The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-19

| acter. Well, on the election day said
| to John Kelly: What shall we do?
O'Brien is out with his gang playing his
| tricks. His gang are the most violent
| criminals and ruffians in all New York.
They are smashing ballot boxes and
terrorizing the citizens. 1t will be hard
day
Never you mind said Kelly. What
we have got to do is simply go right on.
We are right, and all these outrageous
things that O'Brien and his gang are
doing must just be met as best we can
You go straight down to the worst dis
trict where he is carrying on, and ex
postulate with him. &c." said Mr..
Croker, although it was not a pleasant
task, 1 made my way down to the poll
ing station where O'Brien was at that
moment carrying on to no end. He had
taken complete charge of the ballot
boxes. and no man on the other side
was allowed to VOTE while for Hewitt
the 'repeaters' were being voted all the
time. You never saw such a scene of
violence and disorder. l went straight
up to O'Brien with few of my men
behind me, and began to expostuIate
with him. 'O'Brien,' I said you ought
TO be ashamed of yourself. This kind
of thing is a disgrace to the city, He
was very excited and very violent. and
the more l expostulated with him the
more outrageous he became. But was
not afraid of him or his ruffians, and I
went on pointing out earnestly the out
rage he was committing upon the law,
when suddenly heard a shot fired be-
hind me. looked round, and there
was one of O'Brien's men on the ground
with shot through him, dead OF dying.
There was Immediately great hubbub,
and instantly, as | was the foremost
representative of the other side. they
declared that it was l who had killed
the man. O'Brien and his gang accused
me of shooting him, and when the DO
lice came l was handed over to them
under arrest on charge of murder. I
was as innocent as babe unborn At
the very moment the shot was fired I
was pleading for the majesty of the
law, and expostulating in the name of
order and good government against the
abominable violence to which O'Brien
and his criminals were subjecting the
citizens. As for shooting the man, he
was shot behind my back, nor was I
aware of his existence until I saw him
lying on the ground with shot in him.
But the opportunity was too good to be
been in the lead against O'Brien. and
the chance was too good to be lost"
Had you a weapon?" Mr.. Stead
asked.
mo. SIR" said he. 1T never carried
a weapon in my life other than my two
hands"
Then who was 1t that killed him?"
| "A man." said he, "a friend of mine
who had followed me into the polling
place. AS 1 was being led to the sta
ton he followed me in the crowd 1
said, Who shot the man.? He replied:
did. He was a ruffian. One of
O'Brien's gang was shouting and max
ing a fuss behind you when you were
expostulating with O'Brien. As he got
more excited he picked up a rock and
was just going to brain my brother,
with whom he was having an argu-
ment. When 1 saw his hand lifted with
| the stone in it, I whipped out my gun
and shot him to save my brothers life.
If I had not fired. my brother might
have been dead by now"
Well" asked Mr.. Stead. did the
| man give himself up?"
mo" said Mr.. Croker. land of course