New-York tribune., 1907-04-15
DYING, HOLDS PRISONER
SHOT KILLS PATROLM4N.
Partner and italian Fatally Hound
ed an " ashingt0n Square.

ot the two Italians who started the shooting
one is badly battered prisoner. taken and held
by the dying pGtrolman. George NJ. Seeker. one
Of Captain Myles O'RenIy's plainclothes men
at the Mercer street station
Patrolman Alfred Serick another one Of
0'Reilly's plaincothes men. is not expected to
last the morning out in St. Vincents Hospital.
while the injured Italian, Carlo Vincencio is in
even worse shape. Seeker died soon after he
reached the hospital
suffering exquisite agony as he was placed on
the operating table. Seeker was told that his
chance of life was less than one in thousand.
His only answer was to ask for his wife and
five weeks old daughter Captain Bugher.
the Second Deputy Police Commissioner. was
at Headquarters. and learned of his request He
immediately sent his automobile to meet Mrs
Secller az tho Manhattan end of the Brooklyn
Bridge. They reached his bedside just before
he died, thanks to Captain Bughers thought
The tragedy grew out ,of the nasty temper of
two recently imported Italians. According 10
the stories of all witnesses, and they all agree.
two brothers. Salvatore and John COvernale.
Gently over from Palermo had gone into a pub
lie comfort station in Washington Square Park,
about hundred feet from the Garibaidi
statue. As the GovernaIes came out two young
! "Amerlcanized' Italians entered one brushing
roughly against John Ciovernale john turne
On nm Win q Icildlh NhSit pi"Net'N
to blows When the Governales ran out to the
park Salvatore stopped about fifteen PAGES away.
When Carlo Vincencio and Paul Nortano.
the two young American Italians. came out,
Salvatore fired three shots at Vncensio in rapid
succession. All three shots struck Vincenico in
or near the groin. He fell, and the Governale
brothers fed toward Thompson street.
When the firing began. panic took hold of the
several hundred men. women and children In the
park Crossing the park at this time was
Detective Sergeant John ]. Fogarty and Patrol
man Thomas Ryan both of whom started for
the fleeing brothers.
Standing in Sd street near sullivan street
when the three shots were fired. were Patrolmen
Sellick and Seeker in plain clothes doing
special duty They heard the shots fired. and
ran around into Thompson street TO get 10 the
park more quickly than by way Of sullivan
street As they entered Thompson street they
saw the two Governale brothers running toward
| them. followed by Fogarty whom they knew
and by Ryan The brothers separated, coming
| in opposite directions.
There Is tenement house at Nos go and %
Thompson street. to which Salvatore. with the
instinct Of the East slider, fed for refuge AS
they jumped up the steps. 10 find the door
| locked. seiiick and seckler were scarcely ten
/ races away when the Italians turned at bay.
only two shots were left to Salvatore when
Serick six foot tall and powerful, closed in
on him ignoring the leveued revolver Saliva
tore shot quickly n point blank range. The
| bullet hit Sellick just over the heart, and he
toppled over half senseless on the stoop
Seeker true TO the tradition of the force.
with only his pocket billy. stepped across his
| comrades body to get the last bullet through
the abdomen. Torn by the bullet and suffering
| excruciating pain he closed in on Salvatore.
Crazed with pain and euraged at the fall of
his running mate" Seckler beat Salvatore over
the head with his billy The Italian wilted
under the blows of the dying man. and when
Fogarty dropped him. the powerful hands
Of the detective sergeant throttling his throat,
Salvatore fell half insensble alongside Sellick.
Sellick. reused for the moment by the strug-
gle. vrithed about the stoop until he fell
to the street. where Seeker, seeing Fogarty
held the murderer dropped across his body.
John Governale disappeared entirely His
brother handcuffeG to Fogarty and threatened
by bowling mob, was taken to the Mercer
street station cringing and begging for mercy.
At the station he was charged temporarily with
felonious assault. which later was changed to
homicide.
Acting Police Commissioner Arthur J. O'keeffe
rushed to the hospital IL the wounded men
as he learned of the shooting. He stayed
there several hours. until Patrolman Seeker
died and when he came away he could rot say
too much in praise of their bravery or of his
regret that it had resulted it had.
Il came here to show the in the de-
partment" he said. that when they in
trouble. particularly in this sad way. their
superior officers feel for them and desire 70
help them as far as il is possible for the Off
ciaIs to be of any assistance Despite public or
other criticisms. there many heroes in the
Police Department. l do not need to illustrate
my statement"
Alfred Sellick was appointed to the police
force on March 2S 1876. He was assigned to
duty in the Mercer street station, where he has
continued on duty since. He received hon
orable mention foI saving several lives in fire
at Madison and Monroe streets while off duty
seven years ago, Selligk was shot by an insane
man in West 18th street on December $. when
he was laid up for several weeks. He is the
son of IL policeman
George NJ. Seeker appointed policeman
on May IN. 190, and after "A few weeks in the
Oak street precinct went to the Mercer street
station, where in plain clothes for six or seven
years he with Detective Reich has beeu the
cause of great difficulty TO the poolroom ele-
ment in the precinct Captains Hodgns,
Stephenson and OReilly have all commended
Seeker for his excellent work in the depart
ment Seckler and his old partner. Reich. were
known as "the poolroom terrors." often raiding
poolrooms slnglehanded.
In the station house Governale admitted to
Deputy Assistant District Attorney Maney that
he had shot the three men. He said that the
Vincenicos had insulted his brother. and that he
believed the two patrolmen, who We're in plain
clothes, to be their friends
CANDY WOMAN AFTER SAGE MONEY.