The times., 1898-05-29

He Arms Himself the Night Be-
fore the Shooting.
The crisis in the Canty trial, which
has been in progress in criminal court
No ! for the las. two weeks, was reach
ed yesterday little before noon. when
the defendant, Dennis J. Canty, who is
charged with the murder of George NJ.
Rye. on March 10 last, took the witnese
stand to testify in his own behalf
For the last two days it was generally
known that the defense was nearing the
close of its case and that its evidence
would end with the testimony of the de-
fendant Ii was not surprising then that
when Canty was called to the stand yes
terday a little before noon that the court
room was crowded TO its full capacity.
As soon as Mr.. Worth.ngton, counsel-in-
chief for the defense, said, Mr.. Canty,
viii you take the stand" there was an
ominous silence during which everyone
seemed 10 hold his breath till the witness
had spoken. His every word was listen
ed 10 attentiyely by all who were present.
| No one appeared so intensely Interested
| in the story about to be told as Mrs.
! Canty, the wife of the witness. She sat
nearly opposite to him and seemed TO
drink in eagerly every word he uttered; ;
| il appeared as If it were the first time
| she had heard the story of the shoot
! ing. The defendants other relations. his
mother. father. brother and sister, were
also present and listened with rapt
attention TO the testimony.
When Canty took the stand he was a
/ little paler than usual, but he soon re-
/ gained his color. From the moment he
started TO testify he was calm and coll
/ lected; his voice was clear and fun, and
! he never once hesitated in his replies to
| the interrogations put to him, either on
the direct or cross examination. At times
during his testimony the defendant SEEM
ed 10 forget the seriousness of the occa-
sion, and frequently smiled.
This was most noticeable when, in re-
| ply TO the question If he remembered
1 playing cards with Rye, he said he had
| reason TO remember, as he had lost all
/ the money he had with him at the time.
The cross-examination of the defendant
! was not concluded by the district attor-
ney on account Of the lack Of knowledge
I on the part Of Canty as to where he pur-
/ chased the pistol with which he killed
/ Rye He stated that he bought II at a
/ secondhand dealers on Z Street. some
where between Tenth and Thirteenth
! Streets.
story of the Shooting.
Canty testified as follows: 81 am
thirty-nine years old; when 1 came
to Washington had charge of a
division in the Interstate Commerce Com.
mission till two years ago; I then went
into the stock brokerage business"
He then explained his business trans
fers Ill il came TO be "Canty & Co"
Continuing, he said: The firm failed
last August l met Mr.. Rye four year.
ago. he had two transactions with me; al
the time we failed we owed Rye between
$500 and $500; we settled with him, / un.
dersto0d, on the basis of p cents on the
dollar; a few days before / went to New
York, Mr.. Van Sender told me that ht
had some paper Of Rye's; ! never had
any talk with Rye about money from the
time we paid him the 500 till the day be-
fore the shooting; l saw Rye frequently
/ but did not talk business; I saw Mr.
MadduX after l came back from New
York. some time in October: he told m,
that Rye was looking for me about som,
money matters and thar ne (Rye) hal
said he would cut my vitals out and tol,
me 10 watch out for him as he was
/ dangerous man.
y saw Rye in front Of 1881 Stree
the day before the shooting. AS l wa.
about going into No. 1881 F Street. l san
Rye standing in front talking 10 som,
one; Rye called me, and l went to tn,
railing and sat down he said to me
Well. how about our affair." l told min
we had q note of his from Havenner, ant
he said: 'Havenner and you all are a par
eel of C. - thieves Rye called nj
a - - big cur, and a stinking
He was then about six inches from
me; / then noticed his right hand. ant
saw knife blade in it; I saw about tw,
inches of the blade; I then got off tn
railing; ! said nothing till he said: C
- you. I'll go anywh ere with you an,
I asked him 10 go inside; Rye said: No
the street is good enough for me- an,
kept on abusing me; I went into the of
flee, and left him standing on the pave
ment; did not see Mr.. Van Sender be
fore the difficulty with Rye"
Prepared for the Shooting.
When the court convened after reces
the defendant took the stand again an
continued his story of the shooting an
the circumstances which led to it. H
said:
.'On the day of the fuss at No. 1881 ]
Street I went home arriving there a
about 3:45 .. m. ! did not leave there un
til the next morning al 10 o'clock; it wa
my habit 10 go ont in the evening; l ha
, I company a home; when / left home o
the day of the shooting I was armed wit
revolver; 1 prepared for It tn
night before; l had the pistol about fou
years; l kept il at home; it was sec
ond-hand when l bought it; prior TO m
difficulty with Rye 1 never carried il
] put IL in my rght-hand pants pocke
! armed myself to prc.ect myse
against Rye; when L weT
down to the Columbia Bank and dre
some money and carried it home and gay
II to my wife. I then went back and dra
a balance had in the American Securit
Company 1t was SIS or $50. l met NJ
| Waggaman and stopped to talk to hi
about money he owed me. We then star
ed TO walk toward F Street. L was on Il
outside After discussing our busine.
we began to talk of Mr.. Rye"
Continuing the defendant said: "W
were talking about Rye till he came u
Q When Rye approached 1 was standir
closer TO the curb than to the Wya
Building. east of the lamp post, facir
Willard Hall. ! was four or five feet fro
the curb. Mr.. Waggaman was about sout
west and facing me. My attention We
attracted by some interruption of IL
converse ton. a startled look on NJ
Waggam4il's face; l turned and saw NJ
Rye coming toward me; he came to
standstill: he was three or four feet fro
me. a little toward the northeast from M
Rye said DO you want to call me-?