New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-23
PISTOL FIGHT IN CAR
PASSENGERS IN PANIC.
Tgeo Members Of Gang Beat Truck
man-14H Three Shot.

Three men, two of them said to be members
! of the Slaughter House gang. fought with re-
| Volvers in an Sth-ave. car for eleven blocks be-
! tween 31st and Goth SITS, early yesterday
Thomas O'Brien, truckman, whom the other
| two attacked fired five shots, wounding both
men, One who says he is William DAILY, a bar
tender, Of No. $50 9th-ave, but who is said by
the police to be Henry Prang, better known as
| ''Prangy,'' ornament of the Rogues' Gallery
received a bullet in the neck The other Thomas
Sullivan, an electrician, of No. 49, 9th-ave. was
hit in the right wrist and left leg O'Brien re-
ceived q bullet wound in his neck and was
frightfully beaten
After OBrien emptied his revolver the other
TWO jumped on him and beat him over the head
with their fists and the butt of revolver which
one OF ther had likewise emptied al him
Throughout the minute or more that the fight
lasted five passengers including one woman,
VINO were on the car when the three boarded it
covered IN the corners and the floor. The
woman screamed all the while and was ready to
1alnt when help came. The men were as badly
| frightened as she, and finally broke windows
with their feet and fists in efforts to get out of
the car.
When OBrien, pursued by Sullivan and Daily
ana Tour others, said to be of the same gang
Jumped the car he placed his revolver at
the head Of the conductor. Albert Mealing. of
NO. I4G West 91st-st, and told him to 'go Ike
Il Mealing had choice with the barrel
u a Colt an inch from his nose. so he jerIled the
zen nara Twice. and the motorman John Gun
ningham of No. 800 Sth-ave. responded.
0uillVan and Daily followed O. Bren and attacked
at once so that Mealing was able to run to
the forward platform and join the motorman
The two decided that the best thing to do would
be to run to 20th-st.. where the West 2Oth-st
station is half block away. Cunningham put
his car to top speed and dashed down the ave-
nue., pounding his gong to attract the DO
lice. Not a policeman seen until the car
reached 20th-st., where it stopped Patrolman
Scheedel, of the West 20th-st station. who
was at the corner ran to the car and bolted the
rear door, while the motorman locked the front
one. Sullivan and DAILY were still beating O'Brien
despite their own wounds and regardless of the
terrified passengers. He was nearly unconscious
when they were pulled off.
Sergeant O'Neil, on the desk in the West
2Oth-st station heard the frantic ringing of
the gong by Cunningham and, running to the
door, saw the car, with the fight still going on.
He rushed the reserves out with himself at their
head, and the car surrounded. The four
non-combatant men and the woman weak with
fright were helped out and disappeared so
quickly that the police did not get their names.
Sullivan and DAILY were feeling the effects Of
their wounds, that they made no resistance
and O'Brien was helpless All three as prison.
ers. We're taken to the New-York Hospital
Half the windows in the car were broken by
bullets or by the non-combatant passengers in
their efforts to escape. Two of the men said
bullets passed near them and several bullets
were found embedded in the woodwork of the
car. Fully ten shots must have been fired yet
only OBren's revolver was found. The other
was evidently thrown off the
OBrien refused to say why the other two men
wanted to kill him, but the police believe that
he had in same way incurred the enmity Of the
Slaughter House" gang and that his death had
been decreed by that organization Detective
Sergeant AIcMuIlen. of the Central Office, says
that OBrien is a brother Of ''Talky' O'Brien
well known crook. listed at Headquarters as a
piespocket and suspicious person. who gained
that nickname by his loquacity. McMullen
thinks that OBren, possessing the family
trait of Ioquacity, learned something that the
slaughter House" gang would rather have had
kept quiet and told about it.
Sullivan was the worst hurt OF the three, and
was unable to appear in Jefferson Market police
court when the others were arraigned. The
bullets in his wrist and knee were removed |
however and it is thought he will recover. The
bullet that hit DAILY entered his right cheek and
passed under the jawbone and out the left side
of his chin. O'Brien's bullet wound was slight
and the beating was his worst injury. His head |
was completely swathed in bandages when he
was arragned, only his left eye being visible.
Patroman Scheedel arraigned DAILY and |
O'Brien on a short affidavit, charging the former
with felouious assault upon the latter and the |
latter with assault on both the others When |
Sullivan is arrafgned he will also be charged |
with assaulting OBrien. At the request of the |
police. Magistrate Mayo adjourned the examina-
ton until Wednesday. Bail was fixed at $1,000 |
for each man. Scheedei said he hoped to be |
able to find the five passengers as witnesses.
According to Detective Sergeant McMullen, |
O'Brien was on trial two years ago for felonious
assault before Judge Newburger, in General |
Sessions but was released suspended SEN
tence. through the intercession of a Sister of
Charity.
Daily and Sullivan denied knowing O'Bren.
Mealing the conductor SAYS they called each
other by their first names during the fight
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