The Detroit times., 1910-08-16
MUROEROCCURs IN
SALOON OPEN
ON SUNDAY
During Squabble Over Payment for
Drinks in Grifin's Place on Michi-
gan-Ave., Bartender Butler
Shoots Down VIM. Roach.
Victim Was Sole Support of Widowed
Mother-"Most Tragedies Due To
Drink" Her Comment.

Police Commissioner CrouI first
learned of the murder IN the
Griffin saloon when he came TO
police headquarters Monday morn
ing. He had been at the Flats
over Sunday.
This fellow seems to be try.
ing to Put himself out OF bust
ness" was the only comment the
commissioner made.
Violation OF the Sunday closing law
was indirectly responsible for the
killing OF William Roache, 23 years
old, son and only support OF widow
ed mother, Mrs. Roache-Holbrook, liv-
Ing upstairs at No. 459 Grand River
ave-, In Frank c. Grifiin's saloon, No.
no Michfgan-ave., about 8 o'clock
Sunday evening. Roache was shot
by Harry Butler, bartender. during a
dispute over the payment for some
drinks.
Butler, who was arrested an hour or
so after the shooting by Detectives
Cotter and Reid In his home, No. 46
Macomb-st., says that he fired the
slot. not intending to lit Roache, all
er the latter had struck him during the
argument about the paying OF the
drinks.
James Kelgy, No. SO Columbia-st.
west, who was in the saloon y
Roache, declares the latter didn't
strike Butler. and that there was NJ
provocation for the shooting.
After the shooting, Butler coolly
placed the revolver on a shelf behind
the bar and walked out Of the saloon.
telling the porter, Daniel Nolan, to
lock up. and that he would notify
Griffin, the proprietor. of the tragedy.
Roache, after being shot, staggered
into the alley from he rear part ,
the saloon and fell in his tracks. Nor
tons ambulance was soon on the
scene and rtfsheci-fffr -to-tife Borfic-
ward Sanitarium. He died while being
carried into the hospital.
Coroner Burgess had the body re-
moved to the county morgue and a
post-mortem examination was held
Monday morning. The coroner and
the police are now making a thorough
OF the case. Butler will
be prosecuted on a
charge of manslaughter or murder,
anu ~ 10 hOl aL all uillhCAy tuat
I'm will lose his license. Griffin is
now holidaying at a summer resort
near New Baltimore.
That the saloon did a big days
business on Sunday was evident from
the contents of the cash register.
which contained $29.3S. There were
several men In the bar when the
tragedy occurred, but all were gone
when the police arrived. Detectives
Wilson and Clare found nobody but
the porter around and he professed to
be able to give them but little infor-
nation concerning the shooting. The
officers thought he was not telling all
he knew. SO they took him to police
headquarters as a witness. At first
he said he was In his room upstairs
over the saloon when the shot was
fred. but afterwards admitted he was
In a back room OF the saloon down.
stairs at the time. He declared. how
ever. that he didn't see the shot fired.
Reaches mother was notified OF the
shooting few hours after II occurred.
a friend of her son having broken the
news to her. She appeared calm and
when seen by The Times,
Monday morning, In her neatly-fur-
nished little fiat in Grand River-aye.
This is an awful shock" she said