Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-22
THIS MAN VAS DEAF.
But He Was Able to Handle a
 Revolver.

Annoyed an Actress So Much That
 Her Escort Objected-The Man Then
 Pulled His Gun and Fired Right
 and Left-Two Men Were Wounded.
 New York, March 22--Two men were shot at an early hour this morn l ing in the Rathskeller of the PabSt l hotel, Broadway and Forty-SecOnd | street, by d man who is believed to be insane. The injured men are John B. Leffengwell, 40 years old of the Broadway theater, who is wounded in the left side, and d may whose name or address the police say they have not been able to ascertain. Rich ard Hayden Morris, D years old, who says he is d student and d native of Tennessee, not ill any Business and a guest of the Criterion hotel, is locked up charged with having done the | Shooting..
 | Details of the shooting were hard to obtain and the police are not aware of the affair until notified at the sta ton house by the manager of the Rathskeller in person and asked that q detective be sent to the hotel to arrest the man who had shot two guests. This was about 2:15 o'clock this morning. Detective was sent and in the Rathskeller found Morris in the clutches of half q dozen men and q crowd of men and women talking eXcitedly. The injured men had by l this time been taken away in cabs by friends. No ambulance had been called but instead physician was 1 summoned to dress their wounds. which, it is said, are not of q serious nature.
 It appears that at :4o o'clock this 1 morning there were about seventy-tve men and women in the RathSkeller eating and drinking. Suddenly the and Morris entered. He appeared to be under the influence of drugs or liquor Exactly what happened be- l tween the time he entered and the shooting cannot be learned. but it is said he made some insulting re- mark about the women present which | was resented by some of the men. Morris it is alleged, thereupon drew d revolver and fired five shots. Laff- engwell and the man whose identity is unknown fell from their chairs wounded. Instantly the place was in 1 an 'uproar. Some of the women Scream- ed. others tainted and many ran out | of the place. followed by some of the ] men.
 | A number of walters rushed at Morris, who was thrown down and disarmed. A doctor was sumomned at 1 once and after he had dressed the | wounds of the two men their friends took them home in cabs
 | When Morris was arrested he ap- peared to be daZed and asked repeat l edly: What have I done? What have l done?'
 | It was only after repeated questions | had been shouted into his cor that it l was discovered the man was deaf. A r.olice sergeant then wrote several l questions and the prisoner gave his name and address in answer to the | written questions. In his pockets were found among other things a leather card case, SG2 in a bunch of pawn tickets. representing a gold watch and chain. diamond ring and other articles or jewelry. five tickets for box c of Broadway theater for i last nights performance. unused. a bottle three-quarters filled with q liquid solution of morphine. He also 1 had q list of poolrooms. two of them 1 being in this city and other in Boston and Alban-.
 Morris registered at the Criterion hotel on Monday last as from New York city. He told the hotel people he was q student and had come from | Boston.
 The Evening Worlds report of the | shooting says:
 Some time after midnight Minnie Seligman and another woman mem- ber of the Broadway theater company entered the Rathskeller escorted by Mr Leffengwell and an elderly gentleman They were seated only a few minutes | when Morris entered. and seeing Miss l Selgman. seated himself where he l
 Just what Morris did to annoy the actress is not known. but she l complained to MT Leffingwell and that ! gentleman. arising. went to Morris and told him he would have to be | have himself or move his seat.
 '.Morris's reply was to draw his re- volver and start shooting. The first ball struck Leftingwell in the side and he reeled back. His companion ran | to his assistance and grappled with the young man. For his pains he re- | ceived glancing wound in the back. | Morris kept on shooting. his revolver being leveled at Miss Seligman and her companion.
 Meanwhile the crowded cafe was turned into bedlam. The flying crowd swept the walters off their feet as they charged toward the wild young man with the revolver. Final ly the head waiter and a detective reached him and disarmed him. New York. March 22.-It was learn ed later that the second man who was 1 shot was Alex F. Dingwall, general l manager of Jacob Litt's theatrical en- terDrises. Dingwall was taken to Roosevelt | hospital where it was found that q | bullet had entered low in the body and was believed to be still in the groin. Lettingwelfs wound was very | slight and he was able to appear in | court against his assailant.
 When Morris was arraigned in po- I lice court he said he was Robert H. Moulton of Springfield. Tenn, and that he had been q student for three years at Columbia university. He was held in 5000 bail for examination on Mon day next
 Moulton said he was q user of mor- pIrine and that he took 2 good deal of the drug yesterday. He said he remembers going to the Broadway theater and remembers the second act,