was learned that the old ma
had been very respondent of late, an
that nearly all his means had bee
swallowed up in stock speculations.
Mackay is the richest man on the coast