New-York tribune., 1906-07-27
BUTLER KILLED BY FALL
PLAZA HOTEL TERDICT.
-Four IOn5corEers Rearrested for
Assault on Officer O'Toole.

The corOner's jury which was conducting the
inquest into the death of Special Policeman
Michael Butler July II at the Hotel Plaza
handed down a verdict yesterday that Butler
came to his death by faH. The members Of
the HOusesmiths and Bridcemen's Structural
Ironworkers' Union who were being held to
await the result of the inquest were exonerated
and discharged. Coroner Acrietlm had been
quoted as saying that he believed Butler was
not murdered. but fell to his death, and as
blaming the George A. Fuller Company for the
tragedy
The jury took only fifteen minutes TO decide
on its verdict. When IL was announced the
representative of the District Attorneys office
called on Michael O'TOole Buffers companion.
who was badly beaten at the time, to identify
the men who had assaulted him. He charged
George F. Smith. of No. sol West 146th street;
James 8ehan, of No. 75S Tenth avenue: John
Enright. OF No sos Amsterdam avenue. and
William Kufen, of No 56 East 121st street, four
of the prisoners. with the crime. They were re-
arrested on charges Of felOnious assault.
DR.. Tewert Of Flower Hospital. said Buffers
death resulted from rupture of the liver, which
might have been caused by a hard fall
Coroner's Physician Weston said he had per-
FORMED the autopsy on the body or Butler and
had found several cOntusions, a ruptured liver
and fracture Of three ribs He said all might
nave been caused either by fall or by violence.
DR.. Case. of Flower Hospital testified that
Butler had Identified several Of the men who had
assaulted him, and that ne said that one of them
had thrown him down." He thought the con-
tusions on Buffers body were~not caused by
blows
The water boy, William Hurdy who was sup
posed to be the chief witness for the prosecu-
tiOn. said he had not witnessed the fight but
that William LangdOn. another water boy
on the ninth floor when the trouble occurred. A
subpoena was ordered issued for this boy.
A foreman and several labOrers denied all
knowledge of an assault. John Manning,
ironwOrker. had noticed a cOmmOtiOn, but did
not know what it was about
Charles ConnOr an ironwOrker who was the
first eyewitness to the falling of Butler. said:
was working on the fifth floor with my mate,
BIZ Hayner Hayner called my attention to a
way in which the man crossed the beam was what
attracted our attention. At that time we were busy
than thirty seconds we the same man whom
Too nag seen eT9ssng the beam bean & land on the 10 fourth
siStance; We paid no further attention to the man
who had fallen.
COnnOrs testified that he had seen no assault
and far ne knew Butler had fallen because
he was not used to walking beams in midair and
was nervous. William Hayner cOrroborated
Connors. Both of these witnesses testified that
Butler when he fell.
Those witnesses who belonged TO the Iron
Workers Union denied having seen Butler as
sauIted.
william O'TooIe. one Of the special officers,
who was examined on last Tuesday. re-
called by the prosecution. Parts of his testi-
mOny of last Tuesday were gone over second
time as was that of another special officer.
William Kufen OF the prisoners. said the
ing of July IL He denied that he had witnessed
or participated in the alleged assault on Butler.
More witnesses followed. Their stories were
repettions.
The coroner then closed the inquest and ad
dressed the jury. He said that the testimony
of Ferguson. OF the Fuller company. as TO the
placing OF special officers on the building. was
to be disregarded so also that of witnesses
testfying to previous assaults upon Butler
Only testimony bearing directly upon the assault
on Butler as alleged, which caused his death
could be considered.