The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-08-09
THE PAST UNEARTHED.
A TALE OF MURDER AND OF MISSING
RECORDS.

A TALE OF MURDER AND OF MISSING
RECORDS.
Justice Awake ana ON the Track of the
Rea-Ianded Fugitive.
Probably the most important public records in
this parrish are the books aud papers connected
with the coroner's Office As every one knows,
they contain the first and sometimes the last evil
dences OF foul play, and are in many instances
necessary In order to fasten guilt upon the
perpetrators Of crime, who are brought to justice
months and often years after the deed has been
cqhmitted.
How often does it happen that
| BRUTAL MURDER
is committed by an unknown hand, and years
afterwards, when the murderer considers him
self secure, spark Of light gives the first faint
glow to the bright light OF truth that shows up
the criminal, witnesses spring forth as il they
had been laying in ambush for years, and justice
finds her own. The most important witnesses
in these cases are the books Of record in the
Ooronei's Office, for they establish where and by
what means the victim came to his death. When
these sacred records are destroyed or stolen, as
In the case we are about to recite, the wheels of
justice are clogged, IL not altogether stopped.
It is natural to suppose that parties interested
| would, II tho opportunity offered,
COMMIT BURGLARY
| to gain possession Of the documents, and for
that reason these records should be kept in an
iron burglar proof vault and not in an old arnoir,
| 90 they have been and are still kept.
Particular reference is made here to the condi-
ton of the books Of the Coroner's Office of the
Second and Third Districts during few years
past, some Of which have been stolen and de-
faced in one important instance that we know of.
In looking over the book OF inquests held during
the administration Of DR.. James Jackson, in the
year 1871, it was discovered that leaf, contain
ing pages 301 and 900, had been
CUT OR TORN OUT
and the botter for the month Of May, 1871, was
not to be found. Il was evident that the miss-
ing page contained an inquest held between the
10Th ana 23d days Of May, 1871. as page 800 was
an inquest held on the 10Th and page 800 Of one
on the 23d. visit was made TO this Office and
the old books were overhauied in the presence Of
Or. Bezou, the deputy OF the present Coroner,
DR.. Rance, for the purpose OF aseertaining what
disposition had been made In the case of
NICHOLAS M'EvoY,
who was murdered at the Fire Proof Coffee
House in the year 1871 by Thomas Delaney.
The day and month were not known, and, not being
able to find the index to the book for that year,
1t was necessary to examine every leaf. After
careful and thorough examination the inquest
held over the body of McEvoy could not be found.
pile of index books were taken from the
armoir, and after running over some eight or ten
of them the name OF Nicholas McEvoy was found,
A. NJ NIT
ooNFIRMEs THE SUSPICION
certificate Of DR.. J. B. Cooper, ex.city physician
in the McEvoy murder case, which had
EVIDENTLY BEEN STOLEN
by some interested person or persons.
The discovery was made bus few days ago,
and, therefore, 1t Ia impossible to state who was
the custodian Of these books at the time the
robbery was committed, as since the date of the
murder the Office has been occupied BY Dr. Jack.
son, John Grayer. ESQ., DIR. De Blanc, and OF
present by DIR. Rance. The coroners. besides
their regular inquest books, were in the habit of
KEEPING A BLoTTEB
in which they entered up cases as soon as they
came to their knowledge. These blotters are
connected with the Office, and are generally sup
posed to last about three months. As it was inn |
possible to CLEAN any information other than the |
Glue Of the name having been indexed for the |
thinking that the thief might have overlooked |
that book, but it was nowhere to be found, and It
is evident that ii was carried off by the same
party.
the name was in the index, as that book was
found with a lot Of old books entirely separated |
from the book of inquests that it referred TO- and
1t Is more than likely that the thief could not find
II when he made away with everything else that |
would fasten guilt upon
THOMAS DELANEY,
the party charged with the murder.
II il known that DIR. Jackson made his affidavit |
against Delaney before the Third Municipal Po- |
lice Court, charging him with the murder, and
filed there the original testimony taken at the |
inquest to substsntiate his charge. Delaney |
made his escape at the time, and, as he was never
arrested The Gaze rested there, and as the papers
were supposed to be in the custody Of that court |
until it was disposed OF, visit was made to the |
old courthouse on lysan Fields street.
The old papers and affidavits were overhauled, |
but no trace could be found OF the missing |
papers, and it is evident that they
ALSO WE'RE STOLEN
in the same way as the books Of the coroner, by |
parties who desired TO shield Delaney. In order |
to ascertain positively whether such was the case.
questioned and he stated that after the law was |
passed creating two Recorders courts for the |
city, he received seven untried cases from the |
late Third Municipal Court, and the case against |
Delaney WAS not
AMONG THE NUMBER.
Had the papers been kept as they should have
been, and not stolen they were, this case, which
was never heard from, would have been trans
ferred to Judge Miltenberger with the other un-
finished business.
These facts being made known to Chief Boy
Ian, he called on Capt. O'Neil and requested him
to transfer to him all books connected with the
Fifth Station for that year, in order to learn what
report had been made OF the murder by the po-
lice, but the book containing the desired infor-
nation could not be found. All public records
with this important case
HAVE BEEN DESTROYED,
and 1t was necessary, as last resort, to refer to
the old files of the daily papers of that year in
order to ascertain the circumstances connected
with this bloody tragedy.
Delaney was evidently informed that the pa
pers were destroyed, and thought that the case
had been forgotten forever, as he returned to