Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-02-25
Attempted Assassination and Suicide.

by w. G. Rippey, an old man who was
undoubtedly insane, and who, after at
tempting Mr.. Mackay's assassination,
turned the weapon upon himself and
inflicted a mortal wound.
Shortly after noon two men, one of
them an old man, were seen walking
through Lick alley-a passage through
the Lick House-from Suffer to Post
street. Persons who noticed the two
men paid no particular attention TO
them, until suddenly two shots in
rapid succession were fired, and the
man who had fired them-the older
was seen to fall near the end of the al
ley. The other, who seemed TO be
wounded, was at once helped into a
buggy and driven rapidly away, while
the old man lay bleeding and uncon-
scious on the street. An immense
crowd at once assembled, and the po-
lice soon arrived. A patrol wagon Was
called. and the wounded man was
hurried to the Receiving Hospital.
There the doctor found that the sui
cidal bullet had penetrated above the
heart and had passed through the back,
from under the skin of which it was
extracted The wound was pronounc-
ed not fatal.
At the time of the operation the man
was unconscious and pulseless, and the
wound was pronounced fatal. There
was little on the dying mans person to
indicate who he was. He had in his
pocketa letter addressed 10 Il morning
paper, in which the writer stated that
he was seventy-three years OF age. 1t
was signed w. C. Rippey. There was
also upon him an envelope bearing the
name of DR.. l.. l.. Lincoln. On the
back of the envelope were the words;
1.-The end is not yet" Upon sheet Of
paper, under the heading, Food for
Reflection" were the following words :
paid $150,000 for one sapphire, 20
place on the forehead OF his wife-a
sufficient amount to have saved at least
five hundred of his victims from suici-
dial graves, Just think of it Inscribe
upon his tomb"
When Mr.. Mackay reached his room
at the hotel, he removed his garments
without assistance, and waited for a
physician.
DIR. Keeney and DR.. John F. Morse
arrived about the same time, After
brief examination, they stated that the
wound was not fatal The bullet en-
tered under the right shoulder blade,
and glanced toward the right. 1t was
suggested that physicians delay probing
for the bullet until Mr.. Mackay became
more composed, but the wounded man
insisted that the operation should be
proceeded with Immediately. Soon af-
ter two o'clock the physicians extracted
the bullet.
Mackay's statement of the affair is as
follows: 81 was walking down Suffer
street, bound for my room to pack my
valise, as intended to go to Virginia
City in the afternoon. When | reached
Lick alley | thought it would be q short
cut TO the hotel. had hardly taken
two steps into Lick alley when | heard
pistol shot. j paused for moment,
rather startled, for l had not seen any
one in the alley when entered it, and
did not at first know in which direction
the report Of the pistol came. Sudden
ly voice exclaimed Mr.. Mackay, you
have been shot, and looking up ! saw
the gentleman who brought me to my
room-Mr Bonner-on the other side
of the alley.
''No. | am not shot," I replied.
eyes, you arc he insisted, for saw
dust fly from your coat when the bullet
struck YOU"
~ put my hand around under my
coat and SIRE enourh when | looked
at my hand it was covered with blood.
| then felt pain in my back. 1t all
happened in u second, and, turning half
way around, saw my assailant stand
ing at the head of the alley, with his
pistol pointed at me. / then hurried
across to the east side of the alley, and
as did so saw the old man put the
pistol, rs thought, to his mouth, and
fire it again. He then reeled and fell,
and | continued up the alley until we
reached Mr.. Bonner's cart, and he drove
me to the hotel"
When Mr.. Mackay was asked if he
knew the man who had shot him, he
said: II never knew of man named
Rippey. had good look at the old
man who shot me, and | am certain !
DO not know him. / cannot give any
reason for the assault"
The assassin was born in Cincinnati,
Ohio, and leaves a wife and family
there. At one time he was worth over
100000. He made about $4,000 on
the Comstock. He went to San Fran
cisco and began gambling in stocks.
His money soon began to go, and then
he opened cash grocery story. That
venture failed, and about four years
ago he was running the bar and dining
room on the steamer which plies be-
tween San Francisco and Stockton. At
one time he lived in Denver and own
ed considerable property, but it also
wenti in his stock speculations. latter
ly the old man was almost without
means, and was in very respondent
frame of mind. He knew almost all
the old-timers in California. When no
one else could identify, old man Rippey
was called upon, and he generally sue
ceeded Two weeks ago he identified
!, man named Maloney who jumped off
the wharf. Maloney was an old friend
of Rippcy and, like him, had lost
every cent he ever had in stocks. Ma
loney and Rippey were rich men in old
days, and both committed suicide from
the same cause.
John w. 1Iackay was born in Dub
lin, Ireland, November 20, 1881, and
was there educated. He came to the
United States in 1850, and engaged
with commercial house in Boston. Two
wears later the attractions of the Cali
fornia gold field took him to that State.
uo had many ms and downs and had