New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-19
PRICE THREE CENTS.
THE MURDERER REVEALED.
RESULTOF THE TROY INQUEST
OVERWHELMING PROOF THAT SHEA
WAS THE SLAYER OF ROBERT ROSS. 4,
ANXIETY FELT LEST THROUGH THE INFLU
TIIES OF THE POLICE THE THUG

ENcE OF THE BOSS AND THE syMPA-
TIIlEs OF THE POLICE THE THUG
AND REPEATER AND HIS Ac-
coMrIIcE MAY ESCAPE.
Troy March IS (SpeciaD.-"what will Murphy
do?' This Is about the first question which Is
asked nowadays when one Trojan meets another'
Upon the final answer OF that question great
deal depends. II Senator Murphy decides to give
one answer 1t Is more than likely that withn
the next six months or so the murderer Of Robert
Ross will have paid the penalty for his Election
Day crime; but should he determine TO give an
other answer and the one which most people
here fear that he will give, another disgrace VIII
be charged up against this county.
The inouest In the case Of the murder OF Robert
Ross has got to that point where there is no
doubt in the minds Of any one who mas roi-
lowed the testimony that Bat shea, the no
torious Democratic heeler and repeater. fired the
fatal shot. At least eight or nine men or gooo
standing in this community have testified oerore
the coroners jury that they saw him place MS
pistol within a short distance OF the head OK
the PROSTATE young and pull the trigger.
There are still other witnesses who VIII tesuiy
to similar account Of the AFFAIR.
A scHooLBoYs CONVINCING TESTIMONY.
The strongest testimony 80 far presented was
that OF the little schoolboy who was sworn on
last Friday. He saw the whole affair, ana "hen
he was put on the witness-stand he told his story
with O. straightforwardness which could not
help being convincing. His name Is Jun'us
Nickel and In spie of the willy Efforts OF an
attorney skilfu at cross-examinatlon' IL was iin-
possible TO shake In the least the direct testi-
mony he gave, which was that shea shot Ross.
Junius is n th.rteen-year-od boy, but he carried
himself with the dignity and the camness OK
one many wears his senior 1t was apparent
IN all who sat in the courtroom that every WORD
,rhich he uttered was deeply affecting the MEM
hers Of the Jury for 1t seemed az though each
uernbers OF that body drank IN every woro ""on
fell from the boysh lips. One thing which at
tracted attention 10 Junus was his reply 10 'hs
attorney who asked him II he UNDERSTOOD 'ho
ma ture OF an oath. Quick as flash came Dac@
the anewer: 1T means 10 tell just what you
Lno.y and nothing else" There Is no wohde1
then that during his examination there was a'-
most absolute silence in the courtroom ana 'ha'
,aads were bent forward and necks were craned.
that not a word might be lost. After passing
through n rigorous cross-examination, one "hic"
would have shattered every portion of his story
70 I, had b.en a manufactured one. withoqt
onordinp the lawyer who is vainly endeavofS
,no to clear Shea McGough and Cleary any
sat,sfaction the little fellow was excused ana y,
left the witness chair amid applause, which, VIII"
difficulty the coroner checked.
This testimony supported as 1t has been oy
that OF many eye-wtnesses to the m"su"s
would seem in itself TO be sufficient i'r tne
coroner 10 close the hearing and TO send 70
case 10 the jury But 1t is now expectso tnss
tho ,nouest will continue a week longer beeors
the Jury will act upon 1t. 1t has oeeh s've-s
out here that the defence will swear Aumose
OF 10
a question o. doubt as to who did the shootins
or ror the sake OF Senator Murphy. make Jonn
IT Roland an innocent man. scapegoat on0
send him 70 t.. Grand Jury for It's acaous
while Shea Cleary and McCiouGh. the men wnY
are believed and Of whom has been SHOWN
@ he implicated In the murd.r, VIII walk tns
streets Of this city free men. :
WILL Mr.pprtY DARE SAVE THE MURDERERsf
VIII Senator Murphy dare permit a fair trial
or RAT" Shea and John McGough? VIII he
per,ri, thes two men 10 be placed in such q
position tha, they will tell all they know OF the
bosss connection with the political methods OK
Troy? Does Edward Murphy. jr, dare allow
the men who were responsible for the election
day murder to be punished as they justly de-
serve-one by the electric chair IN Dannemors
prison and one by a long term in the same pr1son
AZ hard labor for attempted murder? Is not
the Troy boss fearful that things may be told by
either Shea or McGough. their friends. should
either OF them get his just deserts, which he
would rather not have told?
Up TO this time II must be scid that the in-
quest In so far as the Dstrict-Atorney's office
IS concerned. is being conducted, apparently.
with a desire TO get at the facts and to fix the
responsibility for the murder upon the proper
persons 1t is being conducted by the Assistant
nj c,ric " aided
Frank s. Black and Seymour Van Santvoort.
The two last-name,i represent the Committee Of
Safety Mr.. Pagan. it is said, is exceedingly
close to the United States Senator. who has SO
muoh at stake in this inquest and the trial
which may follow. On the other hand. too. 1t
is said that Mr.. Fagan personally. is man OF
good character. AT any rate. he stands well
with his associates at the bar OF Rennsse!aer
County, all of whom speak Of him in high
terms. Mr.. Fagan is young man, and with
his small side -whiskers and gold-bowed specta-
cles resembles a college professor more than
he does a lawyer He now Is occupying most
delicate position. On the one side. he sees
the interests Of the political boss who made Il
possible for him TO become Assistant District.
Attorney OF Rensselaer, County and for whom
he has warm personal and political regard,
while the other side is his duty TO the peo-
pie who just now are In no humor 10 have their
rights tampered with. The people demand
that the inquest shall be a fair one, and that
guilty man, matter how greatly Senator
Murphy is interested in him. shall be permitted
10 escape II Mr.. Pagan continues TO conduct
himself in the future. he has conducted HIM
self so far In this case he will justly earn the
warm praise Of every citizen OF this place. and,
in all probability. will earn the bitter enmity
and hatred of Edward Murphy. jr., and all oe
his desperate and vicious following.
THE sYMPATHIEs or THE Boss's POLICE.
The opposing counsel. Mr.. Norton is directing
his efforts mainly toward showing that John H.
Boland, the Republican friend of the Ross boys.
had something to do with the shooting. In this
effort he Is having extremely poor success a.
any one who has followed the testimony at all