The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-03
MURDER OR SUICIDE?
w. r.. posEY FOUND ON FRONT STREET.
wITH A, BULLET IN HIS HEAD.

AT one o'olook Tuesday morning, while Officers
Holloway and Absdis of the Second Precinct.
we're patroiDg their beat they found young
man, ON Front street, between Thalia and Erato.,
lying on his face in an insensble condition, well
tering in his bleod. which stresmea from wound
in the head. just behind the right ear.
The unfortunate man was picked up by tlo
officers and conveyed into the rice mill corner on
Erato and Front streets.
Sergeant Calvin, commanding the Second
Precinct, Was then notified. and repairing TO, tho
rice mill examining the wound In the rasns head
found that IL had been made by pistol shots
The sergeant immediately summoned DR..
Beard, city physician, who promptly responded 10
the call, and upon examining the wounded man
was satisfied thst he vas past all aid. And
VAS sinking rapidly. As soon rs Bsrgeant
Calvin had the dying man in the hands OF DR..
Beard he visited The scene of the tragedy snd
made thorough examination OF the SPOT and
his searoh for some cine TO the
DARK AND MYSTERIOUS DKBb,
was rewarded by She finding Of q derEngar pis-
tol within hands reach OF the spot where the
Bsensibls mans head had 1aia.
This led him at frat To think thss theFs had
been no fonl play, ard that the uf Fortunate man
had destroyed himself Afterwards he returned
TO the rice mill, where ths wona6sf man was
being attended by the physician, and, together
With Dr. Beard, made o thorough examination 0f
the wound,
His first opinion was then somswbat changed
| as TO the osnse OF death, The wound showing TO
signs Of having been burnt By the powder from
the weapon used, which would have been the
case, especially with so short n pistol ~ ders
| ringer. had the man shot himself. DR.. Beardre~
fnsined with the patient from the time that he
effort TO save his life. At 4 q. m, without .
struggle. tho victim OK this singular affair drew
| his last breath.
The body was then removed to the Second
Precinct Station, and there searched. The studs
from his shirt were missing; In his pockets we're
| found silver ten cent piece, puckst handker~
chief, msrked W. T. Possy, fine pairs Of new
socks wrapped in paper. snd lssaer, carefully
| folded, but not In an envelope. The letter Wac
| opened and read as fellows:
NEW ORLEANS, La. Nov. /, 1877.
Mrs. r.. q. Burden:
| bave received the fourteen shoussna dollars
all safe, and viii be mp on the Lee Wednesday;
have concluded to bring IL Hp with me. hav8
rolled IL up securely aDa put 1t all Ia the inside
breast pocket Of my coat. and pinned the pocket
fast; 30 you see there ia no danger Of my losing
IL.
intend TO go TO ,bs ~. CHARLES Thestre TO-
night with q friend. fear IL write any more
will be too late for ry letter TO 90 up The Allen
this evenings 80 will hsve 10 olo, o. 1--we 30 Maths
| and all the family. Hope Mr.. Barker IL better.
Tell Dannis TO take care of my two mules, il they
hs ve been delivered They we're to be delivered
saturday.
H,ping that .hen get up will fnd you slI
we'll, remains yours, lovingly, - .x
p. 81 am affaid will got down TOO late 10
send This letter off. Anthpw, ! will take IL up
iii so), so that you can see that fonnd time 70
writs WILLIE.
The letter had DO sooner been read than aIf
present were tally Impressed with the belief that
Posey had eefue 10 his death by other than
! MA
as soon as IL was known that the deceased was
. son Ok Judge Pesey, residing in Carroton his
's''.sr was sent for, Judge Posey, ON arriving 4.
the station and being informed of oil the facts
connected with his sons dsah, was unabls 70
say whether il was u suicide or murder.
| He stated that hi5 son, some two years ago,
WAS beaten over tho head with sungshot, aad
ever sines then has been mentally dersDgad.
| He was mon maniac on the su' ject OF money,
| believing himself TO be tho poss6ssor of numi6r4
ous riches, snd frequently telling strangers kras
he had money about him. Judge Posey Was
| ignorant Of his sous presence IN the city, and
supposed that no came here Sunday right 90 tho
| St amer X. IT, Lee.
judge presumss that he must have told some one
that he had s14 900 on his person, and the as
ssss1D, TO get the money, must have doRged bis
steps uutil he got to place where he could carry
HIS DESIGN INTO EXECUTION.
and then coolly murdered bis man, throwing the
victim had committed suicide.
| DIR. Beard the ciiy physician, who attended TO
| the wounded man until hs died, was interviewed
by DEM cRAT reporter, and the doctor IL or the
| opinion that the man was murdered He thinks
| IL an impossbty for man 10 shoot himselr i'm
the manner that tho deeeased was shot without
| the powder singing the fl sh around aud about
| the wound.
CHIEF BoYLAs
has not, ~ yet, expressed any opinion In regard
to Posey's death, but has placed bis corps OF do
tectives to work up the facts OF the case, and ii
possible, ferret OUT ths truth OF the matter.
| This, without Question, is most mysterious
sffair, and gives large field Tor detective skill
| and q chance for soms OF the new force TO make
| for themselves name.
| The two policemen who discovered the de-
ceased were interviewed regarding their not i,sv-
ing heard the report OF the pistol. TO this they
say that they did hear the report Of pistol, bat
| rs it Is not an uncommon thing to hear pistol
| fred n that neighborhood ii being mig tly oc-
| eurrence that men on the river fire off pistols,
and as this shot sounded as il fred ON the river.
| they paid bat little attention to 1t.
| When the deceased was sxamined at the Second
Precinct station, althouxh neatly dressed, he had
DO studs In his shirt, and the bottom hole In bis
vest through which mIn generally attaches his
watch chain was the only button hols not but
toned. These particulars appear to sustain the
| hypothesis that the nan had been Murdered, and
| that the murderer had robbed his victim OF bis
watch, chain aHd studs.
After all the deceased may have destroyed hina-
self, regardless of the attendant circumstances.
| This, however, is only supposi5ion dedHcted
| from purely clrcumstantIal evIdspc6. IL may b6,
! though the circumstance Of the vet button hole
] being open has good deal Of significance, that
| it was piece Of negligence in dressing ON the
young mans part.
AZ for his shirt having no studs, though 1t was
made to carry these ornament winch every well
dressed man wears, yet the shirt was OF that pat
tern which is buttoned in the back and it may be-
that he ignored the studs or had forgotten 10 put
l shErN Va las
facts because they are liaks IN q chain that may
be found ultimately to lead to the nviction OF
some desperate r>bber, or raayhsps olen the
| way to ascertain the fact that the poor young
| fellow committed suicide.
The statement made in the letter that he IN
Yortu ate victim had in hls possession o sum OF