The Monmouth inquirer., 1894-03-08

After an Exciting ana BLOODY Oontest.
TROY, n. Y. March 7.-The local elec
tion fight in this city was most bitter and
was one of the severest struggles witness
ed in years. The excitement throughout
the city was intense The adherents o.
both factions of the Democratic party con
tested every inch of ground for the mayor
atty. Hand to hand fights took place al
over the city.
Murder was also added to the horrors Of
the event. This sad occurrence took place
in the Third district of the Thirteenth
ward 1t was at IL o'clock. A number Of
strange men entered the polling place al
that hour.
One insisted on voting. His name was
jeremiah Cleary. Another of the party
was Bat Shea, we'll known local charac-
ter Cleary's vote was challenged by the
Republican inspectors. The men went
from the place.
Row Ended Fatally.
A heated argument which had been be
gun within was continued on the outside
A gang of excited men gathered without
1t included, in addition to Shea and Cleary,
Robert and John Ross, brothers and active
Republican workers; John A. McGough, a
Murphy man, and John Rowland, sup
porter of the Whelan faction of the ward.
The Ross boys are supporters of Whelan,
the independent Democratic and Republic
an candidate for mayor.
In the midst of the argument clubs and
revolvers were drawn, and desperate en-
counter ensued. Robert Ross fell to the
ground with bullet in his brain. He died
almost instantly.
His brother William was shot in the
neck below the left ear nd Bat Shea re-
ceived scalp wound. All three were shot
III the back of the head. The police ar
rived in large numbers at the conclusion
OF the murderous occurrence, but the prin-
cipals had been spirited away. Neither
Shea nor John Ross is thought to be NOR
tally wounded. Ross, the murdered man,
is 80 years old and is unmarried.
No one seems to know just who fired the
shot that killed Ross. Chief Detective
Markham said that as far as the police
could learn Rowland fired four shots, and
they think he is the man who did the kill
ing. Rowland gave himself up to the
police. He was held ON the charge of muir
der.
Judge Fursman of the supreme court re-
fused bail for him.
John Ross made statement, in which
he accuses Shea of firing the shot that
killed his brother. He says he saw him
fire it.
Elias D. Hayner, a stone cutter, was ar
rested Immediately after the occurrence
He was about to hit spectator of the af
fair with a wrench. The greatest conster
nation reigned in the vicinity of the affair
1t is said that more arrests will be made OF
those thought to be implicated.
Mayor WheIan In a Wrangle.
Mayor Whelan, the independent Demo
cratic and Republican candidate for mayor,
had all but fist encounter with Edmund
Stanton, leading Murphy supporter of
the Fourth ward This is Whelan's.ward.
Prior to this election Stanton had been a
Cleveland man. In the local contest he
has taken the side of Murphy. Whelan OBJ
jected to permitting some men to vote.
Harsh words ensued between the two men,
and it is said that one was about to strike
the other when friends parted them.
1t is charged that the city was full of re-
peaters The Republicans charge that the
Murphy Inspectors stuffed the ballot boxes
in the interest of Molloy, their candidate,
and that repeaters in his interest roamed
in the town.
In the Second district of the Fourth
ward the Republican watchers were eject
ed by the police for protesting against GER
tain voters John Bartlett, respectable
citizen, claims that tough voted on his
name before his eyes and that he was pow
erless to stop him. Such occurrences are
most frequent in the city.
McGough was shot in the back and is
II ~.
Ross and Rowland started the shooting
John Ross said: 81 did not fire pistol.
It was murder-deliberate murder-and it
was premeditated. Only about an hour
and half before this man Shea struck my
brother William full in the face. dragged
William away and told him to take the
blow and say nothing, as the blow would
not hurt him. / did not think at the time
that they would start in and use their
guns"
Mayor Whelan said: "It is only the nat
ural result of the determination of the
Murphy heelers to carry the election by
fair means or foul 1t is stain on this city,
Senator Edward Murphy said, ''It is a
most deplorable affair, and / am greatly
grieved at it."
Third Victim Dying.
1t has been ascertained that another man
was mortally wounded in the Thirteenth
ward tragedy. John McGough, one of the
alleged gang of repeaters who participated
in the bloody riot, was found at his home
suffering from the effects of bullet wound
in his abdomen. The bullet had penetrat-
ed the kidneys, and the physicians say he
cannot recover.
He is insensible now, but before he be-
came unconscious he stated that he did not
have revolver and did not do any of the
shooting. He says that he felt the bullet
and started to go home He fell by the
roadside and was carried home by friends
The election was aquiet one with the ex-
ception of the fatal fight in the Thirteenth
ward. The vote polled was as heavy as
that cast in the presidential year. With a
few districts missing the vote for mayor
shows that Molloy, the regular Democrat
has defeated Whelan, the independent, by
1,400 votes.