The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-03-07
MURDER AT THE POLLS.
Fatal Row at the Municipal EleO-
ton in Troy,
ONE MAN KILLED, THREE WOUNDED.

The Trouble Occurred over an Alleged
Attempt to Get in the Votes of Repeatsrs.
MaiIoy, Senator Murphys Candidate,
Probably Elected Mayor.
TROY, N. Y, March IA mayor was
elected in this city yesterday, but the
record of the election is spotted with
blood, and scenes beyond parallel and
such as the Oldest resident in Troy has no
recollection of were enacted.
In a darkened room in his family resi-
dence lies the E3dy Of Robert Ross, who
left his home in the morning to aid in the
election of the candidate that the Repub-
lican party had indorsed. In a room in the
same house lies his brother William, seri-
ously and perhaps mortally wounded. In
another part of the town lies a rough and
ward heeler," bat" Shea wounded,
and in still another part of the city is John
McGough, who received another bullet,
and is seriously injured.
Up to noon the only serious trouble was
at the First district of the Thirteenth ward,
and consisted only Of pulling down a rail
ing in the polling place and banging about
few ardent partsans who were anxious
to prove that they were working for the
interest of their side. But this little fra
cas- was only a small forerunuer of the
terrible tragedy a short half hour later in
the same place, and participated in by
many Of the same people who had come
out of the first wrangle unscathed.
Among the watchers at this polling
place was Robert Ross and his brother
William, both of them in the interest of
the Republican party. There was also
there a well known character by the name
of Bat" Shea, and it was a difficulty be-
tween these people that led to the out
come. Several times the complaint had
been made that repeaters were voting sew
eral times on one name.
Finally about 1870 o'clock gang of at
least fifteen strangers stood waiting to
vote. while men whose names were on the
poll list, both Democrats and Republicans,
were crowded away, Robert Ross objected
to this, and had some words with BAT"
! Shea. There are two stories of the affair,
! and both must be told, because as yet
| there is no evidence to show which one is
| true. The police say, from what they can
| gather, that John Hayner, a candidate for
ward constable on the Whelan ticket, at
tempted to enter the polling booth Of the
| Thirteenth ward shortly after l2 o'clock
|
| McGough, "a Malloy man, who told him
| he had no right there
| McGough says that Hayner drew billy
and attempted to hit him. As Hayner
struck at him he clinched him. and at that
moment felt sharp pain in his back, and
| turning saw "A smoking revolver in the
hands of John Ross, brother of the dead
| man The ROsses then pitched on to him,
and as he struggled to his feet John Bo-
land began to fire from a revolver The
police say that there is every indication
that Boland is the man who fired the
deadly shots. The revolver taken from
him had four empty chambers, CORE
spending in number to the shots fired
Boland. who was Immediately arrested
was Whelan watcher,
The story told by the surviving Ross Is
to the effect that bat" Shea was the ma
who killed Robert Ross, and acting upon
that statement the police last night put
him under arrest, although he is badly
wounded They say that the trouble be
gan in the polling BOOTH where a crowC
of Malloy repeuters headed by Jeremiah
Cleary and Shea, attempted to vote. WheI
, the vote was challenged the men went out
side and Immediately started an argumen
with the Rosses. Suddenly the Grove
surged forward, and in an instant revol
vers were drawn and shots fired william
, Ross, who was injured, says that he saw
Shea fire the shot that killed his brother
but he is not sure that the firing was com
menced before that shot was fired.
When the shots were fired Robert Ros
fell to the roadway and his brother vii
e liam cried I'm shot" Then the firm
p ceased as suddenly as it had commenced
Excitement was so intense that no effor
u was made to arrest anybody. Robert Ros
= was unconscious and men carried hir
T. into a house. DR. Rogers was summoned
but before he reached the scene th
e wounded man was dead. The bullt
entered the brain from the back part {
the head. Indeed, all were shot from b.
hind.
McGough, who was very badly hurt il
's sists that William Ross and Boland starte
n the shooting. William Ross, on the 9th,
hand, said; II did not fire pistol. 1t We
i murder-deliberate murder-and it we
d premeditated."
. The vote polled was as heavy as th'
~ cast in the presidential year With fe
Is districts missing the vote for mayor show
"a that Malloy, the regular Democrat, WI
is backed by Senator Murphy has defeate
- Whelan, the independent, by 400 votes
.e In the other charter elections throug
o. out the state large Republican gains a
shown, many towns electing all the X
lt publican candidates.
The Election in Oswego.
10 OswEGo, N. Y, March AT the cha
D ter election the votes become mixed al
,e it will require an official count to dete