The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-09-19
MURDERED IN
SALOON ROW
MEMBER OF FISH FAMILY BEAT.
EN- TO DEATH.
COMPANIONS ARE ARRESTED
Dead Man Was Well Known az Dip.
Iomatist, Banker and Mil
~Iionaire.

New York, Sept. 16.-Nicholas
Fish, millionaire, diplomat and de-
scendant Of one Of the best known OF
American families died at the Rcose.
welt hospital at 1925 this morning the
result OF an injury in Ehrhardt's sa-
loon, Is West Thirty-fourth street,
yesterdays Whether he was murder
ed or fell, the police have not yet de-
termined.
A. conflicting story, such as would
naturally follow an event in which
criminal responsibility must be plac-
ed, Is told. but there seems to be no
doubt that Mr.. Fish had a quarrel
with a private detective named Thos.
j.. Sharkey, who Joined the banker
at a table, where he had been for sew
eral hours drinking with Mrs. Libby
j.. Phillips and Mrs. Nellie Casey.
Mrs. Phillips, SO years old; Mrs.
Casey, 80, and Sharkey, 4S, a private
detective, were arrested early today
in connection with the case. Accord
ing to the police, Mr.. Fish entered the
saloon. rs West Thirty-fourth street,
yesterday afternoon with Mrs. Phil
lips and Mrs. Casey, The police say
that Mrs. Phillips knew who Fish was,
but that neither Mrs. Casey nor Shar-
key, who subsequently Joined the par
ty, were aware of his identity. The
police say that Fish did most OF the
buying. He discovered that his mon
ey was exhausted and announced that
he would have to draw a check.
Sharkey, ignorant Of Fish's identity,
questioned his ability to make his
check good. Fish, 1t is said, took Of
Tense at this and angry words ensued.
Then, according to the police, some
one struck Fish. One of the women,
clinging to Fish's arm, dragged him
out to the sidewalk. The police say
that Sharkey attempted to get at Fish
but was for a moment restrained by
the other m He finally went out
Of the saloon and encountered Fish
on the sidewalk. Sharkey's hat had
been knocked off and he was bare
headed. There was a scuffe, by whom
commenced is not known. Fish fell
or was knocked down, his head strik-
ing a flagstone. Just before the scuf-
ae, Mrs. Casey, becoming alarmed,
hurriedly left the party. Sharkey
boarded a street car. He was closely
followed by Mrs. Phillips, who was
carrying his hat. Fish was lying un.
conscious on the sidewalk when a po-
liceman arrived. Fish's identity was
not learned until the hospital was
reached and his clothing searched. He
was entered as a private patient. Mrs.
Casey, Mrs. Phillips and Sharkey
were arraigned today in police court
and were held fer the coroner. Cor
oner Jackson held Sharkey in $780,
900 bail and Mrs. Phillips and Mrs.
Casey in $500 bail each as witnesses.
Sharkey made the following state
ment preliminary to his arrangement:
81 went into Ehrhardt's and saw
two women with whom | am %acquaint-
ed. They came out and saw me and
said Come over and have a drink
/ went over and sat down with them
and after l had talked ts them some
time, this banker, Fish, seemed to
take offense at my being there. We
had a few words and hebrew off with
his arm and struck me. Then We
both got up. l went out. one door
and he the other. He must have
stumbled down the steps and fallen in
going out"
Coroner Jackson held an examina-
! ton of Mr.. Fish's body. He said no
fracture of the skull had been found.
| He believed death had been due to
paralysis of the brain, caused by a
blow on the left side of the face or
head. He thought that if Mr.. Fish
had fallen on a step or pavement and
been injured, the skull would prob
ably have been fractured. The cor
oner said that a knockout blow un-
doubtedly caused paralysis or con-
cussion of the brain. The pupil of
! Mr.. Fish's right eye was dilated, while
the left was contracted, and that, the
coroner said, was a symptom of paral-
ysis of the brain.
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