The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-23
A MAD MANS DEED
rmPTIEs REVOLVER WILDLY IN
NEW YORK SALOON.
SHOOTS ONE MAN IN BACK.
MORPHINE AND WHISKY YOUNG
STUDENTS RUIN.

nobert III. Moulton Creates Great Elk
element in Rathskeller of Pabst
Hotel by Firing wildly at Party of
Actresses and Their Escorts-Man-
niger DingwaII of Broadway The
ater the UnIucl<y Victim-Eaad Nor
phine in Two Forms In His Pocket
when Arrested and Was Wanted
by Police for Passing Bogus
Checks.
New York March PA highly sensa-
+ional shooting took place early this
morning in the rathskeller of the Pabst
HOTEL corner Broadway and Forty-sec-
ond street. Robert Haden Moulton, a
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, a young wo-
man now playing in the melodrama, THE
Price of Peace" at the Broadway Thea
ter, was the target at which he shot,
and Alexander w. Dingwall, manager of
that theater, was the victim. Dingwall is
now in the Roosevelt Hospital with a bull
let in his back. His wound is not a dan
gerous one
The accounts of the affair vary 70
considerable degree. The most accredited
version was that Miss May Buckley, with
Mr.. Dingwall, John D. Leffingwell and
Miss Buckeyes aunt, were sitting in
booth, known to the frequenters of the
cellar as the "Officers' Quarters" when
Moulton who had been drinking, or par
taking Of morphine, or both, appeared be-
fore them and began to abuse the party
and to use profane language, his insults
being directed toward the actress. His
words were resented, and he whipped out
a 82-calibre revolver and began to dis
charge it. He fired five shots in all, only
four of which took effect in any quarter.
Only one did any damage-the shot which
pierced Mr.. Dingwalls back.
The Cellar In an UprOar.
The cellar was in an uproar in mo-
ment Guests and walters ran toward
Moulton, women screamed, and the man.
ager and the detective of the hotel soon
overpowered the infuriated man. OF the
five shots fired by Moulton, the first pen
etrated the sleeve of Mr.. LeffingwelPs
coat, just grazing his left forearm The
passed along the front of Mr.. Dingwalls
vest, cutting the cloth for an inch. or
two. The third shot struck Dingwall in
the 1eshy part of the back, on the left
side, as he rose from his chair. The
fourth shot passed through Miss Buck
leys dress, being DETECTED from its in
tended course by a blow from Mr. LET
fingwell, in an effort to knock the re-
volver out of the would-be assassin's
oct CHI WILD
The motive for the shooting is not very
clear 1t was believed at first that Moul-
ton was suffering from a bad case of in
fatuation and jealousy, either for Miss
Buckley or Miss Minnie Seligman of the
same company, and that he mistook Miss
Buckley for Miss Seligman when he saw
her in the rathskeller Subsequently,
when the testimony of numerous wit
nesses could be secured, it became appar-
ent that Moulton was suffering so badly
from drugs or alcoholic stimulation, or
both, that he had no fixed idea in firing
the shots.
Was on "a Morphine Drunk.
On Thursday night Moulton occupied a
box at the Broadway Theater, purchas-
ing six tickets only one of which he
used. His actions at the theater attract
ed attention both in the audience and on
the stage.
After leaving the theater Moulton was
seen to take a number of drinks in near
by saloons.
When he was arrested bottle partly
filed with half-grain sulphate of NOR
phine tablets and a bottle nearly full of
a liquid solution of morphine were found
in his pockets While waiting to be ar
raigned in the West Side Court he stated
that he had partaken freely of these
drugs and gave this as an excuse for Ms
conduct.
Moultou said that his home was in
Springfield Tenn, and that he had been
for three years a student of architecture.
special at Columbia College. He said
that he remembered going to the theater,
but recalled nothing after the curtain
rose on the second act. He denied know
ing Miss Seligman. He was held in $1,000
bail, and his examination was set for
Monday
DingwalPs friends, who saw him at the
hospital tonight, said his condition was
not serious, and that he would be out IN
a few days.
After Moulton had been locked up, De-
tective Traynor said that he had been
looking for Moulton since Feb. 8. On that
date, he said, Moulton called upon DR..
James E. Newcomb of this city, and had
him cash a check for $50. DR. Newcomb,
Detective Traynor said, has received
number of letters from Chicago, Sing
Sing Elmira, Boston and Buffalo, saying
that Moulton had engaged in swindling
operations in the cities named where Re
mad secured sums ranging from $50 to
SliO. The detective said he would arrest
Moulton on these charges if he should
free himself of his present trouble. 1t is
claimed by the police that Moulton has
supported himself for the past two years
by swindling
Moulton was removed from the West
eide prison tonight 10 Bellevue Hospital.
- was said the removal was necessitated
because of the collapsed condition into