The evening world., 1893-10-12
HUNTIAG MURDERER.
Felix Rooney Killed His Father a
Dozen Years Ago.
Ne Escaped tho Police, Who Have
Just Found u Ciue.

The story of a police hunt for a muir
derer who has evaded capture for more
than a dozen years was revealed at
Police Headquarters to-day.
Thomas Rooney was II sweeper in the
Street = Cleaning Department. The
Rooney family lived in the tenement
<O7 West T%hirty-ninth street. on Christ
mas Day, 1880, there was a %carousa
IN the Rooney fat and a general row, in
which all the Rooneys took u 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
. drunken frenzy.
There was no suspicion OF murder at
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
could not be found, but s~ubseauently
an old pair OF shears. besmirched with
blood. was discovered in the fireplace:
The family said the old man had killed
The old man was buried. His son
Felix attended the funeral, but held
aloof from the CONN. The next day
Two months after the old mans death
the Rooneys had a general row among
themselves. Joseph and Matthew Roo;
ney; brothers of Felix, ,nuarr"l!"d. end
as the murderer of his father.
Capt. Washburne. then III OF
the West Thirty-seventh street station.
arrested the entire ( family. Al the Cor
nnarfc tnnlaGf the Gtnsv ar shn n~.rlfr
came out.
According to the ~cviicn.e loscrh Foo
ney wanted to give his 'ithsr 4 beating.
The women folks nut Joseph ont o. the
house. The old man had become furi-
F Fell anu 'e'A'"s N"''e' male LOT
Felix grabbed a razor and drew 1t
Julia witnessed the crime.
Matthew wanted to make Vt OUT a
suicide. and tried to get a knife from
his mother and sister to place heir the
body. Finally he got the sneirs and
put them in the fireplace as Il proof of
After the funeral Mrs. Bridget Rooney
with her curse.
Felix went down to the house Of his
brother-in-law. Michael O'Halloran. in
When the police got on his track they
learned that after. he left the city he
followed the cana towpath. He 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.
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
OF the murder.
weeks ago the Captain was sitting in
his office at the Eidridge street station
when a man called there and told him
he. knew where Felix Rooney was. He
said he had just left Felix In the lodg-
tng-house at 20 Bowery. Felix, he said,
had robbed him of some money.
Capt. avery and Detective Foley
searched the place from top to bottom
for the murderer. They could find no
trace OF him. however, but the man who
brought 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.
The Captain md his detectives searched
every nook ana corner, but without
success. There is 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.