Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-03-02
JOHN ". MACKAY SHOT,
The Assailant, an Insane Man, Also
Shoots Himself.
Cir. Mackay Receives Bulletin His Back,
which Causes "a Dangerous Nunnd--The

5noolS t1ifnSeU.
MR. Maci,ay Receives Bullet in His Back,
which Causes - Dangerous Wunnd--'rhe
Rssailant u Man Over 20 Years of Age.
syn FRAScisco, Feb. 2i-'rhe life IF
John ". Maekoy was attempted to-day by
w. &. KippcY, an old man who was I'M
duubtcIly insane and who, after attempts
ing MIR. MaCkayS assassination, turnetlthe
weapon upon himself and inflicted u NOR
tai wound.
Shortly after noon, two men, one Of
them an old man, We're seen walking
through Lick alley, II passage through the
Lick House, from Sutter to Post street
Persons who noticed the two men paid no
particular attention TO them until suddenly
tWO shafts in rapid succession were fired,
and the man who had fired thGnl-thc
oldcr--wnS seen to fall near the end Of the
alley.
the other. who seemed to be wounded.
was at once helped into hIggy and
driven rapidly away, while the old man
lay bleeding and unconscious on the street.
An immense crowd ut once assembled, and
the police soon arrived. 4 patrol was
called, and the wounded man was hurried
to the Receiving Hospital, There the
doctor found the bullet had penetrated
above the heart, and had passed bacE from
under the skin, from which IL WAS eG-
tracled. At the time of the operation the
man was unsouscluus, and the wound was
pronounced fatal.
THE DYING MANS PAPERS.
There was little on the dying mans per-
son To indicate who lie was. He had in
his pocket u letter addressed to morning
paper, in which the writer stated That he
was 70 years If age Ii was signed W. c.
Rippey. There was also upon him All
envelope bearing the name Of DR.. l.. l..
l.tnpFlA "a lt, I.t.tl ftT M,
We're the words THE end is not vet"
Upon sheet Of paper under tho heading
Food for Reflection" were the words.
"i'aid Slh,h0U for one sapphire to place oil
the forehead Of his wifc-a sufficient
amount to have saved ut least five hundred
OF his victims from suicidal graves. Just
think oiit--inscribc upon his tomb"
MIR. MACkAY's woIHD NOT FATAL.
When Mr.. Mackay reached his room at
the hotel lie removed his garments without
assistance and waited for physician.
Dr. kccmcy and DR.. John T.. Morse ar
rived about the same time. After Il brief
examination they stated that the wound
was not fatal. The bullet entered under
the right shoulder blade and glanced
towards the right. II was suggested that
the physicians should delay probing for
the bullet until Mr.. Mackay became more
composed, but the wounded man insisted
NiiAt tlAh 'pSIh'lpll NC lllpNNGitA wan III
mediatcly. soon after two O'clock the
physicians extracted the bullet.
Or. Morse said that the bullet entered
below the right shoulder blade and, rang,
ing slightly to the right struck the yrrtc.
bra lodging in one of the spinOus pro-
Ceases. DR.. Morse said that the wound
was not necessarily fatal, but that his pa
tleut was by no mcatI3 ont Of danger. He
added That III cases Ut gunsliot wounda
there was always danger of blood poison
ing or lockjaw. When closely questioned
he said it was too soon to forctell the re-
suit. AT noon Mr.. AiGckav was resting
quietly.
ClNClHEATI o., Feb o5.- Westry G. Rip
pey, the man who shot John W. MaCkay
in san Francisco, was favorably known in
Cincinnati. His wife ut present lies at
deaths door at the home Of her son, w.
e. Rippcy, ,Jr., at ldlewld. Another son
lives at No. So Eastern avenue. The former
is government gauger and the latter,
William, a manufacturer Of preserved
goods on Longworth street,
Thirty years ago the father was a ship
builder here, well-known in river circles.
lie took his family to Cape Girardeau,
Mo, and soon deserted them. The boys
brought the mother back to this city,
where they have since lived.
Al long intervals they heard from their
| father out west. The last tidings came in
1887, from san Francisco Six months ago
| a letter was received from san Francisco
bank, asking information about Ripley,
who had rented a safe deposit box. Moth
ing more was heard Of the missing hus-
band and father until reporter informed
them Of Yesterdays tragic affair.
While here Rippey was regarded as
peculiar aud rcticont, but no question was
ever raised, the family say, as to his
sanity. They supposed that lie was pros
| pering in the west and would some day
come back wealthy. of late however,
they have considered him dead.
ALSO LIVED ~ DENVER.
DENVER, Con. Fen. 25.-W. G. Rippey
| who shot Millionaire Macllav at San
Francisco and then shot himself, is we'll
| known by many of the pioneers If Denver
| ltippey came to Denver in 1880 or 1861
! from Virginia, and was fairly well OIL He
| followed the business of trading in fast
horses. In 1874 Rippey first met Mackay
| Mr.. Mackay WAS then in Denver and the
| two we're introduced to each other. This
| fact is denial of the report from San
| Francisco that Mr.. Mackay does not
know his assalant. Ripley left Denver
1 in IS.