Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-09-20
HELD BY THE coroner.
Thomas Sharkey Charged with the
Murder Of Banker Nicholas
Fish, in New York.

New York, Sept. 1.-THE death OF
Nicholas Fish, as the result of quar-
rel in a saloon, and the arrest of Thorn
as j. Sharkey, a private detective, on
the charge of homicide in that connec-
ton, was the subject of close police
investigation and conjecture all day.
According to the police, Mr.. Fish, who,
in his wife's absence, was living at his
town home in Irving place, entered
the saloon Monday afternoon, accom-
panied by a Mrs. Phillips and Mrs.
Casey, two women who live in West
Thirty -fourth street. There they sat
drinking until they were joined by
Sharkey, at the invita- ton of one OF
the women. Mr.. Fish continued to
treat his companions until, on dlscov-
ering that his money was exhausted,
he announced that he would draw
check and get the bartender to cash it.
This provoked a derisive remark by
Sharkey, who was ignorant of Mr..
Fish's identity, and high words fol-
lowed.
A blow was struck, by whom the
police do not know, and the two men
rushed at each other, the women
screaming and trying to separate
them. One of the women, clutching
Mr.. Fish by the arm, succeeded in
dragging him out of the saloon to the
sidewalk. There he was confronted by
Sharkey, who had broken away from
his companions, and they clinched.
A moment later Mr.. Fish reeled as if
from a blow and fell prone to the side
walk. Seeing him lying unconscious
and fearing that he might be killed,
his late companions fed, leaving Mr..
Fish where he fell until policeman
came along and summoned an ambu-
lance. The unconscious man was
taken to the Roosevelt hospital, where
he died later.
AS soon as the fact of Mr.. Fish's
identity was established a dozen de-
tectives were set on the trail of his
companions and before daylight they
we're traced to the house in which the
women lived and were arrested. After
being arraigned in the police court
they were brought before Coroner
Jackson, who, after a preliminary in
quiry, held Sharkey in $4,000 bail on
the charge of homicide and the women
as witnesses.
To the coroner Sharkey made a
statement that he met Mr.. Fish and
the two women in the saloon. and after
a verbal alteration with Mr.. Fish
they left the place by different doors.
He denied striking Mr.. Fish and de-
clared that he must have fallen as he
was leaving the saloon. Detective Tro-
jan, who made the arrest, declared in
an affidavit that Sharkey admitted to
him that he struck Mr. Fish Both
the women made sworn statements
but these District Attorney Jerome
has refused to make public.
Coroner Jackson, after performing
an autopsy, pronounced Mr.. Fish's
death to be due to cerebral hem
orrhage. following conclusion of the
brain, and not to a fracture of the
! skull, as at first was supposed by the
| surgeons at the hospital. The coroner
| declared his conviction. from a careful
examination of the condition of the
brain, that the injury was caused by 6
heavy blow, and not by contact with
the sidewalk in a fall. In the latter
case, he said. there would almost GER
tainly have been exterior injuries ant
a fracture of the skull. The inquest
will be held Friday.