The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-05
MURDER CHARGED.
Drunken Spree in a Law
yeT's Office Ends in a
Tragedy.
VICTIM DIES IN THE HOSPITAL
QuarreIed Over an Acquaintance
and Then a Blow Was Struck
Accused Mans Story.
VICTIM DIES In THE HOsPIT 81

imam coACof ~ yCtaAc OiAs 0iSA III
the City Hospital last Night and his
death is attributed to a blow re-
celyed from William Meloy in
drunken brawl on New Years night.
Jones for some years past has earied
living cleaning out lawyers Offices
in the Beach Building. No. $50
Newark avenue, and Meloy has
existed about as comfortably in draw
ing up the simplest form of legal
papers, at which he was an expert.
On New Years Day ex-Assembly-
man Carl Ruempler presented Jones
with turkey and bottle of whis-
key. These and several other bottles
of whiskey were taken by Jones to
the Office of Counsellor Mervyn Arm
strong. Jones spread paper over the
desks in the office and then went out
to find some cronies to enjoy the
feast. He picked up two men and
Meloy. The four then went back to
the office and must have had a most.
elegant time, for by six o'clock moth
ing but bones was left of the turkey
and four bottles of whiskey had been
emptied.
Jones and Meloy quarreled over a
mutual acquaintance, Mr.. Merwyn
Armstrong.
Meloy picked up sheet iron shovel
and hit Jones with it over the head.
The blow bent the shovel and was
covered with blood. The two un-
known men when this happened
skipped out at once. Meloy wandered
off and Jones went to the station
no use.
There he made complaint of as
sault and battery against Meloy.
Meloy was arrested and on Saturd a v
morning Justice Douglass, in Oak
land Avenue Police Court, held Meloy
without bail to await the result of the
injury to Jones.
Jones, when he made the COM
plant, did not seem TO be very Sc
verely hurt. though he was so drunk
it was hard to tell how badly he was
injured.
The police deemed it wise to have
him sent to the City Hospital. From
the moment he arrived there hisscon-
dition grew rapidly worse, and
early yesterday morning he be
came unconscious. This alarm
ed the police and Detectivo
Keenan, took Meloy to the hospital to
have him identified by Jones, Jones
however. was too far gone then to
recognize any one, and died without
regaining consciousness. MeloY was
then taken back to the Oakland ave-
nue. police station, and the charge of
atrocious assault was changed to
manslaughter
When arraigned this morning he
lnanded to await the action of the
Grand Jury.
II did not hit Jones at all'' said
Meloy to a News" reporter. I'VE
had all been drinking, and when
Jones began calling Armstrong names
became angry and told him he was
liar This made Jones furious. and
picking up a poker he made an effort
to hit me over the head with it. I
pushed him away as he was too old
for me to hit. When pushed him, he
hit the stove, knocked down the stove
pipe and fell down against the coal
scuttle. The coal shovel was in the
scutEle and the shovel eos bent and
full of blood. When we got into
Armstrong; Office we found a couple
of strangers there. Who they were
or where they went to I do not
know
When the police made a search Of
the office they found things pretty
we'll mixed up. The bones of the
turkey along with four ,empty bottles
of waiskey were on the table. A fur
ther search revealed full bottle of
whiskey hidden under the sink. The
shovel, poker and CRATE litter, all of
which are covered with blood, were
taken to the station house as evi-
dence.
The prisoner, Charles Meloy, is So
years old and lives at No. 46 Bright
street. He was born in Belfast, Ire
land, and came to this country as a
boy. He never married and gives his
occupation as that of clerk
No autopsy has as yet been held,
and the Warden of the Hospital says
that no time has been set. He could
not say as to whether Jones' skull
was fractured or not, but gave as his
opinion that Jones' drinking habits
had much to do with his deaGh.
DlED.