The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-15
MURDEROUS ATTACK
Convict Monahan Of Jersey
City Breaks Loose in
Trenton Prison.
SLABS WI OF HIS KEEPERS
Captain Hempsing's High Collar
Saved His Life-Mania for
Stabbing.
SLABS TWO OF HIS KEEPERS
Special to the Jsrssu city Nslus.


TRENTON, July 10, 1Ss6-Had Captain
William III. Hempsing had not on a nigh
collar yesterday, he would undoutebls
have been murdered in the "Center7 OF
the New Jersey State Prison. AS it is
he is laid up at his home with thres
stitches in the left side of his neck, about
half an inch above the juglar.
The deed was committed by John Mona
man.. a six-foot giant from Jersey City
who is serving a fve-year sentence for
a~trocious assault on a man in Jersey
City.
It was suspected at the prison that
Monahan, who had worked IN the shoe
shop. had a shoemaker's knife concealed
on his person.
About nine O'Clock yesterday morning
he. with some other prisoners, was al
lowed to take half an hours walk for
exercise in the yard As he was passing
through the Center on his return,
Captain Hempsing, who is the acting
center keeper, told him to face the wall,
being the form of punishment for trivial
Offenders. After the other prisoners We're
locked in their cells, Captain Hempsing,
who is a very small man, but consider
cred by all to be the pluckiest man in
the prison, walked over to Monahan, and
in a cool manner said
GIVE me the knife you have in your
pocket
Monahan looked down upon the little
marshal and, drawing the knife from his
pocket. said
I'm have your hearts blood"
And as the marshal made a step aside,
the prisoner evidently thought he was
about to draw his revolver, for he yelled:
Shoot and be d"
Quick as a flash Captain Hempsing
grabbed the modern Hercules, but the
Ids were too much in the latter's favor.
He made q lunge at the captains throat,
and but for the captains high collar
would have killed him..
All this happened in an instant. The
deputies in the surrounding corridors,
hearing the noise in the Center" rushed
in, and for a moment there was a fierce
struggle. It took nine men to overpower
Monahan. and before he was conquered
he had cut Deputy Keeper Maddan's left
hand and right wrist and had made a
cut several inches long in the ous of
one of the deputies.
Deputy John Laggan struck the pris-
oler twice across the top of the head
witha heavy night stick, but even this
had no effect on the enraged man. Ever
after he was 1oored and the several
powerful deputies were holding him down
with their weight, he refused to let go
OF the knife. Deputy Keeper BarWis
struck the man across the knuckles with
a night stick, but he still held on. FL
n2lly MIR. Barwis and DR.. Bruere, the
prison surgeon, Dried the hand open and
got the knife away. The prisoner was
then placed in irons and removed to
the dungeon. where he will be kept
until some disposition is made of his
case
DR.. Bruere examined the wounds of
Captain Hempsing and Mr.. Madam He
found 1t necessary to put three stitches
in Captain Hempsing's neck and two
stitches in Mr.. Maddan's right hand.
Later Head Keeper Moore sent Captain
Hempsing home in a carriage, but Deputy
Madam remained at his post all day.
Monahan has been in the prison since
October, 1898. and would have finished
his time next year had he behaved HIM
self. Up to yesterday he had always
been considered a good prisoner. TIE
crime, however, for which he. was sent
70 prison was of a similar nature to his
act of yesterday. He quarreled with a
friend named Cassidy in a Jersey City
saloon. After the quarrel he went away
and, returning later, gave a boy five
cents to go in the saloon and ask Cas-
eidy to come out. AS Cassidy left the
saloon MOnahan stabbed him In the
abdomen with a butcher knife. He was
caught before doing any further dam
age.
Keeper Moore will have an investigation
made as TO Monahan,s sanity. and if It
is proven that his mind is sound he will
make a charge against him before the
Mercer county Grand jury.
captain Hempsing is fifty-dve years of
age. and has been connected with the
prison for eighteen years. When seen
at his home. No. % Lewis street. by
a reporter, last night, ne seemed to be
an excellent spirits. He hopes to be able
ae return in a few days to his duties at
ltiE UElS0n.