New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-08
DIED A PATRIOTS DEATH.
ROBERT ROSS WAS MURDERED WHILE
DEFENDING THE BALLOT BOX.
A MASS MEETING CALLED IN TROY TO PRO-
TEST AGAINST THE FouL CRIMES OF
ELECTION DAY - SENATOR MURPHY
UtREIEs BACK TO HIS SEAT
IN THE sENATD

sooctiva Of party will take immediate steps to
punish the nurdcrers Of Robert Ross. the Re-
/ publican watcher who was murdered at tho
polls here yesterday \ mass-mectlnS has been
called for tomorrow night, At the Ffth-ave.
Presbyterian Church, To initiate measures for
TIE prosecution of the murderers. This call is
signed by prominent citizens Of both the Repuh-
lcan and the Democratic parties. All feel that
the people Of the rest Of the State must hear
with horror this latest news Of murphy poll
tics'': this Murphy politics. which believes that
any means are legitimate to carry an election.
Voters may be- bribed. reporters may east votes
by the hundreds ard false statements may he
made about the result Of an elec;ion-all this
Is legitimate politics II success is achieved This
theory Of Murphy politics" has eliminated in
The murder Of a political opponent because he was
attempting to guard the votes Of his party
GOVERNOR FLoWER's RESPONSIBILITY
But it must be sad tina; no one was surprised
here that violence was attempted a. the polls
after Governor Flower refused to sign the bill
giving the Republican party the protection of an
additional election Inspector With two Murphy
y smocrats and one Republican acting inspec-
tors Of election the Republican chers naturally
rcGoublcd their efforts TO secure an honest count
Of the Republican vote and Robert Ross has
been killed because of his attempt to guard the
votes Of his party.
After the body Of Ross had been taken to his
fathers home. Oakwood-ave.. last night. Drs.
Ferguson and :. f. Rogers held an autopsy.
Among those present at the time We're John and
Adam Ross. brothers of the deceased man The
| autopsy showed that the bullet had entered the
| right side of the head II the base Of the brain
and lodged I'm the left side OF tho neck. Or.
Ferguson stated this morning that Mr. Ross had
/ u g.fH
that the bullet entered the head on the right side.
| and from the course of the ball the doctor In
ferrcd that it had entered the skull while the head
was inclined forward. The bah was badly
! shattered. fragments being found at the point
whore II penetrated the skull. and It's course was
| marked 10y broken pieces OF lead DR.. Ferguson
stated that Mr. Ross was splendid specimen Of
manhood and the possessor of a robust physique
II IL said thai none ~ the Ross boys were armed
during the trouble in the Third District Of the
! Thirteenth Ward. When the disturbance oc-
Cured ai the Thirteenth ward caucus some
weeks ago. the Roses are said to have declared
| that nobody but a coward would carry a fire
arm
THE MURDER PROBABLY rREMEpiTATEp.
There is A general b,u.r in Troy tonight
that the murder of The Ross boys by the Demo-
| cratic rcpcaters was prcm"ditated. They had
been attacked previously ~ Democratic roughs
! ~ The political meeting in The Thirteenth Ward
referred 90. and savaeely beaten. The senate
i~Cs-rlmttpe now crra ed I'm investigating the
| election frauds here looked upon their wounds
/ Moreover. the R,s. boys bad testified before the
! S,nai. Committee on th' election frauds COM
mi'teI in Troy last November senator Mullen
said rha; this testimony showed that the cleo
! r1n frauds here las; November were worsa than
| th.., ~ tnr previous November.
The place whore ne dca,h-s,ruggc occurred
was in the vicinity Of the IIIl District polling
place. which is in william Eabhit's lit'ie frame
house. on Orr-st Their. are few houses in the
! vicinity. the roadway running between fields
covered with briers. bushes. clinkers. and sandy
/ soil. Douw-st j. ON thr north and the Fitch
! burg Railroad tracks run north and south on
/ the east. The flEht started In the middle ~ the
! wd" roadwaN and during the struggle the par
| tcipanis became tangled in a thcket Of briars.
! which flourish rankly in summer at the bottom
| of hollow running of from thu roadway. II
was near this depression that Robert Ross rc-
| crivrd mis- d"ath-wound. When b" fell his
! brother William stopped 10 raise his head. and
| he. I'm turn. was shot. y woman. living in a
| house next H. the hollow. saw the crowd sep
| aratc and run through by-way To North
| Fourth-st Another woman I'm the vicinity said
that the firing sounded to h"r like "A lot Of big
! irc-crackers." Rosss body was carried into
| James Dugan's little cottage. at No. 3 Orr-St
| whore NJ. Dugan and his daughter kindly did
| all they could 10 assist the injured brother.
Four men were shot namely. Robert Ross
| who was killed: William Ross. who wac srri-
"usly wounded Bat" Shea. who was wounded
| I'm the head. and John McGouSh. who was shot
| through the right hip and seriously injured
| McGough is said 10 have pulled the hrst pistol
| He Is under surveillance II the police at the
house of his aunt AZ Christie ana Fifteenth sis
| Superintendent Willard Of the Police Depart
| ment says that McGough is not in n condition
| t. be removed To- " police station. but that az
| soon as hc can BE- moved he will bc arrested
and formal charge Of murder will bc made
| against him Or Phean does not think that
| McGoughs injuries are 80 serious but that he
can be- removed 10 Police Headquarters to-mor-
| row.
| ~ TIE HANDS or THEIR FRIENDS
BAT Shea Is now under imprisonment in the
| coInty jail. since the shooting occurred yester-
| day shea has received distinguished treatment
AT the hands Of the police. Police superintendent
Willard said after the shooting occurred:
shea is too badly hurt - be- moved from
| the room In Dunlop's saloon; but | have left
an officer to watch kim" Tn" officer evidently
| forgot AL about the prisoner In the intense eX-
element ~ the OCCASION and allowed the
"bdd" hur" man To start out like a Conquering
hero IN ",ach. and surrounded by admir-
| ing group Of friends, deposit "A ballot In the LIST
| District OF the Thirteenth Ward. The police say
that Shea learned later that he was wanted and
walked irto Police Headquarters ana gave him
self up. He was taken to jail shortly after :
o'clock and locked up ~ ~ witness against
| Boland."
Another prisoner is John Boland. The arrest
of Mr.. BOiand. IN the opinion of leading citizens.
outrage iIr WAS personal TREND Of
| Ross, the murdered man. IL Republican. and
did not have n revolver. The police say that they
have arrested him because he was within three
| feet OF Ross when he was shot. Mr.. Boland un-
| dOubtedly will prove n valuable witness In the
case His formal examination was put down for
| Tuesday next. Meanwhile he will remain in jail.
| MURPHY GOES BACK TO THE SENATE.
United states Senator Murphy. who was here
for several days before election and upon the
day OF the election doing all in hts power TO elect
Francis J. Mo!loy az Mayor. started for Wash
ington hastily to-day. Before departing Mr..
Murphy must have heard Of the citizens indig-
| nation meeting over the murder OF Ross. Ihe
following call for the meeting signed by leading
Republicans and Democrats. appeared In the
| newspapers here tonight.