The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-27
A bEATHBED STORY.
Told by Common of His Affray
With Corbett.
DENIES He INTENDED TO SHOOT.
Put Away the Gun To Avoid a Fight
When Corbett Attacked Him-He
Bianes Mcnamara.

Inc last act in the terrible cutting and
shooting ARRAY IN the Wan6erer saloon.
IN which Officer John Cor5ett ana John
Connor We're the chief actors. : al hand
onno- Is on his deathbed. and Il s but A
question OF a few DAYS when he shall have
passed into the unknown. For DAYS ana
weeks he has ain on his hack in his cot
IN Providence hospital fighting death, but
10 no purpose. the officers bullet having
broken the spinal cord. and made IL i'm
possible for him 70 recover.
Coanor has positively refused 10 make
any statement % the AFFAIR 10 the press.
but several DAYS ago. when confronted
with the fact that he could not last much
longer, he Informed NJ. Campbell. score
tary OF the Flremen's Union. OF which ne
wss a member. that he wished 10 make A
statement TO a Observation-Disclosures reporter.
In compliance with his request a reporter
visited the hospital yesterday afternoon
n company with Mr.. Campbell. and Sc
cured the only account ever given ~
Connor OF the terrible ARRAY. Connor
blames Officer Corbett for his condi-
ton. and also has a few words TO say OF
Mcnamara. who. he says. could have
stopped the whole row. He tells where ne
was on the night OF the shooting. and de-
MES that he ever robbed any one or was
ever arrested in this city. Tbs statement
is concise, as the sick man was suffering
a @At4A AT4A u pain WHICH HIaNC II l1iN-
cult for hin TO talk. He said:
Il had been in a saloon on Washington
street with a friend named Tom Burns
and an old rancher from Clallam all night
up TO within ten minutes OF the trouble
We were talking about going to C.aliam
10 take up some land. We parted about 1
o'clock in the morning. and l went down 10
the lodging house over McNamara's So
loon. where l had often gone before. / re-
manned upstairs for several minutes. and
went down to the saloon. 4 few minutes
after | went in. Corbett and a sailor came
in and the officer asked him If | was the
man that stole his money. The sailor said
he did not know. when Cor5ett said il
looked suspicious. and wanted me TO &c
TO police headquarters With him. / then
went behind the bar 10 put away some
things l had, and Corbett allowed me in.
l had a pistol in my pocket, and took il
out and placed IL behind the bar. for fear
l would be fined If IL WAS found on my
person. just as | placed IL down, Corhett
jumped on me from behind, and l pulled
out my knife. which was a pocket knife,
ana defende myself. Tn sailor jumped in
and cut him a couple OF times. When I
got from behind the bar Corbett came up
behind me and struck me over the head
with his gun. The blow stunned me slight
ly, but did not knock me down. ] cut MIN
again, and just then Mcnamara. who had
never made a move TO stop the fight. told
me to go out of the saloon. and l started
for the door. when | was struck with a
bullet, and that is all that l remember. /
want to say that Corbett was 10 blame. as
l intended going TO the station, and only
wanted to hide my pistol for fear OF be-
ing fined. l also blame Mcnamara, who
could have stopped the fight IL he wanted
to. / never expect TO get off my bed. and
make this statement so that all the blame
will not rest on me"