The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-17
All Deny knowledge.

To aVenge such a ~dastardly deed as
this the police detectives battled against
the ratlike cunning of the murderers,
taking several young men and women
into custody to question in an effort to
extort some material information. The
persons questioned denied having any
knowledge of the murderer and his as
| s~istants,~
In the mind of Clancy as he backed
slowly a distance of 80 feet along the
side of the dance hall floor before a
closely pressing crowd Of 70 men, must
have COM the vision of his young wife
n baby, who sailed the day before
from England to join him. The veteran
soldier, who defied death for four years,
his heroic spirit unmoyed by neal death
in wounds of battle, actually sought to
avoid trouble with those whom he had
been twice warned had threatened to
| get" him. 1t was probably for those
loved ones, for the sake of his and their
love n future happiness, that his
hand was stayed from drawing his auto
matte pistol and shooting down his as
~sailants. Or perhaps 1t was also be-
cause the cause was not as worthy as
that for which he fought and bled on
the battlefields of France that he did
not accept the role of killer which they
were seeking to thrust upon him.
One who sensed the impending trage-
dy, but felt weak and powerless to in
%tervene. stood and watched the murder,
A long hall extended the whole length
of the dance room, separated by a par
tition through which two doorways were
pierced. At the end Of the hallway
near the doorway closest to the stage
the threat to get" was hurled at him,
He backed through the doorway onto
the dance floor, slowly backing down
the side of the floor in front of a settee
occupied by young women.
Men followed those who first stalked
Clancy until the movement of mel
bulged out IN the floor and interfereC
with the dancers. The women tool
fright and left the %settee, struggling t.
get through the crowd Of men and away
was smiling. He made no move to use
his billy. He did not even unbutton the
holster which held his pistol. He of.
fered no threat of death or injury t
the crowd.
The women on the next row of Sc.
tees lining the side Of the hall beyonc
the second doorway leading to the hall
way scurried away from h slowl,
moving crowd. Some others crowded
forward, forming a circle around thu
policeman. With this Gordon of bodie!
to shield their act, the murderer:
acted.
1t was a ease of anyone "beatinf
Clancy to the draw" The ASSASSIN
probably had his revolver all ready TO
action when the best opportunity pre-
scented itself. He certainly held it il
his hand, either concealed under hi
coat or in his pocket, The witness
whose eyes never once left Clancy ant
those following him heard the sho
fired and saw Clancy make a break t.
run for the doorway to the hallway anC
gain the stairs which led to the street
Assassins Fled.
The revolver was probably passe
from the hand of the murderer to a.
accomplish, thence changing hands un
til it found its place Of concealmen
underneath the radiator across the ha
, from which the shooting 0 place
, The assassin ran out Of the hall b
the two exits on either sid Of tn
, stage where the orchestra played, Bot
led to the street by fire escapes. Nor
than 100 escaped at this time, althoug
: Patrolmen Di Franco and Fallon, bot
. in citizens clothes, sought to hold tn
crowd.
That the murderers were prepared t
, make a quick exit and had planned t
take their vengeance on the patrolma
who dared to enforce the dance hall re
strictions without waiting to fulfill thei
q threat on the street below was show
! by the fact that those who escaped lef
no coats, hats or rubbers behind ther
4 as tell-tale evidence to identify them.
!, Clancy might have gone a little fur
Their before he was shot down If he ha
not misjudged the location of the sec
, ond doorway toward which he wa
backing. He passed 1t by about tw
: feet. From the balcony behind hir
. Patrolman Fallon watched him, Mr.
Q Fallon clinging to mis- arm. He sa'
I the murder so clearly that he declare
: that if he had had a revolver he coul
have shot and killed the murderer be
fore he could have moved away. [
Franco, the other patrolman presen
did not see the shooting. Fallon is tn
policemen to whose description the pC
! lice are pinning their hopes Of traT
i ping the murderer.