The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-02
SHOT in THE BACK.
Constable Corcoran Fired a Bullet
Into Bartender Burns.
ARRAY the OutgrowIh Of Crusade Against
Sunday Liquor Sellers.

What might have proved to be an
other fatal shooting affair took place at
Millville. In the town of Blackstone,
Mass. yesterday afternoon, and IL is
said that the fracas is the outcome OF
the crusade against the Sunday liquor
selling in that town few weeks ago,
when every saloon keeper in the town
was fined 500 on the charge OF Sunday
liquor selling. the complainant In aeon
case being Constable Dennis Corcoran'
the man charged with having com
mitted the crime. Corcoran, after the
shooting, which he claims was in self
defense, gave himself up TO Deputy
Sheriff Bacon, and was taken TO the
lookup at Ux5ridge, Mass.
The victim OF the shooting Is Matthew
III. Burns a bartender in the saloon OF
Andrew Burns g. Son, the members or
the firm being the father and brother
of the injured man. 1t is now DcneVeu
that while Burns is quite seriously
wounded he has a good chance 10 re-
cover The bullet was from .3s-caiipre
Smith a. Wesson revolver and entered
his back three inches below the right
kidney and lodged In the fleshy part OF
the right thigh. Corcoran says ne ar
rested Burns on the charge or opstruct.
ing an officer. and that he fired one shot
to scare him, and the second one at
Burns legs as he went up stairs.
According to the story told by Corco-
ran in the lookup, he recently swore
out warrants, alleging illegal selling on
Sunday, against all the liquor dealers
i'm town. and II is said that bad blood
resulted Yesterday John Burns. a
brother of Matthew, had trouble with
Corcoran. the result of which was a
warrant sworn out by Corcoran for John
Burns arrest. 1t is claimed that he
went to the saloon to serve the warrant,
having just left Deputy Sheriff Bacon
at Uxbridge. John was out. and bitter
words were exchanged between Corco-
ran and Matthew Burns.
The men exchanged some uncompli-
mentary epithets. when Matthew or
dered Corcoran out OF the saloon. and
Patrick Reynolds, who occasionally
works in the saloon, says that after
Corcoran went out Burns also stepped
out, and was hit by Corcoran with his
handouts and cut on the head. This
blow dazed Burns, and was followed
with a second blow, also with the hand
cuffs. Then Corcoran stepped back
Matthew followed him, the two clinch-
ed, Burns threw Corcoran down and
choked him so that his tongue hung out
and then he begged for mercy. Reynolds
states that Burns did not have stone
in his hand. Finally Reynolds and
M1Cnael " 1dTd scphidttu tht hhcH
Burns went into the saloon. Corcorar
| drew his revolver and started towards
| the loon.
Reynolds claims that he shouted tt
| Matthew to look out for the pistol, ant
| declares that two shots were fired. thu
| first through the glass of the window
Before the second shot was fired Burns
| came from behind the bar and the sho
| struck him above the right hip below
| tba tidpev and lodged in his thigh. III
staggered across the floor to the door
saying: Boys, I'm shot," walked vi
stairs TO a Mrs. Flynn's tenement AM
was assisted to a bed. Later. after hi
| wound was dressed Burns was taken Z
his home in a carriage.