New-York tribune., 1908-11-10
POSTMASTER SHOT
Continued from first page

name was also adopted by him when. a little
over a year ago, he started a 'middle-aged en-
pioyrnent agency" the postofice address OF
which was likewise Box 506, New York City
On May 81, 1907 Eric H. B. Mackay fled
certificate of trade style in this county IN ~nich
he stated that he intended to carry on a real
estate and general brokerage business under
the name of Joshua Danieison & Co His ad-
drass in the Dsper was given as P. o. Box oO5.
New York City.
All evidence obtained at the room occupied by
,,ackav who had been employed as stenog-
rapher in the law Office of Hunt Hin g betts'
at No 165 Broadway, for the last Iour yeas
point to the belief that the man was uaH Hsoi
,,s naranoiac Copies Of letters TO the PoStlllas-
ter vera found, complaining extravasantlJ apou;
such fancied persecution as that tne rederaI
aTtborities sta we'd at the postOfflce after houFs
e. the nurDose of discommoding him by putting
ont a light he might be using IN tne coFrlool'
together with letters he sent TO men ne mao IN
terested in his middle-aged employment ou-
raau He pointed out that the Postmaster was
evidently not disposed 10 deliver his mali 10 MIN
promptly. ..a -. ram,
In 11stb street for seventeen months. said yes
terdav that Mackay had often before caIrleu
a revolver and last summer went target Sno"'-
ing frequently.
HUNTED MORGAN BEFORE
friend Of the landady said that Maekay
had wanted to shoot Mr. Morgan last summer
and had followed him to his country pace "neh
Mr. Morgan took his vacation
Mackav spoke seldom to any one IN the mousse
cold the Isnd1ady. and received few letters there
After he had written TO the postmaster about
HE mail having been tampered with, Mackay
received a letter, presumably from Postmaster
Morgan. saying that he had made an invesusa-
ton and had found no evidence that there mad
been any tampering with his mail 1t was prom
ised that a further investigation would be made
Later Mackay complained Of the matter TO the
authorities in Washington and received an an
syver similar to the he got from the local
Mac<av sent in all four letters to the post
master in New York while he had the box Mr.
Wilcox was postmaster, but the replies 10 the
letters were signed by Mr. Morgan as assistant.
The postof7ce records show that Mackay rented
a lock box IN April. 1905. The box was DIS
continued on April 1, of this year. for nonpay-
II was learned on further inquiry that
Mackay was a son OF H w b Mackay. or
Cambridge. who is engaged IN literary work
Mackay formerly lived in Cambridge, where he
was employed at the factory Of the Boston
Woven Hose and Rubber Company. he vas
born near Dublin. Ireland, and was about NJ
teen years old when his parents came TO Bos-
ton.
school for nurses at New buryport. Mass. were
found in his room which show he had written
to her something of his plans for money max
would like to buy some stocks. as he had sug-
gested she would have 10 wait a while. Maya
zines bearing upon the subjects Of stock mar
ket sneculation socialism, earnings OF railroads
etc were piled upon shelf and bureau BY a
coincidence that may have more back Of II
than at first appears he also had a copy OF
Love Sonnets of a Violinist." by Eric Mackay
an English poet. II is said that his mother
died when he was eleven and that he went TO
Australia where for a while. he a news
paper reporter. A sealed letter addressed to
his sister, Miss Frances Mackay. was taken by
Coroner Harburger. who is keeping 1t for her
LETTER TO THE PUBLIC.
long letter 10 the public. dated July Il OF
this year lay in a sealed envelope on his desk
The envelope was addressed as follows:
In the event Of anything happening to me
please open the inclosed and see that II Is pub
ushed.
The letter read follows:
To whom it may concern:
l am perfectly aware that sss men out OF
every thousand will consider my act as being
simply the act of an insane man, and shall
be surprised If they did not
However, the real facts are that ii is quite
impossible for a poor man. without political
venge. as, of course, 1 know I am not morally
justified in killing a man under the circum-
stances. (Unless possibly on the grounds that
way exists for to obtain redress in q
I know that in the course of probably couple
of years my eyesght Will not permit OF my
continuing my work a sten0grapher, and I
would then have to work at some lower. un-
skilled calling, for possibly bare existence for
the rest Of my life.
Therefore L am reconciled to killing myself
and as the postmaster deliberately withheld a
registered letter addressed TO me under a trade
name. although l showed him and the proper
authorities at the registry window a truly GER
tified copy OF my right TO do business under
said name
The ground the postmaster took seems that
1 must file such certified copy with him, which
as l should have had to pay a fee to the New
York County Clerk to obtain the letter. / re-
fused to do unless the postof1ce paid the Zee
There is method by which such letters can
be given without filing the certificates. upon
proper proof. which 1 furnished, but the post
master arbitrarily refused to give me the letter.
and, therefore. as he is the most prominent man
who has antagonized ME. / select him as my
victim now that have decided to kill myself
My act IS nearly the last protest OF a moor
man against the custom OF never enforcing the
laws against prominent wealthy people IN
ordinary criminal affairs. where a poor man
would go TO jail at once unless he had political
influence
l consulted a lawyer. member OF a practis-
Ing concern mot clerll) and he told me that
on account OF the influence of the Post ONCE
ii would be impossible to do anything even
though he was wrong. and was given un-
derstand that something might happen TO ma
II persisted which understand 10 mean that
would be quietly declared insane and put out
OF the way Gas has happened to many perfectly
sane people before mel on some trumped up
charge.
l am not looking for the sympathy Of the
public. nor am defending my act merely ex-
planning it The lawyer to whom | went was
not member of the firm employing me This
statement in my own handwriting is the only
statement am making. and have not written
ANYTHING on the typewriter In regards TO this
affair.
OLD SHOOTING AFFAIRS
Inquiry at the offices of the Boston Woven
Hose Company. at Boston. yesterday developed
the information that while In the employ of
that corporation Mackay figured in two shooting