The evening world., 1894-09-14
DUEL ON the
STEAMBOAT?
Four Pistol Shots Heard in
a StaterOOm on the
Rhode Island.
TWO OCCUPANTS ARRESTED.
Protest that There Was No Trouble
and that the Shooting Was
Accidental.
ONLY ONE REVOLVER FOUND.
Local Police and Federal Authori-
ties Puzzled Over the Cues
ton OF Jurisdiction.

Walter b. Pettingill, thirty-four years
of age, salesman, living at the Con-
tinental Hotel in this city. and Arthur
Hughes, thirty years OF age. a harness
maker, of Salem, Mass. two very we'll
dressed and respectable-appearin men,
were taken to the United States Dis
trict-Attorney's office by Police Officers
Wren and Williams this morning.
Pettingill and Hughes left Provi-
dence, II. l., on the steamer Rhode Isl
and last night for New York. They
were assigned to a double state-room
though, as far as was then known
they were strangers to each other. Both
men are stated by the officers of the
Rhode Island to have been somewhat
under the influence of liquor.
The Rhode Island had left Providence
about an hour, when Hughes and Pet
tingill were heard auarrelling loudly.
They continued to do so for some time,
and the attention of those occupying
adjoining staterooms and the steam
ers porters was drawn to them by the
increased vehemence of the quarrel.
Suddenly four pistol shots, fired in
rapid succession, rang out from the
Stateroom in which Hughes and Pettin-
gill were quarrelling.
The officers of the boat broke into the
room and found 1t filled with powder
smoke. Pettingill was discovered
standing near the wash basin with a
new Ss-calibre. nammerless Smith &
Wesson pistol in his hand. He was
promptly seized and disarmed.
An investigation showed that two
| n "a har Of ina al La
recently discharged. The barrel was
hot and powder-hlackened on the in
side. There were three loaded cart
ridges still in the pistol.
No pistol was found on Hughes. The
steamboat officers surmise that he had
a weapon also. but that he threw 1t
out Of the stateroom window into the
water when the door was broken in.
Neither of the men was injured.
They refused to make any explanation,
and were placed under arrest and locked
up In separate cabins
When the Rhode Island arrived this
morning the two men were turned over
to the police officers, who took them
to the Jefferson Market Court. Justice
Voorhis decided that the case was one
for the Federal authorities. as the shoot
ing had occurred on the high seas.
Pettingill made the following state
ment:
"Our arrest is entirely a mistake. Mr.,
Hughes is a personal friend of mine. and
we occupied the same cabin on the
steamer.
II was showing him my pistol and 1t
was accidentally discharged twice. Mr..
Hughes had no pistOl
when the steamboat people say that
they heard four shots fired they are
mistaken. There was no duel between
us and no fight. The steamboat officers
were overzealous. l am a travelling
man. ana always carry pistol"
Hughes corroborated Mr.. Pettingill's
statement. He said he had no pistol,
and that the discharge of Pettingill' 3
pistol twice was accidental.
Assistant United States District-At-
cided that the New York authorities
have no jurisdiction in the case, as the
offsnse had been committed in the
Rhode Island waters.
Having, therefore. no power to act,
Pettingill and Hughes remained in the
custody of the police officers. who were
puzzled what to DO with them.
They finally decided to take them back
to jefferson Market Police Court. At
torney Moss, Of Howe g. Hummel, acted