Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-09-17
DEATH OF BANKER fish
Further Details Of the Death of New
York Millionaire Banker in
Saloon Brawi.
Conflicting Stories Told of the Injuries
that Resulted in the Death
Of the Banker.
Examination of the Body by the Corr
ner Shows that no Fracture of
Skull Has Been Found.

New York, Sept. 17.-NlcholaS Fish,
millionaire, diplomat and descendant of
one of the best known Of American
families, died at the Roosevelt hospital
qat 1925 a. m. the result OF an injury
received in Ehrha~d's saloon, 205 West
Thirty-fourth street. 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
a quarrel with private detective.
named Thomas J. Sharkey; who joined
the banker at a table, where he had
been for several hours drinking with
Mrs. Libbie T. Philipps and Mrs. Nell
lie Casey.
Coroner Jackson made an eXamina-
tion of Mr.. Fish's body and after it
said that no fracture of the skull had
been found. He believed death had
been due to paralysis of the brain,
caused by blow on the left side of the
face or head.
According to the police Mr.. Fish en-
tered Erhardt's saloon on Thirty-fourth
street with Mrs. Philips and Mrs.
Casey. The police say that Mrs. Phil
| ipps knew who Fish was but neither
| Mrs. Casey or Sharkey, who subse-
quently joined the party, were aware
of his identity.
| Sharkey, who knew the women, was
not reluctant to join the party when
one of the women invited him to. The
police say that Fish did most of the
buying and when he discovered that
his money was exhausted he an
nounced that he would have to draw
a check. Sharkey, ignorant of Fish's
identity, questioned his ability to make
his check good.
Fish Took Offense at This
and angry words ensued. Then, ac-
cording to the police, some one slapped
Fish's face. One of the women, cling
ing to Fish's arm, dragged him toward
the door of the saloon to the sidewalk.
The police say that Sharkey attempted
to follow Fish, but was for a moment
restrained from doing so by the other
woman. He finally went out of the sa-
loon and he and Fish encountered each
other on the sidewalk. There was g.
scufde, by whom commenced it is not
known. Fish fell or was knocked
down, his head striking fiagstone.
Sharkey and the women then disap-
peared and Fish was picked up and
sent to the Roosevelt hospital, where
he died several hours later. His for
mer companions were then hunted up
and placed behind the pars
Coroner Jackson held Sharkey in
$4,000 and Mrs. Philips and Mrs
Casey in $500 each as witnesses.
Sharkey made the following statement
preliminary to his arraignment:
Il went into Ehrhard's and saw there
two women with whom l am acquaint-
ed. They called out when they saw
me, Come over and have drink
Il went over and sat down with
them and after I had talked to them
some, this banker, Fish, seemed to
take offense at my being there. We
had few words and all at once he
drew off with his arm and struck me.
Then we both got up. | went out one
door and he the other. He must have
stumbled down the steps and fallen in
going OUT
Banker Fish, who was fifty-three
years DID, was the descendant. of one of
the oldest and most distinguished of
American families. His grandfather,
Colonel Nicholas Fish, fought with dis
tinction in the battles of Harlem
Heights. Saratoga and Yorktown, and
his father, Hamilton Fish, was the
first secretary of state under President
Grant. -
After several years in the diplomatic
service he entered the banking busi-
ness in this city in 1887. Of his broth
ers, Hamilton is former Republican
speaker of the New York assembly,
and Stuyvesant is president of the
Illinois Central Railroad company.