Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-08-13

PROBABLE MuRDER.--ELIsuA T. STERLING,
citizen of some respectabiity aud length of
standing, after spending Saturday night last in
drinking and gambling 10 the room of friend
IA Mr.. SHERMAN--in the third story of the
brick block on the corner of Bank and Centre
streets, Cleveland, was found upon the side
walk near the door early on Sunday morning
with his skull broken, and in dying state
Sherman testifes to having shown him out a.
bout the break of day, and preparing to retire
heard noise like that of fall, and proceeded
to look after Sterling, found him as described.
He called help and removed him to his room,
procured physician, but death had ensued be-
fore his arrival An inquest has been held for
several days, and many witnes ses examined, but
nothing satisfactory elected Two physicians
testified to the improbabilty of such wound
being caused by fall no other parts of the
head or body showing either abrasions or con-
tusions. Much noise was heard about the
Streets that night, and in that neighborhood.-
A knot OF men were seen standing near the
place where the body was found, hurryiug up
ald down the street and loud and angry talk,
All, however, is sbrouded in mystery. Sterling
was the Superintendent OF the business Of the
Cuyahoga Furnace Works, fond. as it appears,
of that kind of life which Cleveland is more or
less noted for blacklegism and whiskey but of
warm natural impulses. He leaves family to
mourn bis death and the unhappy circumstan-
ces surrounding it. The occurrence has been
the means Of uDcovering reeking cesspool OF
immortality and vice. 1t may not be regretted
that such has been the result of this startling
\ aud mysterious affair.
The verdict of the Coroner's Jury disappoints
public expectation. 1t is as follows
The Jury find that Mr.. Sterling came to his
death by hemOrrbage on the brain, produced by
a fracture of the skull that the circumstance
surrounding the case, as developed before the
jury, lead them to believe that the fracture was
caused by violence but at whose hands they
cannot determine that while expressing said
opinion, they also believe it possible said frac.
ture was caused by a fall.
Upon this occurrence and verdict the
Cleveland Leader says We understand
sANN VIZ ANoe Si0uoS-- lucy dloO D6ll6fc III
possible said fracture was cansed by a fallD
was added as compromise with sim
gle juror, the five others being entirely de-
cided In the opinion that the fracture was
caused by violence We have no doubt
nine-tenths, at least, of the citizens who
heard or have read the reports of the tes-
timony, concur with the FIVE, and therefore
the verdict, unexplained, strikes them with
surprise. An arrest of the persons impli-
Gated by, the circumstances of Mr.. Ster-
ling's death, as disclosed by their own tes-
timOny and the evidence of others, and a
thorough, searching Judicial inVestigation,
are demanded by the blood of murdered
citizen, by justice, the public safety, and
the public voice. Had the same bloody
tragedy been enacted within and before
some low gambling hell, the actors in il
would have been in jail before the removal
Of the body of Mr.. Sterling from the clot-
ted gore. They would have been taken pos
session Of, the multitude would have been
instituted. In the Bank street murder
nothing Of the kind was done.
What are the confessed and proved facts
before the CoroneSs Inquest. in brief p
they are, that the unfortunate Sterling was
hrRt excited With drink, then stupefsd aud