Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-17
KILLED A BARR00M
NICHOLAS FISH, NEW YORK BANK
Err, MEETS uNTIMELY FATE.
DRINKING WITH TWO WOMEN.
Became Engaged I'm Row With Pri-
vate Dctective-His Slayer Says
Death Must Have Been Caused by
Fall.

NEW YORK. Sept. 15.-N1cholaS 1871.
| millionaire, diplomat. and descendant OF
| one OF the best-knowh of American faml-
| lies, died at the Roosevelt Hospital at 3:25
| this morning, the result Of an injury re-
ceived in Ehrhardt's saloon, los West
| Thrty-Fourth street yesterday. Whether
| he was murdered or fell the police have
not yet determined. Conflicting stories,
such as would naturally follow an event
| in which criminal responsibility must be
| placed. are told, but there seems to be
| no doubt that Mr. Fish had quarrel with
a private detective named Thomas J.
| Sharkey, who joined the banker at a
| table where he had been for several hours
drinking with Mrs. Libby J. Phillips and
! Mrs. Nellie Casey.
| Coroner jackson made an examination
! of Mr.. Fishs body, and it is said that no
| fracture of the skull had been found. He
believed death had been due to paralysis
| Of the brain. caused by q blow on the
| left side of the face or head. He thought
that if Mr.. Fish had fallen on a stone or
| pavement and SO been injured the skull
probably would have been fractured. The
coroner said that a Knockout blow usually
causes paralysis or concussior of the
brain. The pupil of Mr.. Fishs right eye
was dilated, while the left was contract
ed, and that, the coroner said. was a
| symptom Of paralysis of the brain.
ALL DIDN'T KNOW HIM.
The police say that Mrs. Phillips knew
who Fish was, but that neither Mrs.
Casey nor Sharkey, who subsequently
joined the party, were aware of his iden-
tity. Sharkey. who knew the women,
were not reluctant to join the party. when
| one Of the women invited him to. The po-
| lice say Fish did most of the buying.
! Fish then discovered that his money We
| exhausted, and he announced that he
would have to draw a check. Sharkey,
Ignorant Of Fish's identity, qus;tia I'd his
ability to make his check good r1sh, it
| is said. took offence at this and angry
words ensued. Then according to the
police some one slapped Fishs face.
One OF the women clinging to Fish's
arm. dragged him toward the door of the
saloon and out to the sidewalk The 20
| lice say that Sharkey attempted to fol-
| low Fish, but was for moment restrain
| ed from doing SO by the other woman
He finally went out of the saloon and
he and Fish encountered each other on
the sidewalk. Sharkeys' hat had been
| knocked off and he was bareheaded.
There was a scuff1e by whom commenced
| it is not known.
FISH KNOCKED DOWN.
Fish fell or was knocked down. his
head striking flagstone. Just before the
scuff1e on the sidewalk commenced, Mrs.
Casey, becoming alarmed, hurriedly left
the party. After Fish fell, it is said that
Sharkey re-entered the saloon. and then
left it and went into saloon a.few doors
away, and moment later left that
place and boarded street-car. He was
| closely followed by Mrs. Phillips, who
was carrying his hat, and who also
| boarded ire car.
! Fish was lying unconscious on the side
| walk, and knot of people gathered about
him, and some men carried him into the
| hallway of the saloon and tried to revive
him. Being. unsuccessful, they again
brought him to the street. thinking he
might revive there. He was lying on the
| street when a policeman appeared.
| The officer called an ambulance from
| Roosevelt Hospital. Fish's identity was
not learned until the hospital was rea ched
and his clothing searched. AS soon as it
| was learned who he was, he was entered
| as private patient.
| HIS ASSAILANT ARRAIGNED.
Mrs. Casey, Mrs. Phillips and Sharkey
were arraigned to-day in police court,
and were held for the coroner. A detec-
| tive said to the sitting magistrate that
| the prisoners were arraigned as suspicious
| persons in connection with the death of
! Nicholas Fish.
| Mrs. Casey denied all knowledge of the
case Mrs. Phillips. when questioned
about the case. said: You'll find out
| later
Banker Fish who was fifty-three years
of age, was the descendant of one of the
oldest and most distinguished Of Amerl-
can families. His grandfather. Colonel
Nicholas Fish, fought with distinction
| in the battles of Harlem Heights, Sara
toga and Yorktown, and his father Ham
| ilton Fish, was the first secretary Of
state under President Grant.
After several years in the diplomatic
service. ne entered the banking business
in this city in 1887 OF his brothers,
Hamilton is former Republican speaker
of the New York Assembly and Stuyve-
SAINT is president of the Illinois Railroad
Company. He leaves widow and a
daughter. His son, Hamilton Fish was a
member Of the Rough Riders and was
| killed in the engagement of Las Quasi
mas. Cuba.
sHARKEY MAKES STATEMENT.
! NEW YORK, Sept 16.-Coroner Jackson
held Sharkey in $4,000 bail, and Mrs. Phil
lips and Mrs. Casey in $500 bail each as
witnesses. Sharkey made the following
statement preliminary to his arraignment:
st went into Erhardt's and saw these
two women, with whom am acquainted.
| They called out when they saw me: Come
over and have drink
I went over and sat down with them,
and after we had talked together some
| time TINS banker, Fish, seemed to take Of
Tense at my being there. We had a few
| words and all at once he drew off with
his arm and struck me. Then we both
got up. I went out of one door and he
the other. He must have stumbled down
the steps ava fallen in going OUT
IDENTIFIED BY MEANS OF PAPERS.
Apolceman found Mr.. Fish lying I'M
| conscious on the sidewalk of the front Of
| the saloon. and summoned an Ambulance,
! in which he was taken to the hospital,
where his identity was revealed by pa
pers found in his possession. A dispatch
was sent to Mrs. Fish, who was at
Tuxedo. and who reached the hospital
! soon after midnight, remaining at the
| side OF her husband, who never regained
| consciousness.
! AS soon as the fact of Mr.. Fish's iden-
| tity was established a dozen detectives
were set on the trail Of his companions,
| and before daylight thy were traced to
| the house in which the woman lived, and
were arrested After being arraigned ii,
| the Police Court they were brought be-
| fore Coroner Jackson, who after pre-
| liminary inquiry, held Sharkey in $4,000
bail on the charge Of homicide, and the
women as witnesses. Detective Trojan,
who made the arrest, declared in an aff1-
davit that Sharkey admitted to him that
he struck Mr.. Fish. Both the women
made sworn statements, but these Dis
trict-Attorney Jerome mas refused to
To- III