The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-04
ITALIAN SHOOTS BLUECOAT.
FxRELLI WAS UNDER ARREST FoR
TIoLAT IH0 LIQUOR TAX LAW.

VIOLdTING LIQUOh TA4 Law
Pulled out n Revolver In the Marrow Hallwn.
and Shot O'Keefe Twice-Third Bulie
Went wild-Policomun viii Dio-Crowt
Talked About Lynching the Shooter
Policeman Patrick o'Keefe. OF the East 12eth
street station. was shot aud MORALLY wounded
yesterday by Michael Farelli. an Italian saloon
keeper OF 23tS Second avenue. whom hi
tried to arrest for violating the liquor
tax law. OKeefe returned to his home
at AIT East Tooth street at noon. az
ter doing tho morning tour OF duty
His mother and one OF his brothers. with
whom he lives. were talking about younger
brother. Richard. One NON Der OF the lily
! suggested that probably Richard was getting
drunk In Farelli's saloon. Policeman O'Keofe.
who was In uniform. said that he would 90
| around there and see.
| O'Keefe went TO the saloon. and. passing
through the private hall. entered the bar-room
by a rear door. He looked around, and not see
ing his brother there made inquiries for him. He
| saw several persons drinking at tables. Going
| to one OF the tables. he plekod up q glass con-
tanning some liquor. and tasted the contents.
1t was Rhine wine. Then ho called Farellt
| from his place behind the bar, telling him to
put on his hat and coat and account any him
to the police station. as he was under
started for the street through tho private hall.
by means OF which OKeefe had entered the
place. Whom within few feet OF the door
leading to the Sidewalk Farelli drew
revolver. and. placing the muzzle OF 1t
against the poicemans head. fired The
bullet entered O'keefe's head at tho right
temple. As he fell to the floor. Farelli again
fred shot at him. This time the bullet struck
the policeman In the chest. The saloon keeper
fired third time. but the bullet went wild
Farelli ran through the hall into the rear
yard and climbed over tho fence. Joseph
Pietras who lives two doors below the saloon.
was In the yard and asked Farelli what the
trouble was. Tho saloon keeper replied that
he was going to get policeman as man had
been shot in his hall As soon as he was out
OF sight Pietras called three other men who
were In the yard and the four men put ovsr
the fence after Farelli.
In tho meantime. a crowd gathered in
front OF tho saloon door. Policeman
Wentworth. OF the East 10th street
station. ran into the hall and found O'Keefe
lying unconscious upon the floor. He summoned
an am bulance from tho Harlem Hospital. DR..
Thomas r. Neasfy. who responded. said that
O'Keefe had been mortally wounded. and
would probably die within a few hours. He
took tho injured man to the hospital.
the East 126th street station every available
policeman in the precinct wa. sent out by Capt.
Sheehan with orders to locate Farelli and
arrest him. The story OF the shooting was
told and rctold in every block in the neighbour
hood and soon thousand de OF people gathered on
the nearby streets and instituted hunt for
the Italian, On the police station block a
crowd. composed chiefly OF Italians wait
ed to see their fellow countryman brought
to tho station. They had known o'Keefe
and their sympathes we're with the
police in the case. Some OF them
declared that as soon as Farelli was found
they would lead n mob to hang him to the
nearest lamp post. Capt. Sheehan heard OF
these declarations. and detailed several police
men to look aftor this crowd.
Just one hour after the shooting occurred. Fa-
relli was found hiding in the hall Of house on
First avenue near 18th street. Detectives Ma
her and Manion found him. Farelli was armed
with knife, and when he saw that he was cor
nered he attacked the detectives. Policeman
BuckrldCe arrived about this time and
knocked the knife from tho Italians hand with
his club. The three officers then overpowered
Farelli. who fought nercely.
Farelli was led to the East 26th street police
station, followed by a crowd o, East side resi-
dents who wanted to lynch him. BY the time
126th street was reached. the crowd had
sweled to over 5000 and the police had great
difficulty in protecting tho prisoner from
them. At tho station Farelli said he
was 81 years old. and denied that
he had done the shooting. He said that an
other Italian had shot O'Keefe. The police took
Farelli to the hospital. and he was taken beiore
O'Keeie. who had recovered consciousness. |
The wound in the temple rendered oKeefe en-
tirely blind The police forced FarellI to speak