New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-29
TRIED TO KILL a CORONER.
MYSTERIOUS SHOOTING OF DIR. EDWARD
y. SKINNER. OF MINEOI-A.
RADry WOUNDED WHILE He WAS PREPARING
TO RESFOND TO MIDNIGHT OAi'
For MEDICAL. SERVICE


FOR MEDICAL SERVICE.
Dr. Edward d. Skinner, prominent physi-
clan and q Coroner in Queens County. was sho'
and seriously wounded just before midnight on
Wednesday at his home In Mineola the aHair
Is a complete mystery. The attempt TO emu
the. doctors life appears 10 have been most
deliberately planned. What the motive was mas
not been learned The man or men VINO meoe the
attempt on his life got away. and the au'hori
ties have not been able to make any heau""S
in the Investigation DR. Skinner may uie' az
ono time Yesterday afternoon his temperature
reached 1O3. but this dropped later ana ias'
evening II was almost normal. while the doctor
was resting. Blood poisoning Is what the at
tending physicians fear most. DR.. Skinner IS
mas, e,xtv vears old and although he has al
WAYS been strong and vigorous his age u
somewhat against him.
The doctor and his wife retired about lo''
o'clock Wednesday night. An hour or 50 later
there was a rap on the front door which aroused
the doctor Whoever rappnG pulled 'he
hell and then continued to beat q tattoo on the
door Dr. Skinner. in his long practice, mas De-
come used 10 midnight calls. and as he arose
10 answer this one he slipped on dressing
gown and put his head out Of the window 10
know what was wanted lie thinks there
were two men below and one OF them eX-
claimed: Hurry up doctor Willard Tappehs
housekeeper is dying. and Il you don't get
thore soon she will he dead
DR. skinner knew Willard Tappen as farmer
living in East Wiston. and knew also that
he had housekeeper He was the family
physician He responded that he would De
right down. and at once drew on his ciothlhS'
Dressed with the exception or his nat ana
coat he went downstairs. carrying hghteo
lamp and opened the front door. The man
who spoke to him before was standing AT the
edge Of the stoop and DR.. Skinner said he
would start as soon as he had his horse hltcheo
The man replied that this not required as
ne had a horse and buggy there. and wouid
take the doctor out and bring him back In
telling the doctor this he said we" indicating
that he had a companion This was satsfac-
tory 10 DR.. Skinner. and the man started as
though TO get his own horse ready.
COULD NOT SEE HIS FEATURES.
The man who talked to the doctor was not so
tall but was stout He had a deep grur voice
The doctor could not see his features, and did
not notice how h dressed.
Dr. Skinner took up the lamp again and
started down to the basement where his office
is 10 get his medicine case on entering his or
fee the doctor saw that the front window was
OPEN He thought at the moment that he had
forgotten to close il. but has since recalled dis
tinctly that before he went upstairs he had
shut it, The sash thrown up. There was a
netting in the window. This was in place The
doctor placed the lamp on the table and walked
10 the far side of the office to get his case AS
he stopped over there was report. followed by
the noise of broken glass falling.
Dr. Skinner must have been stunned, for he
does not remember feeling any pain the mo-
ment. His first thought was for the lamp, and
seeing this all right. he says. the thought flashed
into his mind that bottle OF acid had exploded
He remembers thinking of the damage the acid
would do. and then his memory became indis-
tinct until his wife accosted him.
Mrs Skinner was awakened by the rapping
and was still awake when her husband went out
of the room and started down stairs. She thinks
she must have dozed but had not got fast
asleep. She heard the report OF the gun. jumped
out of bed and without waiting to dress.
down stairs 10 what had happened. When
she entered the Office she found DR.. Skinner
standing by the table with one hand resting
upon il. He was standing fairly upon his legs.
motioness and apparently dazed. AS she en-
tered she saw blood flowing down her husbands
trousers legs She exclaimed: Why, Edward
what's happepned"' To this the doctor replied
that bottle Of acid had exploded.
But you're bleeding" exclaimed Mrs. Skinner
r.
drew 1t covered with blood. He staggered a
little and then tainted.
The goodman called. and he summoned
Or. Charles c. Finn and DR.. James \. Bogart
OF Roslyn
The doctors on examining DR.. Skinner found
that he was wounded in one hundred and forty
eight different places. That was the number OF
punctures OF the skin. Some Of these were very
small while others were Of good size. All We're
in the hips and thighs. They did not extend as
high up as the lower joint OF the backbone, and
Of le u
The shot fired from a shotgun the barrel
used being straight and not a choke barrel
In the morning the doctors took out about
score OF slugs from the Doctors hips Some OF
them were OF large size The gun appears 10
have been loaded with mixture OF bird shot,
duck shot and sugs The latter were brass
chips Six of these taken out IN the
course OF the operation. There were also some
pieces of copper. apparently clipped from
rather heavy copper wire
DETECTIVES HAVE NO CLEW
Detectives Sullivan and Downey. OF District
Attorney Youngs staff. are looking for the as
sailant assailants but yet have no clew
At little after IL o'clock the switchJnan In the
signal tower the railroad station which is
perhaps five hundred feet from Dr. SINNERS
house. saw an open wagon, in which were TWO
men. cross the track, going In the direction or
of DR.. SINNERS house. but could not describe
the men.
Dr. Skinner. his wife and his cannot throw
any light on the affair. The doctor does not ap-
pear to have had any trouble with any one and
he says he cannot imagine why any one should
have shot him.
The assassin fired through the window screen
The shot tore out the netting. The window
panes were broken. but not by the shot The
upper one appears TO have been broken by a
stone or q blow and the lower one was broken
by the conclusion. Apparently the window was
raised from the outside and left op~l. What
the purpose of this was cannot be told for the
assassin could have fired through the glass just
as well.
Another fact was discovered at daylight Inc
shutters Of window on the parlor floor, which
usually remain closed. day and night. had been
opened during the night II was at first thought