New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-23
"BAT" SHEA WAS THE MAN.
SEVERAL WITNESSES SWEAR THAT HE
KILLED ROBERT ROSS.
,,pING WITH HIS PISTOL CLOSE TO THE MUIR
pERED MANS HEAD-RUFF1ANLY con-
DUCT OF THE TROY 'HEELERs'
OK ELECTION DAY.

on ELECTION DAY
rr,v y Y. June 22-The trial OF BAT" Shea
,or the murder Of Robert Ross on Election Day
sun,ed here this morning. The first witness was
Vneene Brace who testified follows:
know Shea. McGough and Cleary ! first saw
them on Election Day whenrthSy came TO the po, x,
saw the three men about ~ oc.ock When lhey
came over to the polling place. owen Judge was
with them and saw Judge strike man named
Cairns Tnen Cleary Knocked cairns down ana !
saw Shea strike William Ross in the face John
Ross pulled WEAam away, ana they had Ie%
words with Martin Kane. Inc crowd went away
tftn and lid no; Shea again until about l2;50 p
srround ar the Dusan house With several strangers.
/ saw another man come over from North Fourth
into the polling place. Cleary following the man
who came over from North Four,h-st. l then
Harn HsyneT came backing out Of the door catching
A. the casing to save himself from falling. He was
saw Shea strike Hayner in ,he face staggering
hin. Then Cleary. who stood on Hayner's right,
knOck.ne him down. saw McGough draw re-
vo,yer and point II UP In the air. Then Shea drew
pushed back. and | was pushed 70 the declivity
i0ss saw Keefe | started north and saw Robert Ross
the ground on the edge OF the gully about M
Solsne him NJ | saw the crowd running over the
dump 70 North Fourth-st.. and followed.
Mr. Raines said 1t would be shown that this gang
had be going from pol to poll through the ward
making their headquarters at Dun.o7s liquor shop;
that whenever they came over to the Third District
they came from that direction. and after the shoot
ing Daa7p met Shea and helped him back TO his
barroom.
John Lewis testified in part as follows:
had known Shea by sight for a couple Of
months before the election. was, at the polls
for about fifteen minutes. and stood south Of the
sbou, ton feet from the polling-place. A lot Of
men were talking and quarreiling' and one Of
them. whom ! recognized Shea. said: Il can
Go you up" and put his hand in his pocket
saw them go into the roadway OF Orr-st and
twenty shots in pretty close quarters ] saw Rob
he gully. apparently lying on one foot He
seemed % make an effort 10 rise As he sat up
saw a man in front of Robert fire revolver at
him then saw the man run around on
which seemed TO strike Robert in the head. That
Ate Shea fired the shot he went away about
ten feet and then returned and fred the second
shot He then ran toward Douwst l did not see
any one with Shea when he fired and ran away
from Shea when Robert fell over. and / made
exclamation in loud tone | had been ,6no aC,
and Eugene McClure's saloon.
Thomas A Lee corroborated previous witnesses as
70 the first scuffie at the pollingpace. and said
heard six shots fired. and shots strike the
ashes in the roadway went out into the centre Of
Orr-st a little north of the polling place. l saw
falling fat on his face The man fell with his head
toward the northwest. and in a second or two saw
see that there were two men lying there. Then
man run 70 where they lay stop ciosf IT. 10 n the
ran north. and l did not him afterward Then
the men who were the ground got up and one
went north while the other got up and ran few
steps and fell over the ground. The three shots
were fred at this man when he was PROSTATE at a
lower point than that
Augustus Loeble. the next witness. described the
visits of the Shea party and the assaults on kearns
William Ross and Hayner. The witness continued:
= pistols; they seemed 10 be wnere Snea
and McGough standing. then heard shots
fred soon after | Robert Ross on the ground
fitting In tailor fashion, then | saw man pass by
and FIRE a shot at him. l thought In the face The
nan passed around 10 the north and fired again,
putting the pistol TO his head. That man was Bat
Shea He then away around the house just
north of the spot and passed out OF my view.
Augustus Paul gave this testimony
About o'clock ! saw Shea. McGough and Cleary
and a party OF three four men 20 throlgh the
gangway from SXth-aVe ] saw them In the yard
In the rear Of the polling-place in Rover-st saw
the same party again about 10 o'clock taking the
same route: | think Keefe was with them. About
five minutes u ! the party again pass
through the gangway TO the east; the eangWaN runs
east and west / heard Cleary say: ITO H. there's
enough of us: we'll do EN-" ! was in my bed
room upstairs about foot from the window over
looking the gangway; was about ten feet away. l
them until they climbed over the fence.
John G. Ross then called to the stand. He is
a brother Of Robert Ross. VINO killed. After
tsstifyng 10 the arrival of himself and brothers at
the polls the examination was discontinued ana
court adjourned until 10 oc,Cck tomorrow morning.