New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-07
A REPUBLICAN WATCHER KILLED AND
TWO OTHER MEN INJURED.
WJNTON BCTCHERY At THE POLLS
ROBERT ROSS KNOCKED DOWN AND SHOT BY
MISREPRESENTATION ROSS. HIS BROTHER
LIKELY TO DIE-OUTRAGEOUS con-
DUCT OF THE POLICE
MoLLOY's FRAUDULENT
Inv TELEGRAPH 40 THE TRIBUSE.l
PLURALITY.

believing that his warm personal frlehd' fd"aru
Murphy. jr, had succeeded in elect!ng his man
Francis j. Molloy Mayor Of this city by
plurality OF about LOCO.
He also had the satisfaction OF knowing that
this result was brought about through murder
intimidation or fraud, the responsibility Tor
which. IN a considerable measure. he must
shoulder.
Because Of his peevish qubbling over a techni-
cal defect in the measure which passed both
branches Of the Legislature providing for non
partisan board Of election inspectors, repeating
OF the boldest and most audacious klnd was
resortcd 10 by the followers OF Murphy To swell
the Mollov vote Knowing that the one Republi-
can inspector would he powerless to keep their
ballots out Of the box they went from polling
place to polling place and. with the orazen
effrontcry Of Troy tough brought up IN the
Murphy school. voted many times as they
pleased.
An effort to prevent this at one polling place
resulted IN the murder OF one Republican ana
the serious woundlng Of another. his brother
while one of the thugs who did the shooting
also resolved a bullet wound in the head. TO
say tina, the reputable people Of this city are
aroused does not do justice to their feelings
M.RprR WITHOUT APPARENT CAUSE.
The murder was a most cruel and dastardly
one. committed without apparent cause ana by
one q gang of thugs which started out carry
I'm the day with the purpose OF swelling the
Murphv-NfolIoy vote at all hazards. They knew
TIM, th, chief Executive OF this State had re-
fused - uu, his signature to a bill which would
have made repeating impossible. and believer
ale, that behind them was the power Of the
Junior United States Senator. the chairman ot
the Democratic State Committee. who mas
reputation. unlike that OF Police Justice Diver.
OF Ncw-Yorb city. ~ sticking by those who
get into trouble on his account.
Fraud and repeating had been going on to-day
NJ almost all Of tie polling places without
check The police are all Murphy men. ana
they openly aided the repcnters In their nefarious
worA Things got 10 such state and feeIng
ran % high that the Republicans and the
Whcan. or Anu-Muphy. Democrats In the
Thirteenth Ward determined - make a firm
stand against the repeatcrg.
shortly before l O'Clock this afternoon gang
~ = dozen or 50. headed by pat Shea. John
Hic.iough and Jerr, Clcary. attacked the polling
place ,n the IIId Election Distlc; of this ward.
They presented themselves to the inspec ors and
asked for ballots. The Republican inspector and
the Republican watchers objected.
FIRED INTO TIE CROWD
This was Jus: what Shea and his gang wanted.
7, presented an opportunity for creating row
The men stepped few PAGES back from the rail-
and without a word Of warning began 10 fire
into the crowd of bystandcrs and watchers
Robcr, Ross. one OF the lending Republicans OF
the Thirteenth Ward. was seen 10 fall to the
ground His brother. William Ross. ran to his
assistance and stumbled and fen Just az he
reached him. Robert Ross had been struck
.,f,,hg In, ,h. nd ~ ono Df
the tourhs As william Ross fell bullet
struck him in the back ~ the neck.
While the two brothers lying on the
r,,r ore man 10 step into the
crowd place his pistol close to the back OF
Robert Il ,ss's head. and fire.
Within five minutes Ross was dead Another
brother John Ross. tried - help his brother
Robert. Il was a pi,lfu we'll as a horrifyin2
sight t. see this man. who stands over six feet
In hls stockings, sitting the floor holding The
bloody head of his dying brother and crying biz
terry At the same time his wounded brother
William trying to struggle 70 his feet. and
being unable - do go H. raised himself on his
knees and holding up his right hand he cx-
claimed: "If there Is an American citizen here
he will not let my assai!ant escape"
This seemed 10 bring back 10 their senses the
Republican friends OF the Ross brothers. and at
the same time two Of the men who had done
the shooting made break to get away. one
Of the men who did the shooting. the leader
Of the gang Bat Shea. dill not run. He
also had been shot in the head. and
whether by one Of his pals or by
citizen no one knows. The other two men.
Cleary and McGough. got away. John Boland.
a leading Republican and member Of the cigar
manufacturing firm of Little & Co, with
number Of friends. ran after McCiough and tried
to capture HIM After emptying his revolvers
at his pursuers. McGough stopped. apparently
not knowing which way 10 turn.
ASSISTED by MURPHY POLICEMAN
AS he did 40 Murphy policeman In citizens
clothes pointed out alcyway to him through
which he got away. A woman saw the officer
do this and she told the who were trying
to ind the fleeing man C,eary disappeared. but
a few minutes after the shooting occurred
man who answers his description was seen to
board a trolley car going toward Lansingburg.
He had a pistol in the right sleeve OF his coat.
and after he got on the car he seen to pass
1t to his left hand and put 1t In his hip pocket.
Friends carried Robert Ross to a cottage d.
rectly opposite the polling place. but he had
died long before a physician could reach him
His brother william was taken TO the nome Oh
the Rev Joseph Sweifel. in Sm!th-ave. while
saloon nearby for treatment.
WILLIAM ROSS LIKELY TO DIh
physician attended william Ross soon after
he was taken from the polling place. and at
first thought that he was not dangerously
wounded. Late tonight. however. 1t Is said that
he. too. Is likely to die.
Shea had the usual luck OF rogues ana MS
wound IL not serious. The city police were ex-
ceedingly conslderate for him. for he was not
placed under arrest until nearly nVe nours
after the shooting. Two warrants were ISSUED
last week for Shea's arrest and they were put
into the hands of the police to be served. Tney
knew that he was about the city, but
did not serve them. Ii Is alleged that the reason
for this neglect was that they expected TO make
him useful to-day.
one spectator tonight says that II was Shea
who put the pistol to Robert Ross mead. HIS
name IS known TO the attorneys whom the Re-
publicans have secured TO see that punishment
follows this foul and cruel crime
The Murphy police. knowing tnat 1hey would