New-York tribune., 1921-11-28
'BigBob' Moore,
Struck by Auto,
Dies in Hospital
Defender of Molineux, Pat
rick and Counsel in Stokes
Cases Run Down Under
IL" and Skull Fractured
Famed at Criminal Bar
Defended Any One Who Was
Broke; in Chinatown.
s'The Celestial Person.

Robert M. Moore, who began his
career IS n criminal lawyer in the
famous Molineux murder case and de-
veloped into one Of the foremost at
torneys in his class, died yesterday
morning Of compound fracture Of the
skull at the Reconstruction Hospital as
the result Of having been run down BY
an automobile Saturday night while on
his way to buy ice cream for his
family.
Joseph Dempsey, driver Of the auto
mobile, before being held in $4,000 bail
on charge OF homicide, said that Mr..
Moore stepped from behind an elevated
pillar at Columbus Avenue and Ninety
sixth Street and before Dempsey could
apply the brakes the machine struck
him. The chauffeur took him to the
hospital and then surrendered to the
police. An operation proved fruitless
and Mr.. Moore died shortly afterward.
big Bob" Moore was native OF
Wntertown, fifty-five years old. He was
blacksmith as well as lawyer in
Malone when he was called to New
York during the Molineux murder trial.
He had always been credited with be-
ing responsible for the removal OF Ro-
land B. Molineux from the death house,
where he had written his sensational
book, The Little Green Door," through
which Molineux had seen so many mur-
derers pass to pay the penalty of their
crimes.
Defended Albert Patrick
Shortly afterward Mr.. Moore estab-
iished the firm Of Cantwell & Moore
Aside from the Molineux case, he be-
came noted for his successful defense
Of DR.. Samuel J. Kennedy. the Staten
Island dentist, after DR.. Kennedy had
been granted a new trial following his
conviction Of the murder of Dolly Rey-
nolds in the Grand Union Hotel, Man
haitian.
Another outstanding case in which
| "Big Bob" was successful was that oi
Albert T. Patrick. While he lost the
case on the second trial and Patrick
was convicted, he worked increasingly
until he had proved to the satisfaction
Of the authorities that Patrick was in
nocent and the prisoner was released
He also was the leading legal light in
the famous w E. D. Stokes-chorus girls
case which filled columns of newspaper
space
Had Many Poor Clients
In recent years Mr.. Moore did mo-
figure in the prominent murder cases
Yet he was constantly appearing in
every part of the criminal courts. He
was noted for his willingness to take
the case Of any defendant who was
broke" and 1t is said Of him that ht
would labor just as hard for such &
client as for one who could afford tc
pay his fee.
Mr.. Moore will be buried tomorrow
from his home, 81 West Ninety-sixtf
Street. At the funeral services will
be many prominent in public life, or
the bench and among the legal fra
ternity.
But there will be no more sorrowfu
gathering than the delegation from
called him either "Big Bob or "the
Celestial Person. To Chinatown fol
ten years big Bob Moore has been g
god. He has been their legal advise,
on all business matters and their de-
fender when they got into trouble with
the police.
Mr. Moore leaves his wife, his son
Lafayette ('Fay") Moore, who was as.
sociated with his father, and daugh-
ter, Mrs. H. C. Davis.