The evening world., 1894-04-04
CAPT. O'CONNOR NEXT
Three Men Brutally Beaten in a
Pool.Room in His Precinct,
Policeman Sheridan Said TO Have
Acted as Bouncer.
supt- Byrnes VIII at Once Take
Steps for AN investigation.

supt. Byrnes will take immediate steps
In the Investigation of the ALLEGED ol'-
rageous assault made by Policeman
Sheridan upon John J Lynch. John
Shields and William Mason In Poynton :
pool-room YESTERDAY
Incidentally Commissioner Macl%an
may again take steps to bring Capt
O'Connor before the police Commis-
sioners for falling to perform his duty
in SURPRISING disorderly houses IN his
precinct.
There was a decided air o, mystery
about the Merchants Hotel this morning,
and none Of the parties interested in
the brutal scenes transacted there yes
terday would talk. On the other hand.
they professed an amazing amount Of
ignorance about the affair.
The story OF the assault was told eH-
clusively in THE World" Of this morn
ing. Lynch, Shields and Mason, all Of
whom live in Jersey city. entered foyu-
tons pool-room, which Is on the second
floor Of the Merchants Hotel, directly
in the rear Of the barber shop, about
40 O'Clock yesterday afternoon. They
talked TO several people in the place
until the fourth race, when Lynch
wanted to make a Il bet on Beatihce
in the fourth race at New Orleans.
There was a rush at the time. and,
with violent language, the bookmaksr
told them to get out Of the way with
their pike BETS until tn" good
money was In. This treatment was re-
scented by Lynch. who says h" has
spent many hundreds OF dollars In the
place. The boOkmakcr then called the
bouncer. who. the men ali"gs. WAS Sh"r-
idan. He grabbed Lynch by the throat
and beat him unmerciiulIy with ms
billy.
and were turned loose. They then w"nt
10 the Church street station ana mad"
q complaint to Capt Dtpnnuf, but ~"
said there was no poOl-rOOm at the plhr"
and refused 10 entertain their complaint
After they left the station, they declare,
sheridan again assaulted LSnch.
When an Evening NDT!I reporter
called at NJ Merchants HoteI this morn
ing Proprietor @. +. Burke at hrst d.
MED that there had been any trouble in
the place yesterday, but when shown n
surprised. He finally said th"r" might
have been a fuss while he Was not pres
ent.
clerk. Burke finally admitted that thr""
men had come into the bdrroom drunk
during the afternoon, and had been put
Out. lie ueHltu tnut any DDIy isI D''il
beaten or that there WAS II pool room In
the house.
When asked why "A number OF cards
containing the names Of horses running
at the different tracks were lying on ii
telegraph desk in the Office hc became
very angry, and refused to talk any
further.
Capt. O'Connor was alsp very mystcri-
GUS about the whole affair, saying that
he knew nothing about II. When asked
why Sheridan did not arrest IN" men, he
said that officers often desire to give a
man a charce. He admitted that the
men made = complaint To him. but he
told them to go to Inspector M"AvOy,
The Captain also denied that th"r" was
a pool-room In his precinct. This was
flatly c|ontradiCted by "A large numb"r Of
men who are employed about the Penn
Eylvania Depot. A number Of them ~
hat a pool-roOm Is run In the Merchants
Hotel, and many OF them have play ed
the races there.
Inspector Fyrnes was seen and said h"
would investigate the matter immediate
~, but refused to state what methods he
would employ.
Thp men who were assaulted will bring
suit for heavy damages against the city.
Commissioned MaCLean tried to bring
Capt. O'Connor before the Police Board
once before for failing TO close disurd'rly
houses in the Tcnd"rlOin Precinct. II"
will not say what ne VIII do in the
present case.