Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-06-22

enth district, was saloon keeper and
professional gambler. For many years
he kept the Compton House. the i'll re-
pute of which extended over the whole
city. His reputation as professional
gambler is that of oneof the best known
men in the profession He began his po-
litical life by committing a murder in q
gambling house at Twenty-eighth street
and Broadway, where pools were being
sold on an election. While Donohue,
his victim, was passing through TWEEN
ty-third street. at the corner of Third
avenue, one nighs he was approached by
a man believed to be John ScaApell. He
was tall. thin man, precisely like Scan
nell in appearance. and was disguised in
wig and SLOUGH hat As Donohue and
his friends approached the man he drew
a revolver lad fred. The bullet struck
Donohue in the body, passing through a
rib and lodging in the back without do
ing him any serious injury.
John Scannell disappeared the same
night, and nothing was seen of him for
nearly year. About two years later
6cannell met Tom Donohue in a pool
room in the basement at the northwest
corner Of Twenty-eighth street aud
Broadway and killed him by firing five
/ bullets into him. AT the first shot Don
ohue fell to the ground, but Scannell
fred the remaining four shots from his
| pistol into the PROSTATE mans body.
Donohue died instantly. Scannell was
arrested and tried about two years after
ward. He was acquitted Of the murder
on the ground Of emotional insanity and
sent to the lunatic asylum, from which
he was discharged at the end Of five or
six months. Scannell has been a very
prosperous gambler, being a partner Of
John DAILY. and is reputed to have accu-
mulated a fortune. He was a candidate
for the Office of fire commissioner, the
basis of his candidacy being, according
to current gossip, the fact that he had
raised $4,000 among the gamblers for
Grants campaign. Scannells personal
contribution to the campaign fund was
check for $1,000.
"His prominence in Tammany Hall
politics is due to the friendship of Dick
Croker and Ed Stokes, which he secured
under peculiar circumstances. The
three men were all confined in the
Tombs at the same time-1S74-eac
awaiting trial for murder Croker was
innocent of the crime imputed to him,
but Scannell and Stokes were both
guilty. The last named was the slayer
of Jim Fisk and was at one time under
sentence of death for his crime. The
friendship contracted under these ex-
traordinary circumstances has welded
more or less powerful influence in Tam
many Hall ever SINCE"
THE VALUE OF A ''PULL."
Second-We see the fact in the de-
bauchery of our courts of justice in our
cities. About all certain grade of our
courts in this city and in other great
cities are good for is in working various
pulls. Some time ago in this city man
was arrested charged with felonious
assault, the penalty of which was seven
years in the penitentiary. He was put
in JAIL and evidence was manufactured
sufficient to convict him. But for the
intervention of friend who had money
enough to hire lawyer and prevent the
infamy from being consummated the
man would have been sent to the peniten-
tiary for crime committed by another
man while he was at home with his
family. And this job was put up through |
the influence of court officers.
A young man came to see me a short |
time ago who told me that he was ar
rested ON Saturday night ON a false
charge, and ON Monday night he was in
the penitentiary ON Blackwells island |
wearing striped clothes. He had wife |
in this city, but she was prevented from
holding any communication with him,
though he sent kilograms to her from the |
prison. Every statement made by this !
young man have found to be true.
When from this pulpit last June / |
denounced the infamy of the reappoint-
ment of Joseph Koch to the board of ex-
else, it was the easiest thing in the
world for Mr.. Koch to consult pal on |
the judges bench. secure warrant for I
my arrest-though he knew every word +
said was true-and to compel my at /
tendance from day to day at the Jeffer-
son Market police court, extending over
a period of two weeks, during which
time it was necessary to have bondsmen
and witnesses waiting at the court. The
court was absolutely. from the judge to
the scullion who swept the room, at the /
of Mr.. KOCH Its whole ma
chinery was used for the purpose of per-
sonal annoyance toward me. Mr.. Grady
from the bench acted both as judge and
attorney in behalf of his friend Koch.
When the farce was closed at the JEFF
ferson Market, the return was sent to
the court of sessions. Here it was placed
in the hands of another minion Of Tam
many Hall, who drew the bill of indict-
ment in the shortest space of time, and
in "a hours had pushed aside over 1000
other cases pending, and by personal
canvass of the grand jury, which had
been packed for a purpose best known to
the leaders of Tammany Hall, my in