The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-04-22
ESCAPED LUNATIC
SHOOTS UP CHURCH
PROMINENT NEW YORK SUR
GEON SHOT WHILE TAKING
UP OFFERING SUNDAY.

UP OEFEhlNG SUNDAI.
DR.. James Marcoe, a well-known
surgeon, was shot and killed Sunday
while taking up the offering at the
morning service in the fashionable
st. Georges Protestant Episcopal
church of New York city.
His assailant was captured after a
short chase by a group of parishion-
ers. The prisoner gave his name first
as Thomas w. Shelley and later as
Thomas w. Simpkin. The police said
he told them he had escaped Thurs
day from the Eastern State hospital
for the insane at Williamsburg, Va.
DR.. Marcoe, a wealthy vestryman
of the church. was friend and per-
sonal physician to J. Pierpont Morgan,
also a parishioner there. He was
fifty-six years old.
The church was crowded with par
ishioners, many of them representa-
tives of the wealthiest families in New
York, when the shooting took place.
DR.. Marcoe was walking down the
left isle taking up the collection while
the choir was singing an anthem. AS
he reached the twelfth pew from the
rear and leaned over to pass the plate,
Shelley, who was seated next to the
isle, whipped out a revolver and fired
at the physician. The bullet struck
him over the left eye and he collapsed
in the isle.
Several women screamed and men
rushed from their seats. some lifted
the physician up, and others rushed
after Shelley. Shelley, with the re-
volver in his hand, leaped over the
body of the physician and started to
run out of the church. The choir,
led by Chas. Stafford, continued sing
ing in an effort to quiet the congre-
cation.
Shelley continued shooting. His
second shot, directed at members OF
the congregation who were pursuing
him., went wild. John c. Tiedeman,
the sexton, dpO Opped to the floor in
time to escape the third bullet, which
grazed the cheek of j. Morgan Jones.
George E. Brewer was the first man
to reach him. He grabbed the mans
arm, but Shelley managed to wriggle
himself loose long enough to fire an
other shot, which grazed DR.. Brewers
thigh. By that time several other
members of the congregation had
thrown Shelley to the ground and
were holding him down when police
man arrived, handcuffed the prisoner
and took him to the police station.
Meanwhile DR.. Marcoe had been
carried out of the church and placed
in an automobile. As he was being
lifted into the car he regained con-
sciousness long enough to say u will
be all right" and collapsed. He was
rushed to the Lying-In-Hosp but
was dead when brought into that in
stitution.
Shelley freely admitted that he had
shot DR.. Marcoe, according to the po-
lice. "There are a lot more who are
going to get it, too," he is reported to
have said when questioned by detec-
tives.
Search of a suitcase Shelley had
checked at the Pennsylvania Terminal
revealed, the police say, several radi-
cal papers and pamphlets. He also
had draft card showing he had reg
istered, September IL, 1913, under the
name of Thomas w. Simpkin, 2OS
Fourth Street, Sauk City, Wis. There
were also several business cards read
ing Thomas w. Simpkins," and in the
lower corner Representing Swift
County Printing Company" and "kerk-
hoven Banner"
A letter addressed to him and found
in the suitcase had the address, 511S
Peabody street, Duluth, MINI. The
police believe it was from his wife.
About two years ago, Shelley told
the police, he escaped from the insane
asylum at Fergus Falls, Mimi, after
three unsuccessful attempts. Six
months later he went to Gary, Ind, ne
said, and there bought a revolver,
which he has carried ever since, and
with which he did the shooting.
It was definitely learned later that
Thomas w. Shelley, who shot DIR.
Marcoe, had been an inmate for some
time of the Minnesota State Insane
Asylum up to two years ago, when