New-York tribune., 1894-03-16
PRICE THREE CENTS.
"BAT" SHEA THE MURDERER.
POSITIVE TESTIMONY OF ROBERT ROSya
BROTHER.
JOHN ROSS SwEARS He SAW SHEA sHO0E
ROBERT WHILE THE LATTER WAS PROS
TRATE on THE GROUND-TEsTIMoNY J

Al THE INQUEST IN TROY.
Troy, " y March l5--The inquest in the
case of Robert Ross. who murdered at the
polls election day. was begun this afternoon
at the courthouse before Coroner Collins. As
sstant D!strict-Attorney Pagan appeared for the
people Counsel for one OF the prisoners OBJ
jected to one of the jurors on the ground that he
wished to call him as witness. Coroner Col.
lins said the jury could not be changed at the
present ume and the inquest proceeded.
DR.. E. D. Ferguson gave testimony to the
nature Of the bullet wound that caused death.
He was followed by DR.. s. F. Rogers. DR.. 8.
II. Webster cor.oborated DR.. Ferguson's tesu.
mony as to the wound, which was on the back
Of the head near the right ear the bullet
passing inward. forward and upward.
DR.. Herbert f.. De Freest testified to attending
Bat" Shea. He found Shea in the saloon Of
Alderman-elect Dunlop. There was slight
scalp wound Sheas head.
DR.. VI. F. Phelan testified that he attended
McGough. who Is suffering from a gunshot
wound in the right side No vital organ was
penetrated. and McGough is improving under
the doctors
James H. Lloyd testified that he made photo
graphs Of the scene Of the tragedy. The photo
graphs were shown to the jury.
Civil Engineer Charles L. Fuller explained
the tragedy
Frank s. Black and Seymour Van Santvoort,
the lawyers suggested associate counsel with
the Assistant Distcict-Attorney. sat near the
latter official who occasionally consulted with
them.
Frederick B. Church. who also made dia~
gram Of the scene OF the shooting, was the next
witness. Mr.. Church said that c. V. Collins
prominent merchant Of Troy, engaged him to do
the work.
JOHN Ross's TESTIMONY.
John Ross. brother Of the dead man. the
next witness. Mr.. Ross Is thirtyone years old.
lie said that he an inspector OF the Re-
publican caucus (so-caed) in the Thirteenth
Ward on February g. He was secretary Of tho
Board Of Inspectors; John II. Boland and John
McGough were inspectors and Hancox and Dun.
lop candidates. The witness said that II was
evident that men We're voting who were not en-.
titled to do so. William and Robert Ross OBJ.
jected 10 Illegal votes being deposited and q
fight ensued. McGough struck Boland and then
drew a revolver. threa tenng that he would shoot
Boand. The witness grabbed McGough and
forced him back. Hearing the breaking OF win-'
dow glass witness looked around and saw q
man. whom he afterward identified "Bat'
Shea. coming from the rear. An attempt was
made to stop The intruder. who drew a revolver
and held 1t against the head Of one OF the in.
spectors. saying: "Il shoot the - -
-" The witness cried; For Gods sake done
shoot mar like that"
The witness went to the poling-pace 1t .
q. m. Robert and William Ross and John II.
Boland. all residents Of the Thirteenth Ward ap-
peared about the same time The only police
man present Special Officer Murphy Ofti~
Ger Kane. of the Third Precinct, was present.
but did not seem to be on duty.
SAW BAT SHEA SHOOT HIS BROTHER.
Mr. Ross swore positively that he BAT"
Shea shoot Robert Ross while the latter was
PROSTATE on the ground. Shea at the time
about four feet from Robert. and John was
about six feet behind Shea. During the morn-
ing, up to 10 o'clock there had been no trouble
at the polling-plaoe. Then Shea, McGough.
Cleary and Keefe appeared Shea started the
trouble by striking William Ross. Later the
gang went away. Then Officer Kane said that
as long things quiet he thought he
would go and get something eat. He went
away. At noon Cleary, Keefe. McGough and
Shea came back TO the polling place. Later.
whom the witness could not IDENTIFY
marched into the pollinS-place. despite the pro-
tests which made. Hayner was struck by
Shea. and then witness saw McGouSn strike
William Ross. The crowd swept out into the
street. McCousn was the first to draw re-
volver.
ing out of the crowd, the latter was strl gS.'ns
with Shea the spot where Robert fe',.
Robert Ross was holding to the hand of man
with whom h. struggling. Shea was the
man. and he held pistol IN his hand John was
struggling toward Robert when the liter fell. as
ii his ankle had given out. The .tness was
about six feet from Shea when the latter n.eo MS
pistol and continued 10 fire. before the witness
reached Robert When John got 10 Robert he
lifted the atter's head in his lap. and said: 'lc
you American citizens catch that man"
meaning Shea.
NEITHER OF THE RossEs WAS ARMED.
The first man to reach Robert after John was
John H. Boand Mr.. Ross testified that neither
he nor his brothers had firearms at the polling
place The witness could not say whether or
not Mr.. Boland had revolver. Mr.. Ross tesu-
fed that he had never before been assaulted in
a polling place. but that his brothers had been
assaulted before polling place in the Thirteenth
Ward.
The witness said in reply to questions by Mr..
Pagan: THE election of McGough as chairman
of the caucus appeared to be unanimous. | read
Superintendent Wizards order prior TO election
In regard to carrying clubs" In reply to ques.
tions by Mr. Norton the witness said None Of
the clubs were loaded. That of the
questions asked Mr. Landon am member
of the Masonic fraternity and the Church. and
belong to no other organizations.
George Cooley was next called. He was in
spector at the caucus In the Thirteenth Ward
February g. The caucus lasted about forty-hve
minutes. when II broke up in row. Bat Shea
broke in through rear window and took the
ballot box from the witnesss arms and ran away
with it, officers Kane and Goerald were there to
preserve order hut they did not. Duncan Kaye
asked Kane to stop the trouble. but he did not do
so. Revolvers were drawn by Bat Shea and
John McCough. McGough and Wells went on
with the caucus and George Dunlop and John
War; were successful. according to the caucus.
They ran on election day. and came out the same
way successful The witness did not see any
shooting election day; saw about one hundred
people around the polls. but no policeman in uni
form Only one man there had badge; that was
taip A ha
shooting and knew nothing but what he had
heard
ASSAULTED BY MGoUGH AND DUNLOP.
II was not armed Election Day and knew
OF no agreement among citizens to carry weap-
nns aaid the witness 81 WAS assaulted at fha