Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-11-30
FIRST EDITION.
The lIOrkOnvIIIc Murder.


FINAL ACTION OF THE coRosERs JuRY-THE Mys-
Terry STILL UNsoLvED- SOME SUSPICIOUS cIRCuM-
srASGEs DEvELo"ED.
The Coroner's Jury which had been summoned
in the caso OF the murdered stranger at Morton
vile made further inquiry into the affair, yester-
day. District Attorney Wanger was present and
assisted in the examination OF the witnesses
The sossion was opened shortly after 10 clock,
and continued to six, with only short intermis-
sion for dinner.
About dozGn Witnesses were examined.
These were subjected TO Il most thorough and
searching examination. Much OF the testimony,
however, had no direct bearing on the case, and
almost all OF it wae conflicting and unsatisfactory.
David MeClnre, man whose reputation in the
neighborhood is not the best and woman who CO.
habits with him. Mary Ann Bennett, were among
tho Witnesses and their Testimony was cOntfadic-
tory throughout. The belief IL entertained in the
neghborhuud that il Mcclure was not party
to the murder he knows at least sometlilng about
1t, and some suspicious circumstances were de.
yoloped, which, could he be q little more clossly
connected with il, would warrant his detention,
As it is he is still at large, the Jury declining to
order his arrest. District Attorney Mauger, who
will continue to work mp the case, may, how
ever, have him locked mp
The suspicious circumstances alluded to are
these: Ga the 2lsh of October last (5unday)
EDor Nieds, who passed Mortonville coming
South to visit his daughter, discovered upon the
railroad ties on which he was walking traces of
blood. Theee began at point immediately OPP
posito MeCluros house, ON the other side of the
dam, and continued to the spot where the body
is supposed to have beon thrown in. At this
place was a email pool Of blood. while the re-
naming traces were drops scattered along on
the track. The blood was then fresh and had ev-
identity fallen upon the track within few hours,
say between sundown on Saturday and the mid
die of the day on Sunday. MIR. Nields at first
thought it only chicken blood, and attached no
Importance to the discovery OF it until the find
ing of the dead body. In front Of McClure's
house and connecting it with the spot at which
Mr. Nlelds first saw the blood is ford in tho
dam.
In McClure's possession was found vost with
st aims upon it Of something which may or may
not be blood. Mcclure Gays he bought the vest
from coored man i'll Coatesvile, and that it
was covered with stains of paint when he obtain
it. Mary Ann Bennett also undertook to corro-
boIate his statement, but did it in such II bung-
ling manner as to render it yaueess, while Nc
Clure diacredited his own statements III their
variety.
Further about the time the murder is sup
posed to have occurred Mcclure was possessed
Of au unusual amO1nt OF money for man with
no visible occupation. lie Was very anxious TO
bet with n gentleman who saw in his pocket book
a quantity OF money upon tho top of which was
a ten dollar bill. lie said himself that he lad
fifty dollars. The jury undertook to estimate the
possibility of his rigl.tlul possession of that
of the opinion that snch was impossible, jndg-
ing from his means OF support DIcOlures head
WAS also bundled up about that this time by rea-
son OF wounds, to account for Which he hrst
said he was knocked down and robbed OF twen-
ty-fve dollars, but he afterwards ridcued the
idea of his having that much money. He also
SAID the wound was received in fall from the
cars. go
Willie the hody was lyrg in the Mortonville
station house awaiting identification Mcclure
was very restless, would look upon the body and
then 70 away. lie did this thing two or three
times 1t was also in evidence before tho coro-
ner that Mcclure WAS seen looking very anx-
iously INTO the dam one day before the body was
pulled out, bat while it was floating III the wa
tor
As we have already said, these are strong sus-
picicus circumstances but they will amount to
but little unless Mcclure oan be brought more
closely into connection with the affair No one
seems to have seen the man at any time III COM
pany with Mcclure, or ut or passing his house.
Some people are of the opinion, however, that
District Attorney Wanger il in possession OF
facts which were not brought out at the inquest,
and that he will fasten the guilt directly upon
Mcclure. Mcclure il regarded as dangerous
man, none too good to commit such a deed; IN
fact, lie i5 in some way connected with ali at
tempted murder of man named Stamp, few
years ago. He has also served term in prison,
probably on account Of the stamp affair.
The verdict of the jury was that the man
found in the dam came to his death by violence
at the nAtus Oh some party VI ptrtie5 W .ho Ju.s
unknown, that the wounds found upon the body
showed that the murder had been committed
before it was thrown in tho dam, and that the
body had evidently been III the dam about three
weeks.
Tho identity of the stranger still remains UNI
discovered. Several inquiries have been re-
ceived, and soins photographs sent. lnforma-
| ton has been asked by friends OF missing par,
| tes in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Harrisburg, and
| Potthtown, Montgomery county, Ia From the
| latter place photograph was sent, and some OF
| the jurors thought they could discover traces OF
| resemblance between tho picture and the dead
stranger Both were stout men; there was some
simllitude in the features of tho face but the
| man in the picture wore full heavy beard, while
| the moustache of the stranger was shaved on.
| Still, by close examination of the picture the
| physicians were of tho opinion that there was a
| break In the moustAche at the very place where
the the hare lip occurs in the doad man. and that
| this break might have been caused by such
natural defect. Correspondence will follow
between the jury and those who sent the
photograph The name Of tho missing man from
| Pottstown is AIKEN.