Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-11-20
SECOND EDITION.
The M ysicriOas Murder aa MOrtOn-
Vile.

THEORY OF MuRDxn oLEAnLy NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
VICTIM KsIFED AND NOT sHoT-FAoTs AND Ku-
MoRs ABOUT THE MYsTERY.
The mystery which hangs about the dead bo-
dy found floating in the dam at Mortonyille, on
the Wilmington 4 Reading R. R., thickena rath-
or than lifts. Yesterday COMMERCIAL reporter
visited the scene, talked with the people Of Nor
tonvile, and is able to present the latest deyel-
opments in the case.
These, however, are few. Beyond the fact
that the man was murdered nothing else is abso-
lutely known. The three meetings which have
been held by the coroners jury have developed
nothing beyond this By direction OF the coroner
Drs. Palmer and Harry held post mortem
examination on Thursday, after which
the body was buried 1t the Chester county
sawed open, and an examination revealed the
fact that two blows with blunt instrument were
inflicted, one on the side and the other on the
back Of the head, neither of which crushed the
bones but made indentations, under which the
blood had clotted in the brain. The skull, the
Doctors said, was the th1ckest they ever saw on
q white man. The fatal wound WAS inflicted with
= knife and not by pistol shot, as close ex.
animation showed, the blade having been forced
by powerful thrust through the bones Of the
bridge OF the nose, crushing them and penetrat-
ing the BRAIN Thus wound, while not very large
WAS frightful. 1t is supposed to have been made
with an iordinary pocket knife OF considerable
strength. Other bruises we're found in different
parts Of the body, but they we're mostly flesh
wounds. 4s
Two circumstances have transpired which may
lead to the identification OF the remains ulti-
mately. On the 26th Of October, two strangers
entered the rolling mill of Hugh E. Steele, at
LAUREL one mile this side Of Mortonyille, one of
whom Nicholas Blank, foreman in the mill, rec
ognizes as the dead man. The hat found near
the Mortonville water, tank also corresponds
with the description given OF that worn by the
deceased stranger when he entered the mill.
Both these men were we'll dressed. They did
not give their names, residence, business, nor
ask For work. They said but little, but it was
evident from what was said that the deceased
WAS iron worker. When leaving the mill they
went in the direction OF the station, and moth
ing more WAS seen Of tAem by any one, lit seems.
The hat WAS found day or two afterwards.
Near by where the hAt was found the murder
ia supposed to have bsen committed. 1t is a
lonely spot upon the railroad, about five hun
dred yards above the station, where the woods
shadow the dam, and suffi ,iently remote from
any habitahon for successful murderous pur-
poses. No evidences of struggle are anywhere
to be found, but what il supposed to be stains
OF blood are plainly to be seen on the ties. The
bank Of the dam also bsars traces OF sliding feet
as il descending to the margin Of the stream,
while in the waters edge foot prints are plainly
indentsd in the mud. This is the spot where
the body is supposed to have been thrown in.
The water is here about thirteen feet in depth,
the deepest in the dam, and this depth id
reached few feet from the shore. The stone
found III the coat pocket was evidently put there
In the hope of sinking the body.
The other circumstance which is relied upon
to throw some light upon the affair is the arrival
from Philadelphia at the Doe Run post-office of
letter addressed to "R. A. Warner, Doe Run
station" In pocket of the dead stranger was
found a card upon which WAS printed the name.
as we'll as it could be deciphered, the action OF
the water having rendered it illegible, 'Warren
or "Warrington and ~ there is no one of that
name in the neighborhood it is thought that the
| letter may have been intended for the deceased.
| The letter has remained uncalled for for con.
pie Of weeks, and will be turned over to the
| coroner.
| Itlis regarded rs a somowhat suspicious circum
stance that poster should disappear suddenly
| from Coatesvile after the finding of this body
was announced. The poster asked information
concerning man who WAS missing from Ger
mantown, and gentlemen who read it say the
description corresponds very closely with that
| of the man found in the dam.
| The motive of the murder is equally mysteri-
ous with the victim and the murderer. No indi-
cations that the man had had money are given
save in his genteel appearance. He was well
dressed, and his face had evidently been freshly
shAvsn and his hair cut by barber just before
| the murder. A clay pipe, cigar and some other
minor articles were found in the pockets OF the
| clothing.