New-York tribune., 1902-06-04
MLELLAN SHOT M'CO1.
JEROME SAYS HIS DETECTIVE WAS
JUSTIFIED.
FLEEING; MANS COMPANION TRIED TO Kill,
OFFICER-TICTIM SAYS HE PLEADED
FOR LIFE.

he Was SO weak that the surgeons the hos
pital advised against attempt to take a
statement from him They said there was al
most no hope for the mans recovery The
bullet which entered the back Of his head.
severed the optic nerve and left him blind. 1t
was expected that he would die from paralysis
Of the brain
When the coroner returned 70 his office in the
Criminal Courts Building he said h would make
another attempt 10 get ante-mortem state
rnent from the dying man He declared that he
thought the shooting of Mccoy was crime.
The name Of the county detective that shot
him should he wiped off the list" he said
Asked if he would issue warrant for the ar
rest of Mcclellan. the coroner said the case was
in the hands of the magistrate. hut if Mccoy
died there would he warrant for McLellan's
arrest Coroner Jackson appeared to be angry
because Assistant District Attorney Rand had
been sent to the hospital with him He said:
The District Attorneys action in sending one
of his associates TO see that took the statement
Of Mccoy correctly is unprecedented never
heard of such a thing before
When the ccrcrer and Mr.. Rand were at the
hospital and Mccoy became conscious few
questions wera asked. and The replies of Mccoy
were written down as follows:
II was shot while running away / begged
them not TO shoot me I don't know who shot
Later in the day he was conscious again and
his replies 70 questions we're written down in
the form Of statement. which Coroner Jackson
said was the best that could he obtained from
Mccoy. The statement was as follows:
MCoY-s STATEMENT,
Yes they shot me- because got in the way
names I was running away Then I was shot J
me. ss tod them did not think they ought .
shoot me as was doing no harm "a I 90 g np5 MINK
* he
plored" District Attorney Jerome said yester-
dav. I am satisfied by the investigation already
made that Mcclellan was justified in firing the
shot He was aiding in serving warrant Tor
the arrest of Mccoy and another man. who es-
capped. The man who escaped was with Mccoy
and fired two shots at Mcclellan. There is no
doubt bout that, for Deputy Assistant District
ATTORNEY Chadwick was the ground and says
he saw all the shots hred Mcclellan was on the
roof of an extension. while the two escaping
gamblers were on the street level in a dark alley.
They could See the detective plainly. while he
could hardly see them they were in the alley
about sixty feet away and twenty feet below
him.
"As matter IF fact. Mcclellan did not know
that he had shot Mccoy until some time after
Mccoy was taken to the hospital. Il was sup
posed a. first that Mccoy had hurt himself In
sliding down to the alev from the roof of the
extension. The examination by the surgeons at
the hospital disclosed the fact that Mccoy had
bullet wound mis- head"
How is the shooting Of Mccoy justified. when
Mccoy was unarrne1?" was asked.
Mcclellan was being shot at by in Nc
.Coy's company. who was resisting the service Of
a warrant Self-defence is a sufficient justf-
cation Mcclellan has been beaten and pounded
bv gamblers m raids. These knew him.
pad apparently were anxious TO put him out Of
way He did his duty. and did II bravelyz
E{e had right 70 fire back when he was being
shot at. There has never been 2 time when the
gamblers showed q more ugly spirit I have
!. been in q good many raids. and l know that the
M spirit OF lawlessness was never so strong as at
~ present. There have been fights and violence in
rncet Of the recent raids The lives Of the county
detectives wouldn't be worth 20 cents If they
didn't carry pistols
Is this display Of lawlezsness due 10 police
laxity or 10 the want Of d definite policy on the
part Of the administration" ,"
L am stating the facts. People can draw
their own inferences."
Is Mcclellan 10 he put under arrest, pending
an. Official investfgaticn2"
WHAT WILL BE DONE WITH MLELLAN
I don't know why he should be arrested OF
course. g complaint might be lodged with a
magistrate and = warrant for the arrest Of Nc
Lellan might issue, if Mccoy dies the cor
oner might order NcLeTan's arrest. In the case
Of justifiable shooting 10y a policeman ! believe
The rule has been 10 place the officer formally
under arrest and parole him in the charge Of his
captain The reason foT arrest in such cases IS
10 make sure that the man does not run away,
suppose Mcclellan might be arrested and
raroled in my custody. but there is no fear Of
his running away
Police Commissioner Partridge said that he
supposed there was Il bitter feeling against the
county detectives at the poorooms. and persons
arrested in raids by the county detectives were
not inclined TO submit readily if uniformed
he said but Captain Delaney did not"
Are charges to be made against Captain De
laney on account Of the raid over his head in
his precinct
oh I shall have to find out Just how easy il
was TO get the evidence against the place. and
how openly the Law was being violated there -
The prisoners taken in the raid in Forty-se
ond-st were arraigned before Magistrate Crane
in the Centre-s1 court. Yesterday. and County
Detective Reardon made an additional charge Of
disorderly conduct against Thomas Murphy. one
Of the prisoners accusing him Of using vile and
abusive language the way 10 the police sta
tion in the patrol wagon
Is IL new crime TO talk 10 a county detec-
tive2' inquired the magistrate sarcasticaIly
Why do you want 10 pound this man so?
There is no need OF District Attorney coming
down here 10 my court 10 pound man. |
won't stand for H. Why don't you be fair about
this?"
Assistant District Attorney Miner interrupted
Magistrate Crane to say that Reardon wished to
prosecute Murphy Murphy told the uagi
frste that Reardon had struck him in the face
Now. look here Reardon. know you" said
Magistrate Crane. Il have known you for a
long time There a man shot, perhaps
killed in that raid last night. Now. the
rants were issued for that purpose at all"
Well. if your honor feels that way about il,
rsid Reardon. I'll withdraw the complaint
That's good idea said the magistrate, and
then dismissed the charges Of disorderly con-
duct against Murphy.
DISPOSITION OF CASES.