The sun., 1899-08-17
MUSICIAN PERHAPS MURDERED.
Performed at n Coney Island Dance Hall
Where There Was Jealous Bartender.

| Performed mt Coney Island Dance Hall
Where There Was n Jealous Bartender.
John r. Nichols. who is accused Of assaultlng
and causing the death Of Frank Buntz In Mar
tin hoDonald's Raines law hotel on Tilyou's
walk. Coney Island on Tuesday night was ar
raigned before Magistrate Eostrand. In tho
Coney Island Police Court yesterday. and held
without bail to await the CoronCr's inquest.
| Buntz. who was rs years old. and lived at 9O5
| Cherry street. Philadelphia. was employed
| az a musician at the place. There arc several
conflicting stories as TO how he met his death.
and although the police are inclined to believe
that II was due to an accidental fall, others are
Of the opinion that he was murdered. The
police first learned Of the affair at $3.50 O'Clock
on Tuesday nigth. whom DrJohn z. Pierce was
called to attend the man. DIR. Pierce found
Buntz on a bed. and after a careful eIamina-
tion pronounced him dead. Ambulance Sur
Geon Cochrane. who had also been summoned.
, said that the man had been dead for at least an
hour. The police. after an Investigation. re-
ported that tho man had fallen on the board
walk In front Of McDonad's hotel. and died Of
| an Injury to the head.
At midnight Police Headquarters informed
the Coney Island police that they had received
Information that Buntz had been murdered
and another investigation was begun. DR..
Pierce again examined the body. which was
then at Havrons morgue. He found that there
was an abrasion at the base Of the skull and
swelling OF the throat. but no other mark Of
violence. Detectives arrested two special po-
licemen and Mcdonald and his employees.
Nichols. who was Mc'Donald's bartender. It
was afterward learned had left the Island. but
neither OF the men arrested would tell OF his
| whereabouts. They denied having seen the
assault. but they were nevertheless locked up
as witnesses. Nichols was arrested at the
Brooklyn entrance Of the bridge at O'Clock
yesterday morning by Detectives Shea and
Busby. Nichols denied that he had assaulted
Buntz. The latter he declared had been drink
ing heavily during the day and had received
the bruse on the head by a,fall.
The story Of the alleged assault. as far as
can be learned. is that Buntz formed the ac-
quantsnce Of a woman who was one Of the
patronlzers OF McDonald's place. and that
Nichols was jealous Of the attention he paid
to her. On Monday night there was cake
walk at the resort, and when the woman made
her appearance. the men Quarreed During
tho quarrel. II is said. Buntz was knocked
down and severely kicked by Nichols. The
fight wa. resumed early Tuesday night. and
nfter it was over Burtz was carried to a room
on the second floor OF the hotel and placed In
bed He became unconscious and remained so
until death.
As Mcdonald and the others who we're ar
rested as witnesses denied having seen the
assault committed. Magistrate Nostrand dis
charged them from custody. Coroners' Physi
clan Emil Hartung late yesterday afternoon
performed an autopsy on Buntzs body and
found that his death was due to an internal
hcmorrhage OF the head. caused by O heavy
blow