The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-25
DIR. MCORN'S SHOT FATAL.
DEATH OF CLINTON WHITE, THE
YOUNG CHERRY TREE ROBBER.

Tho Physician Arrniened for Murder
Thinks the Bullet Must Have Glanced
from a Stone-Evidence That 1t Did Not
Cherries Found in the Boys Stomach.
Clinton White. seventeen years old who was
shot while stealing cherries in the grounds OF
the River Crest Sanitarium in Astoria. late on
Friday afternoon. died in St. Johns Hospital
about 10 o'clock yesterday morning. DR..
William McCorn. resident physician at the
sanitarium. who fired the fatal shot. was
raigned before Magistrate Smith in the Long
Island City Police Court and was committed to
the Queens County Jail on a charge OF murder
In the fir st degree.
White was the youngest OF three children
and lived with his widowed mother. Mrs Susan
White. at 1872 Lawrence street. Astoria. Mrs.
White says misfortunes have been pursuing
her family. year and half ago her husband
died. and three months ago she lost daughter
DR.. McCorn. who did the shooting. is about
80 years old He is tall Is smooth shaver and
wears glasses. After the shooting he was
locked up in the Astoria station. and yester-
day morning. when the boys condition be-
came critical 1t was deemed advisable to have
the boy identify him again. In company
with two detectives the doctor was about
DR.. John J. Kindred, the proprietor OF the sani-
tarum where DR.. McCorn was engaged. spent
sides The hospital staff Of physicians Dr. James
| Trask Of Astoria also spent q part Of the night
the sr o P boE ns Sd to n MGq ,Rs
ordeal we'll but toward morning lie BEGAN to
| ward the ground. and he thinks 1t poss he that
one OF the bullets may have glanced upward
from a stone and struck the hoy,
night. He found that the bullet had entered
the body II the back between the tenth and and
spine. Then it passed forward. downward and
| to the left through the spleen into the peri
s SsI Of hs
below the cardiac orilce and ono inch
hen sa S" the
through the ,peural cavity between the eighth
and ninth ribs anH 6fnah tue xp
ane,ha af Of the brain WIS utilised With blood;
There was quart OF blood in the pleural
In the boys, stomach DIR. Strong found
From the course the bullet took through the
boys body pr. Strong DECLARES that il Is sim
ply lmposshS that the hall was detected from IN
said that the bullet itself clearly showed that it
had not hit anything hard, as it was not mashed
Former I"'i.1 *|,''ce Coal'rs T. Duffy of
Long Island Guy, counsel for Dr. McCorn. says
the charge Of murder in the fret degree
changed to manslaughter and the prisoner adj
IN his statement to the detectives and doc
tors on being taken to the hospital Friday
| evening. young W nlte NUlu ne WAS OUTSIDE inc
| sanitarium grounds knocking the fruit from
| the OV4rhanEing trees when the shots were
| fired. Two large buildings. ono known rs the
J old Fisk mansion and the other as the old
WulcOtt mansion. constituted tho Sanitarium.
Extensive grounds. filed with shrubbery and
fruit trees, surround each place. and It il
| said that the sanitarium people have heen
very much annoyed by different crowds Of
boys who have sought to rob tho trees
several boys have been arrested for trcspass-
i9G on the ,sanitarum, pronerty. but, they were
discharged by the Magistrate with a simple
! rpnrmnnd, Several days ago DIR, McIOrn
called upon the District Attorney office in
lection. Ho said the police were unable to
| AFFORD them protection against tho depreda-
tons on the property by the gangs Of boys in
| the neighborhood and he demanded that the
| county take the matter in hand. He got no
satisfaction from the district Attorneys Office.
| and he left with the remark. so it is said. that
| that he would fix the matter" himself
| Other residents in that section com plain OF
| the raids made by the boys. and 1t 10 said a
| number Of wealthy families living Whereabouts
| are simply helpless and permit the boys to
| have their way. On the other hand, some COM
plain OF what they term tho reckless shooting
INDUCED In by mon employed at the SANTA
| rum.
1t was while watching the grounds while the
help were at dinner on Friday evening that
| DIR. McCorn found White and a number OF
other boys stealing the cherries. He ordered
| them out, and as they refused to leave he fired
| three shots from a 3S-calibre revolver. 1t WAS
the third shot that struck White. who fell in the
| roadway,