James Doyle
Cincinnati Daily Gazette, Friday, 26 July 1878, page 8
A MURDEROUS BLOW
A quarrel on the steamer Laura L Davis, yesterday
afternoon, had a fatal termination as far as one of the parties was concerned.
The Laura L Davis is a light draft boat and has been
substituted for the Ohio No 4, a Portsmouth packet. The Ohio was
lying at the Big Sandy wharf boat, foot of Broadway and the Davis was alongside.
The crew of the Ohio had moved everything necessary to the smaller boy, when James Doyle, the first cook, objected to the manner in which a certain space usually reserved to the cook's uses had been taken up in the disposal of freight. The deck hand, Andy Cropper, answered that it was the mate's order and added some rough words about which there was something of a quarrel.
Afterward Cropper, who was in an ill humor, quarreled with the wood sawyer. Doyle interfered in the interest of peace, when Cropper turned upon him and threatened to hit him. Doyle stepped up to him and dared him to strike. Cropper picked up a piece of poplar board about five feet long, three inches wide and an inch and a half thick, and saying, "I will hit you if its only for fun." he struck Doyle across the head on the left side. Doyle dropped to the deck stunned and Cropper walked off unchallenged.
The wounded man was laid on the foot box and cold water applied. As he did not revive he was sent to his home, No 214 Monmouth street, south of Ringgold, Newport, where he died within fifteen minutes. It was a few minutes before 2 when he was struck down and about 4:15 when he died.
Coroner Winston, of Campbell County, held an inquest, which was adjourned until 10 o'clock this morning for further evidence. One of the witnesses examined was Dr. Jeancon, who was called in to attend to the wounded man. He testified that when he arrived at Doyle's side the latter was already moribund, his eyes insensible to light, and his face indicating compression of the brain.
Mr. Doyle leaves a wife and child. He was of a sober and industrious habit and in disposition, peaceful. His murderer is a man of ugly, quarrelsome disposition, and it is represented, was generally disliked on that account. Dispatches were sent last night, by order of the Superintendent of Police, to Portsmouth, Maysville and other points up the river, requesting the apprehension of Cropper.