Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-03-14
Dead and NKangled Body Found.

/ oi0Nofety Cl tDe trunk OF Tue uedu Douy VI
man on the track of the Chicago & North
| western Railway a short distance from the
| depot. The body was first seen by some
employees OF the 6 o'clock A. NJ. fire ight train
| from the South. The mass of human flesh
presented most CHASTITY and revolving ap-
pearance. Both legs were cut off above the
knee and gone; the top of the head was
covered with hair and hanging by the skin
| on the back OF the neck the front Of tie
! forehead, nose and one ear; the left side
| Of the face was perfect. Under each arm
| were severe cuts or wouuds, also on the
| back and other portions of the body The
strangest thing about the affair was that
| the body was entirely naked and not a
| shred Of clothing was found near the remains
| No mark of any kind was discovered that
could give the least aid in identification.
| Following the track South blood was seen
here and there, and at the junction part
of the jaw with teeth, particles OF bones,
together with piece Of the scalp, were
picked up; everything revealing horrid
death and terrible mystery. The mangled
remains were gathered together, placed in q
box and taken to the Northwestern depot
to await Investigation. coroner6 jury
was summoned and lie following impaaeiea
for tbe inquest: S. S. Woodland, g. Ferry,
B. O'Byrne, A. Blair, J. Blair, 7 Moore.
The jury determined that the body was that
of man 5 feet or inches high, not
heavy built, short black hair, small sized
hands showing signs OF having done hard
work, but not recently, age probably - or
80 years. The suppoSition was strong in
the minds of tic jury That the body be
louged to passenger, or some one aJ least
who was on the train that arrived here
and having fallen beween the cars was
dragged long distance until it became
the shapeless mass it presented when d s.
covered. The theory of the body being
carried long way was fully established
when it was learned Friday afternoon that
both legs had been found near Milton june
ton, and the track clothed with blood at
different points along the track between
Milton junction and this city. The follow
ing articles OF clothing all together in
pile were discovered north of Milton June
tion, adding, if possible, to the mysteri-
BUSINESS of the case: Overcoat, dress coat,
pair black pants, pair blue pants, dark cloth
vest, knit scarf, two pairs seeks, pair boots,
wool hat and four shirts. In the pockets
were found a knife and letters. One of the
letters indicated having been written by
the unfortunate mans sister The jury
continued their investigation on Saturday,
examining several witnesses among them
Mr.. Holmes from Milton Junction, who tes-
tilted that on Wednesday night he noticed
a man walking up ana down at the Junction
wearing what be believed to be the iden
tical clothes in the possession of the jury
mind as he discovered him talking aloud to
the wood pile and developing other strange
actions.
The corners jury continued and closed
their examination Monday. The most i'm
portans testimony bearing upon the case
was given by the conductor of the freight
train going south Thursday forenoon, He
testified that man wearing the clothing
in possession OF the jury got aboard his
train until it reached Koshkonong, when he
left the caboose and was seen no more by
any of the employees. Nothing indicating
insanity or unsoundness of mind was no
ticed by the conductor. No further testi-
mony of special Importance was obtained,
and the jury closed the inquest, rendering
the following verdict:
"That the body of the deceased, supposed
to be that of one John Hannahan, residing
at Chicago, H., was struck by the engine
of train No. II, coming n orsh on the Chica-
go s. Northwestern Railway, on the evening
of Thursday. March 8, at a point about one
mile north of Milton Junction in this State
parts of the same being carried and dropped
in different places by the train, the main
portion being left at Watertown, Wis The
jury further say they are unable to state
whether the supposed John Hannahan was
alive or dead at the time of being struck by
said engine"
Toward the close Of Monday afternoon
the remains were buried in the Catholic
Cemetery in the Third ward, there to await
the summons at the last day. A great
mystery still surrounds this remarkable
case, and whether the deceased met his
death through foul play and his body
thrown on the track to cover up the horrid
crime, or was the victim of railroad &C.
cident while laboring under fit of insanity,
remains yet to be solved, if, indeed, the
mysterious phases of the sad affair
will ever be cleared up.