The Worthington advance., 1893-03-02
SHOT DOWN.

SHOT DOWN.
An Old Nan, DsrangsA BY His L.sseee q
Mining Hpeculstion, Attsmpts she lisa
o1 John ". Aackay, the Faaaous .sBo-
Daass KinR"-He shoots Rin d the
Back oa . san Francisco street anA
Thsn Attenpts suicids-Hs WIN Frsb.
ably Die, Willie His victin lLay Re
cover. H.
SAN FRANCIsco, Feb. e5-John w.
Mackay, the famous Bonanza million
aire and president of tho Postal Tel
egraph company. lies in bed 1t the
Palace hotel with . bullet hole In his
back just below tho shoulder blade.
w. C. Rippey, the man who shot him,
is at the receiving hospital with : bull
let wound In his chest, self-inflictad
and probably mortal. 1t was q case OF
attempted assassination. The intended
victim will surely recover and the
shooter will almost as surely die.
There is only one conclusion "A to
the motive. and that is that Rippev
was practically insane through losses
in mines and mining stocks, and that
his mania, assuming the homicidal
form. was directed against John Mackay
as the author of his misfortunes.
The shooting occurred in the paved
court back of the Lick house, which
runs from Sutter to Post street. be-
tween Montgomery and Kearney. A
white-haired man was noticed walking
around Sutter street acting very
nervously during the early por-
tion of the morning, throwing his
hand back toward his hip pocket
1t is the custom of John w.
Mackay to come about noon time
every day to the jewelry store at the
corner of Sutter street and Lick allev
to compare the time of day, and he is
always very prompt. AS Mackay
reached the end of the alley nearest Sut-
ter street and was a few feet away
from where the old man was standing
the latter pulled out his revolver and
fred one shot. The bullet struck
Mackay in the middle of the back.
After firing the shot the would-be
murderer then supplemented his crime
by turning the pistol on himself and
firing shot into his own body. The
self-inflicted wound was serious, but
as long as he could walk he followed
Mackey up, trying to fire at him again,
but he was so weak that he could not
pull the trigger of the pistol. He then
threw up his hands, exclaiming: my
God! am satisfied
Mackay put his hand behind his
back and some one raised his coat. As
he drew his hand out it was covered
with blood, and he exclaimed to one of
his friends that the shot had taken ef-
feet in the middle of his back.
Mackay was placed in buggy
and taken to the Palace hotel, where
medical attendance was rendered
him. Mackay's assailant was taken to
the city receiving hospital.
Soon after o'clock the physicians
extracted tho bullet DR. John F.
Morse, who performed the operation
in conjunction with DR.. Keeney, said
that the bullet entered below the
right shoulder blade, and, rang
ing slightly to the right, struck
the vertebr@ and lodged in one
of the spinous processes. DR..
Morse said that the wound was
not necessarily fatal, but that the
patient was by no means out of danger
Mackay was about the coolest man
in San Francisco. After being ex-
amined by the surgeon he walked
about his apartments talking with
friends. He said he did not know the
man who shot him or why he did it.
He supposed he was some crank.
Mackay said he was going into
the jewelry store to compare his
watch with q chronometer when he
heard the report and felt the sting of
the bullet in his back. He turned and
saw the old white-haired man, whom
he failed to recognize, with revolver
pointed at him. He walked out into
the street and the man turned the
weapon to his own breast, fred, and
fell to the ground.
The old man who did the shooting
was taken TO the receiving hospital in
a patrol wagon. The man was con-
scious, but could not articulate. The
patient was placed on an operating
table when blood was seen to ooze
through his clothing about the
upper portion of his body, Further
examination revealed that the bullet
having entered his left breast had
passed through the trunk, coming out
just below tho left shoulder. blade.
The bullet was found just under the
chin. The patient was apparently
about 70 years Of age, with white hair
and close.cut white beard. In his pam
falcons left-hand pocket was found
. forty-eight-caliber revolver of
the bulldog pattern and all the cart.
ridges intact; also in his pocket was q
purse containing twenty cents, and an
envelope containing paper. on which
was written: "Dr: !. r. Linton, Palace
hotel-End not yet''
A letter addressed to tho Examiner
read as follows:
"Food for reflection. Paid e150,OO0 for .
sapphire to place on the jaded person OF his wife,
sufacient amount to have saved 500 of his
paupers from suicidal grave Just think of it.
1nscribe it on his tomb"
William c. Rippcy was we'll known
to old-timers in San Francisco and was
a familiar figure around 1920 Powell
street, where he made his home. Every
body knew him and considered him q
harmless old man. From people in the
house it was learned that the old man
had been very respondent of late, and
that nearly all his means had been
swallowed mp in stock speculations.
Mackay is the richest man on the coast.
His fortune is variously estimated at
$50, o0o, 600 to $50, 900, 600. Mrs Mackay,
his wife, is famous all over Europe in a
social way and on account of the royal
manner in which she entertains.
HIS PRIVATE SECRETARY.
President-Eloct Cleveland Selects . PART
ner of Don NJ. Dickinson for the Place.
DETROIT. Mich, Feb. 25.--Henry T.
Thurber, of the law firm of Dickinson,
Thurber & Stevenson, has been notified
that he has been appointed private
secretary by Mr.. Cleveland. He is 80
ears of age, q graduate of Michigan
university, and classmate of Hon.