The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-03-28
MEANT TO MURDER.
Crazed Admirer of an Actress Does
Some Shooting.

New York, March ga highly SEN
sational shooting took place early Fri
day i'll the Rathskellar of the Pabst ho-
tel, corner broadway and Forty-sec-
ond street. Robert Haden Moulton,
young ex-student of architecture and
more recently a man about town,
wanted by the police for the passing of
bogus checks, was the assailant;
young woman now playing in the mel
odrama The Prince of Peace" at the
Broadway theater was the target at
which he shot, and Alexander w. Ding
wall, manager of that theater, was the
victim. Dingwall is now in the Roose-
welt hospital with bullet in his back.
His wound is not a dangerous one.
The accounts of the affair vary to a
considerable degree. The most accred-
tied version was that Miss May Buck
ley, with Mr.. Dingwall, John d. Lef-
fingwell and Miss Buckley's aunt, were
sitting in booth, know. to the fire.
quenters of the cellar as the Officers
quarters" when Moulton, who had
been drinking or partalxing of NOR
phine, or both, appeared before them
and began to abuse the party and to
use profane language, his insults be-
ing directed largely toward the ac-
tress. His words were resented and
he whipped out 32-caliber revolver
and began to discharge it. He fired
five shots in all, only rour of which
took effect in any quarter. Only one
did any damage-the shot which
pierced Mr.. Dingwal's back.
The cellar was in an uproar in a
moment. Guests and walters ran to-
ward Moulton, women screamed, and
the manager and the detective of the
hotel soon overpowered the infatuated
man. Of the five shots fired by Moul-
ton the first penetrated the sleeve of
Mr.. Leffingwell's coat, just grazing his
left forearm. The skin was not broken.
The second shot passed along the
front of Mr., Dingwalrs vest, cutting
the cloth for an inch or two. The
third shot struck Dingwall in the
feshy part of the back, on the left
side, as he rose from his chair. The
fourth shot passed through Miss Buck
ley's dress, being detected from it's
course by blow from Mr.. Leffingwell
in an effort to knock the revolver from
the would-be assassin's hand. The last
shot went wild.
The Motive.
The motive for the shooting is not
very clear. 1t was believed at first that
Moulton was suffering from bad case
of infatuation and jealousy, either for
Miss Buckley or FOR Miss Minnie Selig-
man, of the same company, and that
he mistook Miss Buckley for Miss Sell
igman when he saw her in the Raths-
kellar. subsequently, when the testi-
mony of numerous witnesses could be
secured, it became apparent that
Moulton was suffering so badly from
drugs or alcoholic stimulation, or
both, that he had no fixed idea in firing
| the shots.
On Thursday night Monlton occupied
box at the Broadway theater, pur.
chasing six tickets, only one of which
he used. His actions at the theater at
tracted attention both in the audience
and on the stage. After leaving the
theater Moulton was seen to take a
number of drinks in nearby saloons.
When he was arrested bottle partly
filled with half-grain sulphate of NOR
| phine tablets and bottle nearly full
of liquid solution of morphine were
found in his pockets. While waiting to
| be arraigned in the West side court
he stated that he had partaken freely
of these drugs and gave this as an ex-
cuse for his conduct.
Moulton said that his home was in
Springfield, Tenn, and that he had
been for three years a student OF
architecture, special, at Columbia col
ing TO the theater, but recalled moth
ing after the curtain rose on the sec.
ond act. He denied knowing Miss Sci.
| igman. He was held in S. 900 bail and
| his examination was set for Monday
| Dingwall's friends who saw him at the
hospital Friday night said that his con.
dition was not serious and that he
would be out in a few days.
| A Much-wanted swindIer.
After Moulton had been locked W
Detective Traynor said that he haG
been looking for him since February
s. On that date, he said, MoultoI
called upon DR.. James +. Newcomb
of this city, and had him cash g
check for $50. DIR. Newcomb, Detec
tive Traynor said, has received a
number of letters from Chicago
Sing Sing. Elmira, Boston and Buff
falo, saying that Moulton had en-
gagged in swindling operations>in the
cities named, where he had secured
sums ranging from $50 to S175. The
detective said he would arrest Moul
ton on these charges if he should
free himself of his present trouble
1t is claimed by the police that Moul
ton has supported himself for the
past two years by swindnng.