The evening world., 1893-10-12
HUNTING FOR MURDERER.
Felix Rooney Killed His Father a
Dozen Years Ago.
He Escaped the Police. Who Have
Just Found n Clue.

Tho story Of a police hunt for a muir
than a dozen years was revealed at
Police Headquarters to-day.
Thomas Rooney was "A sweeper in the
street = Cleaning Department. The
Rooney family lived in the tenement
i7 West Thirty-ninth street. on Christ
mas Day. 1897. there was a carousrl
~ the Rooney fiat and a general row, in
which all tho ROoneys took "A hand.
After 1t was all over the old man
was found dead on the ioor with his
throat cut. when the police came they
were told that he had taken his life in
"A drunken frenzy.
There was no suspicion OF murder at
the time. although there were evidences
Of "A struggle in the room.
Oh man Rooney's body was stretched
across the floor. His lead was lying
in Il pool of blood. a pail of coal was
scattered around the room.
At first the weapon with which he
vas supposed 10 nave killed himself
could not he found. but subsequently
az old pair OF shears. besmirched with
blood. was discovered in tn" Fireplace.
The family said the old man had killed
himself with the shears,
The old man was buried. His son
r",,S at,shutn lnc iut"rhl, but enc
after tn. funeral Felix disappeared.
Two months after the old man y death
the Ro2neys had q general row among
ney, brothers of Felix. .ruarr"''"d.. sLd
finally Matthew's wife denounced Felix
as the murderer Of his father.
Capt. Waghburne, then IN of
the West ~Thirty-seventh street station,
arrested the entire family ~ the Cor
ontr's inquest the story Of me murder
came ont.
According TO the evidence Ioscrh Roo
ney wanted to give mis- 'itn.r d beating.
The women folks nut Joseph oit OF The
house. The Old man had become fGri-
Felix.
Felix grabbed a razor md drew 1t
across his fathers throat. His sister
Julia witnessed the crime.
Matthew wanted to make Vt cut a
suicide. and tried to get a knife from
MS, mother and sister to place hc1r The
body. Finally he rot the snsirs and
put them In the fireplace AS II proof OF
suicide.
After the funeral Mrs. Bridget Rooney
gave Felix so cents and sent him away
Felix went down to the house Of his
brother-ir-law, Michael O'Halloran. in
Mott street, not far from Police Head
quarters. where he was in hiding several
nights.
When the police got on his track they
learned that after ,he left the city he
Followed the canal oWpath He was
traced to Trenton. and from one State
pursuers all the time. w. "'
a year after the murder Felix came
In in a wildcat schooner from the brick
yards up the Hudson. The police were
put on his track. but the schooner had
sailed before they got to the dock where
she 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.
one night between two and three
weeks ago the Captain was sitting in
his office at the Eldridge 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-
~ing-house at 20 Rowery. Felix. he said,
had robbed him of some money.
Capt. Devery and detective Foley
made haste around to 90 Bowery and
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 and his detectives searched
every nook ana corner, but without
that Rooney is still hiding within the
limits of the city.
All the ferries and railroad depots are
closely watched for him