Year: 1875

DESPERATE STRUGGLE ENDED WITH A


BUTCHERS KNHE+''MY HEART Is GONE; I


AM LOST"


Between ten and eleven O'Clock yesterday forenoon
John Grau and William Horton alias Buffalo Bill, en-
gagged in desperate encounter at No. 492 Tenth
nue., during which Grau stabbed in n horrible
manner and will in all human probability die. Grau
who is known as 'tough customer" went to the
above number get his breakfast and shortly after
entering began to abuse Horton in unmeasured terms
In the of few minutes the words resulted in
blows the two men fighting with the desperation OF
tigers Grau is much larger and more
lar man than his antagonist, besides which
Horton is lame In leg. As the fight
progressed chairs, dishes and clubs were brought
into requistion with terrible effect both being
and bruised in most shocking manner Women and
children-for there several presentscrcamed and
called for the police but the best police in the world
did not respond and the savage struggle FL
nay Grau's superior strength and better physical
dtion began tell his favor and, getting hold OF
Horton he collected all his strength and made hercuean
effort throw him through the window. At this stage
Of affairs Horton who says things getting
nous seized large knife that chanced to be lying
table near the window and plunged 1t into Graws side
and again his left The wound in the side
fearful cash. and extends in the opinion Of the DOCTORS
to considerable depth vast quantity of blood
flowed and collected pool the oor and the police
surgeons say there has been internal hemor-
rhage


Just after the cutting the police arrived arrested
Horton and had the wounded man conveyed TO Belle
vue Hospital Coroner Kessler took his ante -mortem
statement which, it will be seen differs in every parc-
ular the story told The facts forth
above, however, were obtained from three different
witnesses to the struggle and subsequent cutting and
are corroborated by Horton.


THE AHTE-MoRrEM STATEMENT


I employed in wholesale butchers shop
Tenth avenue. This morning, about eleven O'clock l
went to the house where lodge and take my meals in
order my breakfast and while waiting there and
sitting at the table talking with the wife of Buffalo
Bill who lives in the place with her aunt, Buffalo
n @ rushSu STABBED me mo ana %n0u. o yr
This assault sudden and unexpected that
had chance to defend myself to get out of ks
way | at once dropped on the floor and became
utterly unconscious, and do not know what became
me afterwards. had quarrel with Buffalo Bill
this morning previously, and gave him provoca-
ton whatsoever for his attack upon me. The house
| where he stabbed me is on Tenth avenue between
Thirty seventh and Thirty eighth streets and s the
same place where have been living and boarding for
| the last years. The room Is the FIRST door
'front.' and right above an oyster saloon Buffalo Bill
night with his wife AS | entered this morning
TO take my breakfast | found Buffalo Bill there
smoking pipe; and soon afterward, while waiting for
my breakfast and converslng with his wife, he sud-
denly rushed upon me and stabbed me. / feel now ex-
tremely feeble and suffering great pain My heart is
gone know that am lost and that cannot get over
t; but am ready 10 die; satisfied that have done
no wrong and that Buffalo Bill has stabbed without
any provocaton on my part, and in most cruel and
brutal manner, He stabbed me with a large butcher
knife that was lying in my room, and which had
sharpened for my use this morning His
JOHN u GRAU


mark.


After the dying mans statement had been heard by
the seven Jurymen they rendered the following YER
Dict


We nnd that John Grau came to his injuries at the
hands OF Buffalo Bill the I'D day Of September
1875, nj No 4g2 Tenth avenue that the wounds were
inflicted by means OF large butcher knife, and in
wanton manner and without the slightest provocation


Horton committed 10 the Tombs, where he will
be held 70 await the result Of his victims injuries