Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-15
BOTH WERE WELL KNOWN
An Exciting Affair on Crowded
Business Street.
THE PRISONERS STATEMENT


was first carried to Drews drug store on
| the opposite corner and then removed i'm thu
ambulance of the Emergency Hospital.
The cause of the tragedy was a difficulty
about money matters
As may be imagined, an occurrence Of
such a sensational character as the Shoot
ing OF man in one of the busiest blist-
ness sections of the city at an hour in the
DAY wnen probably more people arc on the
streets than at any other time created the
| most intense excitement People we're
| swarming out Of the Treasury Department
! and the places of business on the way to
| lunch and enjoying the bright sunshine.
| Suddenly the report of a pistol was heard,
! the shots, three or four in number, follow
| ing each other in rapid succession.
Looking in the direct ton Of the sound the
| spectators saw a youngish-looking man,
wearing Prince Albert black coat ard a
silk hat, standing in the street about ten
| or fifteen feet from the northwest corner
of 14th and + streets. All at once he stag
| gereG, then his arms went up above his
head and he sank on one knee. lie strug-
gied TO get up but In vain. and then he fell
en- the pavement. going down heavily and
in heap as if he had lost entire control
of his body. Men and boys ran TO the
fallen man, while Others collected about a
large, well-dressed man, who with pale lace
stood facing the crowd.
The Arrest.
There were cries heard of Don't let him
get away and some threats were uttered.
The tall man, who proved to be Canty. as
sured those about him that he was not 60
ing to try to get away, and I'm few mo-
ments a policeman forced path through
the throng and settled the uncertainty
u
ought to be done with Canty.
He will &C with me. said the officer,
| as with firm grasp of Canty's arm he
began to force his way out OF the crowd
again. But as he moved the spectators
moved also. and 50 the mass OF men with
the police officer and Canty in the center
made their way slowly across + street and
started to go down l4th street. Happening
to cab standing on l4th street, the
officer concluded That he would make bet
ter progress by raing, and So putting his
prisoner inside, h, took seat at his side
and. the driver s,artIng his horses. the vol
untary escort WAS soon left behind.
In the meantime TIE Emergency Hospital
wagon had been summoned and the body
of Rye was brought out from the drug
store where il had been carried and the
wagon followed at a short interval down
1ith street the cab containing Canty After
the removal of the two principals, dead and
living, the crowd surged around trying to
find out the details Of the affair.
Much Excitement.
In the excite ment of the moment there
We're several rather sharp encounters
among individuals composing the crowd
about Canty.
AS he was taken away by the officer the
feeling seemed to reach a rather acute
stage and at time there was liability
of personal encounters. A large number OF
people saw one OF more phases, but very
few the entire affair.
One man at least was witness of the
entire tragedy, and that was Mr.. Pierre
Waggaman. He was standing at The north
west corner of 14th street and + street
talking with Canty when Rye came up.
1t is a singular coincidence" said Mr..
Weggaraan, in talking to a Star reporter
about the n after, that when Rye ap-
preached US Canty was saying to me that
he was afraid that Rye going to kill
him. Yesterday Canty told me Rye met
Canty in front of 1881 + street and he drew
knife and Threatened to kill him.
When Rye came up to us today" con-
tnued Mr.. WagSaman he took out his
knife and was evidently intending to at
tack Canty, when the latter drew his pis-
tol and shot him. 1t was purely a case of
self-iefense," concluded Mr.. Waggaman.
The Statement of the Prisoner.
Mr.. Canty was seen by reporter for
The Evening Star shortly after he
taken to the first precinct station house.
He was seated in chair inside the railing
behind which the station keepers desk is
situated, and was calm and collected. He
said that he had not yet seen counsel. and
was disinclined to talk until he had done
so, but he felt sure that The Star reporter
would record him correctly.
When the brokerage firm of which /
was a member failed some time ago from
the effects of the bull market" said Mr..
Canty, Cieorge Rye had an account with
the firm. He claimed that there was ball
ance in his favor. but upon an examination
of the books ii was shown that he was
really indebted TO the firm to small
amount. This fact stated to him, but
he declined to believe it, and continued to
demand what he claimed was due him,
something like a couple of hundred dollars.
Even IL his claim had been well founded IL
would have been impossible to have paid
him the debt, because 1 had lost all i had
in the failure, and had even gone SO far as
to sell the carpets off the floor of my house
to help meet my obligations.
Meeting of tke Men Yesterday.
las time has gone on, Rye has become
more persistent in his demands am yes-
terday, F street, in front of Jeffrey's
brokers office. he assaulted me. He drew
out knife and held it in his hand and de-
ciared that he would call me up and down
every time and everywhere he met me.
told him that it was not right for him to
fesl the way he did, and that If he would
only listen to an explanation he would
realize it. He continued his abuse of me,
walked away from him.
To-day 1 was standing with Pierre Wag-
gfman in front of the new West srn Union
telegraph office. at the corner of 14th and L
streets. when Rye came up. He said to
me: DO yep want 10 call me nowg told
him: No, George; ] don't want TO call you
at any time. His manner then grew as
Threatening as 1t was yesterday ard he put
his hand behind him. / thought he was
going to draw his knife and attack me- and
I stepped back and shot him. because
fo1f fhar q ft,sar ,lx-
do How is he?"
Informed of Rye's Death.
The Star reporter informed Mr.. Canty
that MIR. Rye was dead. The announce
ment did not change the manner of tho
prisoner. save to the extent of causing him
to lower his voice.
II am very sorry for that" he said, but
am sure that it was a question Of my