The evening world., 1893-10-12
HUAT|hG FOR A MURDERER.
Felix Rooney Killed His Father a
Dozen Years Ago.
He Escaped the Police, Who Have
Just Found a Clue.

The story of n police hunt for n muir
derer who has evaded capture for more
h n a dozen years was revealed Mt
Police Headquarters to-day.
Thomas Rooney was n sweeper in the
Street = Cleaning Department. The
Rooney family lived in the tenement
4o7 West Thirty-ninth street. On Christ
mas Day, 1880, there was n carousnl
IN the Rooney fiat and a general row. in
which all the Rooneys took n hand.
After 1t was all over the old man
was found dead on the floor with his
throat cut. When the police came they
were told that he had taken his life in
q drunken frenzy.
There was no suspicion OF murder Mt
the time, although there were evidences
of a struggle in the room.
Old man Rooney's body was stretched
across the floor. His head was lying
in a pool of blood A pail of coal was
scattered around the room.
At first the weapon with which he
was supposed to have killed himself
could not be found. but subsequently
an old pair OF shears. besmirched with
blood, was discovered I'm the Fireplace.
The family said the old man had killed
himself with the shears;
The old man was buried. His son
Felx ATTENDED the IuneTai, Dut. helu
s alter the irem Funeral . e e GeKx dis nns nfei Jay
Two months after the old mans death
the Rooneys had a general row among
ney, brothers of Felix. .nuarrcl!cd, end
finally Matthews wife denounced Felix
as the murderer of his father.
Capt. Washburne, then in OF
the West Thirty-seventh street station,
arrested the entire family. NJ the Cor
oner's inquest the story OF the murder
came out.
According to the evidence Joseph Roo
ney wanted to give his father A beating.
The women folks nut Joseph out o. the
house. The old nan had become furi-
Gus, and. SELLING a knife, male for
Felix grabbed n razor and drew 1t
across his fathers throat. His sister
Julia witnessed the crime.
Matthew wanted to make Vt out n
suicide, and tried to get a knife from
his, mother and sister to place hear the
body. Finally he got the sneirs and
put them In the fireplace ms u proof of
After the funeral Mrs. Bridget Rooney
gave Felix 80 cents and sent him away
Felix went down to the house OF his
brother-in-law. Michael O'Halloran, In
Mott street, not far from Police Head
quarters, where he was In hiding several
When the police got on his track they
learned that after, he left the city he
followed the canal tOWpatn. lie was
traced to Trenton. and from one State
to another. but managed to elude his
pursuers all the time.
A year after the murder Felix came
in in a wildcat schooner from the brick
| yards up the Hudson. The police were
put on. hts track. but the schooner had
sailed before they got to the dock where
h had been.
J On another occasion Felix returned to
the city and spent a whole night at his
mothers house. He had a narrow es-
cape from being caught then.
| A third time he came to the city and
: eluded the police.
Capt. Devery was a roundsman in the
Thirty-seventh street station at the time
I OF the murder.
One night between two and three
, weeks g the Captain was sitting In
his office at the Eldridge street station
when a nan called there and told him
he knew where Felix Rooney was. He
eaid, he had Just left Felix In the lodg.
t~ng-house at 20 Bowery. Felix, he said
had robbed him Of some money.
Captl LAevery and Detective Foley
made haste around to 20 Bowery and
feearched the place from top to bottom
for the murderer. They could find no
trace OF him, however, but the man who
drought the information insisted that
Felix was around there somewhere.
Capt. Devery sent out his reserves.
They spent the night going through
all the lodging houses in the Bowery.
every nook and corner. but without
success. There In a strong probability
that Rooney is still hiding within the
limits of the city.
All the ferries and railroad depots are
closely watched for him.