The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-06-24
Murdered for Money.

Murdered for Money.
New YORK, June 15.--George FL.
Wyckof, president Of the Bank Of
New Amsterdam, was shot twice in
the abdomen and side while in his pri-
vate Office in the bank, by a man
named Clarence Clark. Clark demand
ed money. and meeting with a refusal,
fred the shots and then turned the
pistol on himself. Both men are now
at the New York hospital in an uncon-
scious condition.
When Clark had gained access to
Mr.. Wyckof, he presented to him the
following letter. which was written on
Hotel Marlborough paper, in blue ink
and in a clear, legible hand:
"We want Sc, 0O0-fve $1,000 bills
and ten 500 bills. I will shoot you
if you make a false movement. So be
careful. My partner outside also has
you covered, and if you give an alarm
within three minutes after I leave he
will throw a stick Of dynamite through
the front entrance. Put the money in
an envelope. DONE talk
The shots were heard by a patrol
man on the street, who ran into the
bank building in time to see Clark
fall. Mr.. Wyckof is go years Of age
and resides in Montclair, N. j. Clark
is about go years old and wears a SAN
dy moustache. He was we'll dressed.
After reading the letter handed him
by Clark President Wyckof started to
raise himself from his chair when the
stranger drew a pistol, pointing it at
the president, said in a tone scarcely
above a whisper, "Stir, move or speak,
and I'll kill you"
Unmindful Of the threat President
WyckoH jumped to his feet and made
a spring for the door at the other end
of the Office. Clark was too quick for
him, anticipating the presidents
move, got to the door first aud wheel
ing suddenly, he pointed the pistol at
Mr.. Wyckof and fired. The bullet
struck Mr.. Wyckof in the very centre
Of the abdomen. The would-be muir
derer then turned the pistol on him
self and sent a ball through his left
side in the vicinity Of the heart. In
stantly he placed the pistol to the
right side Of his neck and fred again.
This time the ball went clear through
his neck and he dropped to the floor
bleeding profusely. As soon as he
was shot President Wyckof turned
and ran to the door through which
Clark first made his appearance and
out into the corridor near the Broad
way entrance.
A policeman was called into the
bank who sent for an ambulance. As
Mr.. Wyckof was being placed in it a
positor in the / * rushed up and
spoke to him. Mr.. Wyckof said: I'm
in great pain. Please give me a drink
of water" It was at least fifteen
minutes before the ambulance started
for the hospital and during this time
President Wyckof lay in great agony.
He said: ''This is brutal, keeping me
here this long when l am in such
pain
A minute later the assassin, with
face and body covered with blood, was
carried from the place where he had
shot himself. Both men were removed
to the hospital and both are perhaps
fatally injured.
MI. Wyckof made an ante-mortem
statement in substance as above re-
lated. Clark absolutely refused to
make any statement and would not
give his name and address or his oc.
cupation. He said that he needed
money and had been out Of employ
meut for one week. He claimed. that
he had no particular motive other than
getting money to support his wife and
boy. He said: II have never seen
the bank president before aud did not
know him. He never done me nor
any member of my family any wrong.
I did not mean to harm him but when
refused the demand that / made l
meant suicide.
l hope that he may recover. 1t my
wife should identify me I will not be
laid in the potter field. I have been
here about ffteeasyears. I was born
in the West. There can be no de-
famatory statements against this man
as he has too high a standing. I be-
lieve partially in religion. There was
only one life I wanted to take and
that was mine.
Whether there was really an ac-
complete or not is not known. The
police do not know Clark. Neither
had any of the bank employees ever
e e him about the bank. His real
identity is a mystery and every effort
is being made to identify him. The
accepted theory is that he was crazy.
The shooting created great excite
ment in the bank and on Broadway.
In a few minutes all Wall street, a
mile and half away, knew it and
wild rum0rS were a1OaG Lnere. One
was that the would-be assassin vas a
bank officer, but this vas quickly de-
MED. The attempt Of Norcross to kill
Russell Sage was recalled and intensi-
fed the excitement. The bank officers
were quickly upon the scene and in a
short while every arrangement was
perfected for any emergency. Presi-
dent Wyckof has apartments in the
Chelsea fats and also a home in Mont
clair, N. j., where he his wife and
two married daughters live. One is
the wife of W. R. Brinkerhof, of the
New York County Bank.