The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-20
QOALB'S DEADLY SPREE
Drunken Brute's Horrible
Murder Of an Inoffen-
sive Old Man.
FLUNG HIM DOWN STAIRS
Was in the Wrong House Himself
But Took His Victim for
an Intruder.
FLUNG HIM DOWN STAIRS


ond Criminal Court this morning, and
was held for the Grand Jury without bail
for killing an inoffensiye man over sew
enty-five years old. He is held for muir
der, but will probably be indicted for
manslaughrer, as there is no evidence
that the killing was premeditated. The
whole affair is most peculiar.
1t is the result of the blunder of
drunken man. For three months Quale
has made his home with his sister-in-law,
Ellen Quale, at No. 9 Van Horn street.
His brother is in Kansas, where he has
work. He sends money at regular inter-
walls to his wife, but cannot give her
much, as his income is meager. Mrs.
Quale depended largely upon the board
paid her by Robert. The house she lives
in is one of ten two-story frame buildings,
all alike, running from No. l to No. 10
Van Horn street. They are arbitrarily
numbered, all being on the same side of
the street. Mrs. Quale's apartments con-
sst of three rooms. The main room,
which extends across the front of the
building, is used as kitchen dining room
and parlor 1t is entered by door at
the head of the stairs. At the rear of
rooms, each half the size of the larger
room. The same arrangement of the
rooms exists in all the houses on the row.
One of the bed rooms was occupied by
Quale, the other by his sister-in-law.
The second floor of the house, No. 6
Van Horn street, is occupied by Mrs.
Murtha and her daughter, Sadie, Is years
old. With them boarded Michael Lynch,
the old man who was murdered. Lynch
was fairly well to do. He had few
hundred dollars, the proceeds of the sale
4of some property he owned on Duncan
avenue, and he was said to own property
in New York City He paid Mrs.
Murtha literally for his board. He was
quite feeble and spent the greater part
of his time in his room. This explana-
ton is necessary to give clear under
standing of how the murder occurred.
Three days ago Quale, who was out of
work. started off on spree. He atank
heavily from then until the killing OF
Lynch. Yesterday afternoon, at half past
three o'clock, he left the house to call
on his brother, Richard Quale. No. 70
Brunswick street. lie was half full When
he left home and he had more drinks
at his brothers. He must have started
for home shortly after seven O'Clock
When ne reached Van Horn street he
was too drunk to know what ne was DO
ing He went into Mrs. Murtha's house,
thinking it his own. and Immediately
went TO the bedroom which corresponds
the liquor he had drunk. On entering
the bedroom he found Lynch, whom he
says he did not know, in the bed. In
his drunken condition he thought he saw
his sister-in-law leave the room and go
down stairs. Thinking Lynch was an in
truder in his room he seized him in
anger and dragged him into the aeod kitchen.
The old man, who had over $500 in his
pocket, probably thought Quale robber.
He fought him desperately lie was but
a mere plaything in the hands OF Quale.
who carried him to the door and threw
him head first down the stairs. The old
man landed at the bottom mass Of
bruised flesh and broken bones. Every
rib in his body was broken and his head
was badly gashed.
The fall must have killed him instantly.
Quale did not bother to descend the
After throwing him out of the apartments
he lay down upon his victims bed and
went to sleep. He was still sleeping when
Patrolman Buclzbee appeared to arrest
him. Just when the murder occurred is
not known, as there were apparently no
witnesses to it, Patrolman Buckbee was
summoned by a small boy whose name
he neglected to secure.
The boy told him that old man Lynch
had been .'done" by Quale. He took
Buckbee to the house and then d1sap-
peared Mrs Murtha was absent at the
time of the murder. She had gone with
her daughter to Clerk street to see about
getting the latter place as servant. AS
soon as Buckbee had found out what had
occurred and arrested Quale, he notified
the Communipaw avenue pohce station.
Sergeant Battersby at once sent Patrol-
men Egan and Downs in the patrol Wag-
on to his assistance. Buckbee turned his
prisoner over to Egan and Downs and
took Lynch, who, he thought, was stlli
alive, in the patrol wagon to the CITY
Hospital When the surgeon pronounced
the old man dead Buckbee took his BODY
to the morgue. When searched $S02.91
and several old letters were found in the
pockets of Lynchs clothes.
Mrs Quale, Mrs. Murtha and her
daughter and Richard Quale, the brother
who lives in Brunswick street, were all
taken to the Communipaw avenue sta
ton house, where they were questioned
News was present during the 1nquisltion
Mrs Murtha and her daughter knew
nothing Of what. occurred. Ellen Quale
made the following statement: - Robert
Quale left my house at $3.50 o'clock this
afternoon and | did not see him since.
He got out of work and had been drink
ing for three days. He was drunk When
he left my house,
QuaIe. who had sobered considerably,
was taken from his cell at ten o'clock
and was questioned by the Captain He
said:-sT am an engineer when | can get
work and a laboring. man when can't
get anything else to do to make a living.
When I left my brother Dicks house l
went up to my home, No. Van Horn
street. MY brother lives at No. % Bruns-
wick street. I found this man in my
i'oSSg What man?a asked the Captain
II don't know his name. / couldn't tell
you
.sWas it the man you had the trouble
with?',
ssYes, sir
ssWhat house were you imp
"It is my brothers house, where make
nv horne | found him in my bed room.
A woman ran down stairs Che afterwards
qualified this statement by saying he
thought a woman ran down stairs) / was
in q temper and / caught hold of him
and threw him down stairs
Lynch did not seem to feallze Jnat all
this had occurred in Mrs. Murtha's house.
He accounted for his being in Mrs. Muir
tha,s house when arrested by saying he
must have gone there after he threw
Lynch down stairs. The amount Of it is
he was too drunk when he killed Lynch
to know Just what he did.
Patrolrian William Buckbee made a
statement in writing to Captain Mchalg
| ! . folIoWs:- At $40 P. M, while patrol
ing nv post corner of Johnston and Man
ming avenues, boy whom did not know
sa,1lted at No. Van Horn street. i'm
mediafely went to No. IS Van Horn street
and found Michael Lynch in the lower
hallway in an unconscious condition..
was Informed that Lynch was assaulted
by Robert (luale. | Immediately went up
then.sent Lynch to the Hospital in the pa
troll wagon, and when he arrived there the
aInhuIance a surgeon pronounced him dead
THE prisoner was taken to the station
| house bv Patrolmen Egan and Downs.
The body Of Michael Lynch was taken to
the morgue in the patrol wagon. ! saw
| Assistant Morgue Keeper Heck search the
f.7x