The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-16

color, evidently with a whitewash brush.
On one of these boards / found my friend
George Rye, with a block and a news
paper under his head, and over his body
an old dirty sheet. Ny attention was
riveted particularly upon him, and it was
only when ! turned to go out that | no.
ticed particularly the despicably horrible
place. Alongside of him lay an old col
ored woman, who had died of heart dis
ease on the street"
Mr.. Brooks's Story.
Mr.. Hobart Brooks proprietor of the
Capital who has an office in the building
where Mr.. Jeffords's office is, in front of
which the first encounter took place on
Monday. made the following statement
as to this phase of the trouble between
the men:
1T is not true that Canty ran away
from Rye. Mr.. Canty was standing in
front of the building with several friends
on Monday, when Mr. Rye approached
him. All of these people saw the occur
renee and their statements are all alike.
Mr.. Rye approached Canty in a most
threatening and abusive manner and be-
gan to make ugly remarks. Canty stood
still and advised Rye to go away and
said that he could not be drawn into a
fight. Rye continued to heap the ranlSest
abuse on Canty. His words were so bad
and his actions so outrageous that he
was finally forced to leave the place by
the men who witnessed the whole thing.
He had knife in his hand, long dirk, a
most brutal weapon. Canty went back
into the building then, but he simply left
to avoid trouble. Any other idea is pre-
posterous, as he is most courageous
man. He knew that Rye had the dirk,
whether he saw it or not, as people told
him."
Alphonzo 2. Cook. an office boy in the
building where this quarrel occurred.
made the following statement:
Il was standing in the hall of the build
ing and was just going out into the street.
Mr.. Canty was standing in the doorway
with several people when Mr. Rye came
up. Mr.. Rye called Mr.. Canty awful
names. Mr.. Canty stood still and made
no comment. Finally NTr. Canty turned
slowly around and went into the office.
l saw very large knife in Mr. Rye's
hand The blade seemed to me to be
several inches long. 1 was afraid that he
was going to cut MF. Canty with it,
Mr.. Polkinhorn, another eye witness of
the quarrel on Monday, made this state
ment: Il saw the alteration between
them in front of the old Riggs Fire Insur-
ance Company building Rye came and
put his fist in Canty's face and called
him a thief and other names. He was
terribly abusive. Canty could hardly re-
strain himself, but told Rye that he did
not want quarrel, and that he would
better get out and not make any more
trouble. Sfr, Rye had something In, his
hand which l thought was a knife"
Charles Morgan, another Mutual Dis
trict messenger boy. living at No G2s
Pennsylvania Avenue, said: az was com
ing up the Western Union building steps
AS ! got to the top ! saw the two men
talking. The man who got shot started
to walk across the street. l did not see
any knife, but he might have had one.
Rye was walking toward the Ebbitt
House. Canty was standing on the curb
stone. Rye was about ten or twelve
feet away. Canty put his hand in his hip
pocket and as Rye turned around, Canty
fired. After the second shot Rye hal
looed and sunk down.
The boy explained that he had heard
the mems names after the shooting and
that he did not know them beforehand.
A Knife Found
]. W. Fritch, employed as a carpenter
and mechanic by the Mutual District
Messenger Company, stated that he did
not see the shooting. He was notified by
Mr.. Callum that some one had been shot
and told TO see that Canty did not get
away. Fritch hurried from the building
and stepped up to Canty and placed him
under arrest A minute later Policeman
Riley appeared and Fritch went down the
street with the officer. Half a square
from the scene of the tragedy an un-
known man stepped up to the officer. and
handing him a knife, remarked, Here is
the knife; ] found it at the Ebbitt House
corner
Policeman Riley said: II am certain
from what ! have heard that Rye did
not have any knife when he fell"
Mr.. Callum manager of the Mutual
District Messenger Company. stated that
he saw the man who handed the knife
to the officer and described him as having
a light coat and being rather stout
Paul Vincent, another messenger boy,
stated that he was standing on Four
teenth Street. near the Western Union
building. Two men came along" ne
said. "and they were quarrefing loudly
That is what attracted my attention.
They were excited. The man they call
Canty, who wore glasses stood on the
corner and the other man started across
the street toward the Ebbitt House Can
ty stepped backward into the street and
then put his hand into, his pocket He
pulled out a revolver and held it in his
hand about second. lie looked down at
it and then pointed it at the man who was
shot. He fired one shot and stopped for
three seconds and then fired three more
quickly. | did not see the man shot have
a knife"
Canty From the West.
Mr.. Canty formerly lived in Illinois. He
came here from East St. Louis, ten or
more wears ago and has long considered