Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1902-09-17
Nicholas Fish Had Fight With
Detective In, and Outside,
New York Saloon.
UNCONSCIOUS ON THE SIDEWALK
Expired In HospitaI-AssaiIant Caught
and Held on Homicide Charge.
Women, With Whom They Were
Drinking, Held as Witnesses.

New York, Sept. 1.-THE death Of
Nicholas Fish, the result Of a quarrel
in saloon. and the arrest Of Thomas
]. Sharkey, private detective, on the
charge of homicide in that connec-
ton, was the subject of close police
investigation and conjecture all day
yesterday.
Head of Distinguished Family.
Mr.. Fish was the head of one Of the
most distinguished families in the
United States, banker Of great
wealth and at one time minister at
the court of Belgium. He died at the
Roosevelt hospital from the effects
of injuries received during an alter
cation with a stranger in Ehrhardt's
saloon on the corner Of Eighth avenue
and Thirty-fourth street. According
to information gathered by the police,
Mr.. Fish's death was due to blow
struck by Thomas ]. Sharkey, a pri
vate detective, who, with two women
who were present at the time, was
arrested after the death.
A policeman found Mr.. Fish lying
unconscious on the Sidewalk n front
Of the saloon and summoned an ambu-
lance, in which he was taken to the
Roosevelt hospital, where his identity
wss revealed by papers found in his
possession. A dispatch was sent to
Mrs. Fish, who was at Tuxedo, ami
who reached the hospital soon after
midnight, remaining at the side OF her
husband, who never regained con-
seriousness.
Drinking With Women and Man.
According to the police, Mr.. Fish.
who, in his wifes absence, was living
at his town home in Irving place, en-
tered the saloon Monday afternoon,
accompanied by a Mrs. Phillips and
a Mrs. Casey, two women who live in
West Thirty-fourth street. There
they sat drinking until they were
Joined by Sharkey, at the invitation
of one Of the women. Mr.. Fish con
tinued to treat his companions until,
on discovering that his money was
| exhausted, he announced that he
would draw a check and get the bar
tender to cash It. This provoked a
derisive remark by Sharkey, who was
ignorant of Mr.. Fish's identity, AMI
high words followed. A blow was
struck, by whom the police do not
know, and the two men rushed al
each other, the women screaming and
a1F n
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 compan
ions, and they clinched. A moment
later Mr.. Fish reeled as if from a
| blow and fell prone to the sidewalk
Seeing him lying unconscious and
| fearing that he might be killed, his
late companions fed, leaving Mp
Fish where he fell, until policeman
came along and summoned an ambu.
lance.
sharkey Held on Homicide Charge.
AS soon as the fact Of Mr.. Fish's
identity was established a dozen de
| tectives were set on the trSil OF his
companions, and before daylight they
were traced to the house in which the
women lived and were arrested AT
ter being arraigned in the police
| court they were brought before Cor
oner Jackson, who, after a prelim-
mary inquiry. held Sharkey in SO.
900 bail on the charge Of homicids
| and the women as witnesses.
To the coroner Sharkey made :
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 az
he was leaving the saloon Detective
| Trojan. 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
| refused to make public
Coroner Jackson, after performing
an autopsy, pronounced Mr.. Fish's
death to be due 10 cerebral hem
| Srrhage. following confusion Of the