New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-05-17
GBT TELEGRAPH TO THE rn1BuxE.I

lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBCNE.l
Albany. May 16-There is profound grief IN
Albany tonight the terrible termination
of another days conflict between the street rail-
way company and it's employees. Two prominent
business men. one Of them Just walking into the
door Of his factory. and the other talking with
friend directly across the street from his Office
were shot by soldiers OF the National Guard who,
having been assailed by rioters with stones. fired
into crowd. The rioters escaped injury; the
Innocent men were E. Leroy Smith and William
VI. Walsh. Walsh died in a hospital at I'D
o'clock tonight A third man. William Rooney.
a laborer. had narrow escape: a bullet passed
through the muscles Of his right side. but did
not seriously injure him. be being able TO leave
the hospital. to which he had been taken early
this evening. Hope was expressed that Smith
would survive. Smith has son and Walsh
brother on duty with the troops here.
Mr.. Smith exonerates the soldiers from blame
for shooting him While waiting for the am
bulance Mr.. Smith IS reported to have said:
It's all right. I don't blame the soldiers.
They were perfectly justified in shooting.
hadn't any business where I was"
Later. in the Albany Hospital. Just before he
took anasthetic prior to an operation. he
said: "A rain of missiles fell upon the soldiers
and the car was being mobbed The soldiers
had perfect right TO shoot. and do not blame
them in the least 1t was my misfortune TO
get in the way OF the bullets I should have
been inside my Office. and out OF harms way.
There was no alternative for the soldiers but
to use their guns. and exonerate them from
blame far as 1 am concerned"
Governor OdeH. when seen at the Executive
Mansion by H-TrIbune correspondent tonight.
expressed the keenest regret at the sad occur
rences OF the day.
II sincerely hope" said the Governor. that
the rumors of impending settlement of the
strike true. and that to-days tragic shoot
ing may mark the close OF the strike. The shoot
ing of two apparently wholly innocent men is a
terrible thing. I would repeat that hope that
the strike soon will be settled"
ATTACK WHICH LED TO SHOOTING.
Cars loaded with soldiers passed repeatedly
through the city. but collision occurred Un-
I'll 4:3O o'clock this afternoon. AT time the
plaza in front of the Central station was filed
with hundreds of travellers. many Of them
women and children. entirely unaware that
strike was in progress in the city, and that
they were in any danger. either from the violent
acts Of a mob stray bullets from soldiers
rifles. Unfortunately. also. neither the Police
Department the officers Of the National
Guard had seen the necessity of keeping the
narrow part of Broadway north OF the station
guarded and cleared. and it filed with
multitude Of people and some rioters. When.
therefore at 4:3O D. m. some cars We're
approaching. filed with members OF the Ma
tional Guard. some rioters evidently thought
they could safely attack the motormen
and conductors. and possibly the National
Guardsmen. An eyewitness of what followed
said later: IT was standing at CoIumbia-st and
Broadway when Car No. 152, which de-
tachment Of the 23d Regiment men. approached
Just ahead Of it there suddenly appeared
a wagon filed with empty boxes The man
who was driving this wagon did not whip his
horse with any energy and heard men on
the sidewalk say. Go slow! Go -slowH several
times and he only pretended to whip his horse.
The slow progress of the cart, OF course, de-
layed the car. but the soldiers took ii good
naturedIy. Then the car almost came to a stop
north of Columbia-st.. in the narrow part OF
Broadway and saw huge cobblestone in the
air and a soldier raise his gun. About that
time thought 1t best to go UP COlumbia-st"
The car went about thirty feet further along
Broadway the fusiIlade Of stones and bricks
becoming denser all the time.
SMITH AND WALSH SHOT DOWN.
.In the car were seated" said Colonel A C.
Barnes commander of the 23d Regiment. after
ward, First Lieutenant ]. W. Wilson. of COM
pany E. Of my regiment. and ten men OF the
same company. Lieutenant Wilson reports 70
me that he was struck with brick. and the
conductor Dougherty. struck In the face
with stone Lieutenant Wilson thereupOn fired
one shot with his revolver. and two shots wers
fred by the other members Of the company
Three shots in all were fired Lieutenant VII.
son reported the occurrence to me-"
The shots fired by the soldiers all apparently
struck some Standing on the curb Of
Broadway at the time. the east side OF the
street just before the shoe factory OF Smith q
Herrick. were z. Leroy Smith, the head OF the
firm: Frank c. Herrick. his partner: William
VI. Walsh. plumber. whose shop was directly
across the street; Charles F. Snow. secretary OF
Smith Herrick. and Lawrence McNey. whe
was employed by Walsh. Walsh had crossed
the street to talk with Smith and Mr.. Herrics
about some plumbing work that he to dc
for them. Smith & Herrick's factory is at No
ole Broadway, while Walsh's plumbing store q
at No. G2s Broadway. While the men were ear.
nestly talking they saw approaching several cars
filled with soldiers. and presently all of then
noticed that rioters were beginning to fire stones
al the guardsmsn. and that the soldiers wert
evidently preparing to defend themselves. Smith
and Herrick walked rapidly toward their storet
front door and were about to enter II when tn,
former was shot and fell into Mr.. Herricki
arms He became insensiole Immediately. tn
bullet entered his body the left side. twv
inches below the heart PASSED through the poa