New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-18
Man Who Fired at Mayor
Tells Story of His Life
as DereIict.
TURTLE CREEK, KY,
HOME SOLD BY SHERIFF
Hounded Since Then, He Says
RambleS When Asked
About Shooting.


sat in Commissioner Woods's Office AZ
Police Headquarters last night, and for
two hours detailed the hopeless drift
ing OF his life. He was questioned ~
District Attorney Whitman, with his
assistants, John NJ Mnton, jr, and
Deacon Murphy, and Inspector Faurot
and Captain funny. The prisoner sat
inert and rarely exhibited any emotion
as he mechanically told his story.
II was the story Of derelict VINO
believed that certain classes too power
full TO combat were arrayed against
him. He showed no reluctance 10 an
swer questions, except those which re-
ferred to his family.
His wfe's name was Margaret ana
his daughters Mary. Whether they
were alive or dead he would not say
although in the course Of his examina-
ton IT developed that his home had
been at 116 East Frank st., Newport
KY.
Prosecuted by Courts, He Says.
The only resentment or feeling OF any
kind betrayed by him was when ne
talked Of courts and lawyers the
Masonic order or Of the order or Odd
Fellows. All these, no is convinced
have been prosecuting him. When
lawyer volunteered to appear for him.
/ the man sprang to his feet.
You'll have nothing 10 do with me!
he cried You're a bunch Of CROOKS
the whole lot Of you. Every lawyer
/ ever knew has sold me out. 1 wouldn't
take a chance with any Of you"
In a lengthy diary which the police
found in his trunk there was a blacklist
of lawyers, described as cheats and
beats"
1T was in 1888" he said, that ever
thing went wrong. I owned 81
houses, and two lots besides, in Y
Creek, Ky. Yes. sir, l was w
That property I owned was wort,
than $4,000. hut 1 traded theml
1872 acres OF fine land. That was wh@e
I made the first mistake It gave /he
lawyers hold on me and they 7fyeF
let up.
Il brought suit to recover the houses
that was in 'ss. It was before Judge
Davis. Wei, sir, you can SIC how IL
was perhaps better than did. They
we're all Masons or Odd Fellows
judge, Jurors, lawyers and everybody.
What chance did have? Z ifoS1r-,---
course. The cheriff sold my land TO
$500. 1 didn't get a cent. 10
could I?
Il had to get out. There was moth
Ing left for me there, with all thos.
people against me. 1 could see thatA
1 changed my name to Rose and set.
out 70 make my living again. Couldn't
do it, They kept after me-
He said that he had never been arr
rested before in all his aimIess caree't
except once in Louisville, KY, in 1903
A policeman told him to ioove aloRs
and a fight followed. The Mayor
whose name he thinks was Bull, inter
coded for him, he said, and he was dis
charged.
Vague Answers on Shooting.
AS soon as the questions pointed
toward the attempt to shoot Mayor
Mitchell his answers became vague and
rambling The best that could be got
| from him was that he didn't like the
Mayors attitude regarding the bond
/ sale or Colonel Goethals. He thought"
/ that he might have listened to speak
ers in Printing House Square a g1
many times. but he didn't know whee
er the speakers were socialists, l. W.
/ w. agitators, anarchists or what.
In his trunk, a good part Of which
was taken up with newspaper clippings,
was one from THE World" Of Febru-
airy 20 headed Mayor Backed by MenI
Of Commerce in His Police Ideas"
picture Of the Mayor accompanies
story. There was also an edit
from The Evening Journal Of ia.
airy 16, 1913 entitled, Are You In Fa.
vor Of Furnishing Big Rascals?"
Two diaries were found in his trunk
One of them was very brief. being
merely a paper covered memorandum
book. The other was home made.
sheets pasted together, had no COW
and was bulky. In them he told Of n
wanderings, which included Penns,
vania, Ohio, West Virginia, Mississippi
Kentucky and Texas Every Job hi
ever held appears to be noted in one
these books. There are hundreds
them.
He had worked in various capacitie
on railroads, he had worked in 81,
mills, as a blacksmith, as a coachn
and in coal mines. Time after
there is a brief note at the end Of
entry as this describing his gettin II
job: Discharged. My name 70 q,
me out Put up job"
There were many entries concern
lawsuit or fancied suits which he
he had engaged New York lawvsrs
fight for him.
Pawned Watch to Pay Rent
The later entries in his diary shovel
that he had been pressed for MONEY
He tells of pawning his wateA FOR
ana paying 1t to his landlady, MrS