New-York tribune., 1906-07-26
BUTLER INQUEST ON.
TRONWORKERS TESTIFY.
Witnesses Deny Kno1oledge of As
sault ON Special Policeman.

The inquest into the death of Michael Butler
special policeman. who met his death while on
duty on the seventh floor of the new Hotel Plaza
building, in course OF erection. resumed YES
terday. Coroner AcriteH conducted the proceeding
while Assistant District Attorney Turnbull an.
peared for the people. and c. NJ. Kefer. of Town
send & Keifer, represented the ironwOrkeTs.
Coroner Acritelli said vest erday morning that
the inquest likely to last several days. there
were some forty witnesses yet to be heard The
testimony of sixteen witnesses mostly irOnwOrk-
ers. taken.
The under arrest are John Enrght. No sC5
Amsterdam avenue; William Kufen. No. 1856 East
1l2th street; John Beehan. No, 1853 Tenth avenue;
George NJ Smith. No. sOl East 1S6th street, Walter
Smith, T. Crane and Thomas OConnor.
The first witness was Peter Burgess, who testi-
fed that he did not the assault did not
see any of the defendants near where the men
were assaulted
William Ross testified that he did not see any
bolts thrown at the special policemen.
Joseph Carmody testified that he met Butler the
morning of July II, and Butler was a Knight
OF columbus. he gave him thigh ball" Mr. Turn
DUH tried to get him to explain what thigh BALI
IN the secret society was, but the witness de-
cllhed TO define or explain the term, as the AS
sistaht District Attorney was not member of the
or"er' Carmody said Butler told him he was a
central Office and that he was to stop the
throwing Of bolts. He showed Butler the way
uo"h from the seventh floor There being no lad
f6 B9tier slid down the columns, and that was
NC Carmodv iIHt fHe sa;d witness ness, saw of him
=
Ia fT ne t0id MN TO quit and not risk any trouble
for h irI 6hat was not safe for officer looking
James B. Creighton testifed that he had sear M
bolts thrown did not see anv of tbe de-
I@enaants @ near Butler Martin J. Mclean gave sim
Harry J. Ferguson an ironworker on the build
smiths and Bridge@enIS9 9r I9c1 r0 n0 90 Of the House
expected trouble when he the special police
anything Of the assault Ue''eu A''O''ins
Joseph Massecar said the only thing he knew
ha had d. La
1Gwn 1i me column and had noticed Carmody near
This closed the morning session. in the after
noon % si aiteT Daniel McTammany the first witness,
nad denied any knowledge of the case, John O'Neai
was called for the ronWOrkers. He said he was
on the ground floor all the morning. He saw But
Ter Ter on f me ground moor. but saw no marks But
Edward Rice saw an officer bleeding and descend
ing ing a ladder from the sixth to the fifth floor. He
William c. Irwin testified that he thought special
ofncers were on the building to watch for falling
Patrolman James Crotty, Of the East 5lst street
to the Flower Hospital to- he ident@eS @ b ]
He swore that Butler identified George Smith
saulted @ him. The witness went on to say that But,
. IeI sad that hufen tnrew bots at him. He would
admitted that when he asked Butler if Enright had
which he understood Butler 70 say Yes Crotty
also also sad - ne asked Butler u Kufen had thrown
head which the witness said he could interpret
him and the injured , man idented ned him Of
then demanded that Butler be asked the same cues
tion again. but by that time Butler had become un-
conscious. He also swore that previous to becOm-
ing unconscious Butler had identified Behan as a
who had assaulted him.
PatTOlman Patrick GieTy, of the East 5lst street
station, said he helped take the four defendants to
Buffers bedside at the Flower Hospital for identi-
lcation
y told Butler that his condition was bad" Gery
continued, %and that he might die. Butler then
looked at George Smith and said: That is one OF
the who assaulted me. Smith told Butler
that he (ButleD was mistaken but Butler did not
reply"
Behan also was identified by Butler. according to
Giery The patrOlman said also that Butler denti-
fed Kufen the who threw the bolts."
PatrOlman OCOnnOT, OF the East hlst street sta
ton, testified that he present at Buffers bed
side when Butler identified kufen. OCOnnor said
Butler asked Kufen 10 remove his hat. Kufen did
so the policeman said, and Butler identified him.
There is a bald spot the back of kufen's head
coroner Acritefi adjourned the inquest until 10
o'clock thiE morning.