The daily gazette., 1878-09-30
The Coroner's Work,
Three lnquests Since Satur-
day Night.
A DROWNING CASE, A SHOO TING
CASE AND A MYSTERIOUS CASE.

Since Saturday the Coroner has had a
busy time, three,ca of unnatural death
having claimed his official attention.
The cases were as follows:
LITTLE GIRL DROWNED.
Susan, slx-year-old daughter of
Frank Splain, one of the employees of
the BIT. Augustine paper mill, was drown
ed, on Saturday afternoon, about one
o'clock, by falling into the upper Brandy
wine race. Mr.. Splains house is close to
the race, near the paper mills, and it is
supposed the little girl fell into the water
while attempting to walk across plank
which spans the race at the yard. Her
elder sister noticed an unusual looking
object floating down the race, while look
ing for some of the other children, and
when she returned home and lie armed that
her sister was missing, she feared that
the object she saw was the little girls
body, and communicated her fears to her
father. Mr.. Splain, procuring assistance,
searched the race, and after looking for
an hour and half found the body in that
part Of the stream known as "Slippery
bot" down near the second dam. The
body was taken home, and on Sunday
morning the Coroner held an inquest, the
jury rendering verdict of accidental
drowning.
THE LoATMAN-MooRE SHOOTING CASE.
Sunday afternoon, the Coroner's jury
resumed the inquest in the case of An
drew Moore, who was shot at New Castle,
on Wednesday evening, by Israel Loaf
man, cOlored, and died from the effects of
the wound, in the County Almshouse, on
Friday evening. The inquest was held
in the third story of undertaken Fox's
establishment, Sixth and Shipley streets.
The first witness was DR.. ID. Steward,
who testified that he was called to attend
Andrew Moore, on Wednesday night;
found him lying on the floor in narrow
entry of the house. He had bad wound
on his left elbow, and the inner bone of
the arm was shattered. He bandgaged
the wound. Went back next morning
and found the man walking about the
house. Called again in company with
DIR. Black, but the man positively refused
to allow them to amputate his arm Or
even to permit them to make an exAmi-
nation of the wound. Saw the man af-
terwards and found the wound had been
bleeding, so he applied starch bandage,
tanned a permit and sent the man to the
Almshouse on Friday, as the people who
lived in the house would not allow him
0 stay there.
Harriet Rindgold, col, testified that
she was coming out of church about 10
o'clock Wednesday night, aud Moore
stepped up to accompany her home.
They had gone but few steps, when she
heard shot fired and Moore ran away
down a lane while Israel Loatman ran
after him. Saw Loatman raise the gun
to fire again, and heard the cap snap.
Witness had previously heard that Loaf
man was going to shoot Moore, she also
showed hole in the shawl, which was
made by the shot that wounded Moore.
Annie Booth, COL, testified to seeing
Loatman with two guns in his possrs-
sion, and hearing him say he was going
to "gun" for Moore for breaking mp his
family. After the shooting at the church
Loatman passed witness and said, "pve
got him now; L shot him; he's down in
the marsh and Pm going after him."
Jacob Wiley, COL, testified to hearing
the gun fired at the church. Then he
saw Loatman running after Moore, and
heard him say, "I'll give you this for
your mistress; I'll break you up from
running after other mems wives" Saw
Loatman try to shoot Moore a second
time, but his gun snapned.
George White, colored testified to
s eing Loatman going around with a
gun, looki0g for Moore. Witness was
coming out of church Wednesday night,
when he saw Loatman rise up from be-
hind a clump of weeds. with a gun in his
hand. He cried out for Moore TO look
out, but his warning was too late, and
Loa' man fired.
Several other witnesses testified to the
shooting at the church, as related by the
above testimony, and Wm. Massey testi-
fled to seeing Loatman, with two guns
in his possession, lylug in wait for Moore,
ON Wednesday evening.
DR.. II. o. Ogle testified that he and DR.
Springer examined the body of Moore;
found nothing wrong internally; the
elbow was badly shattered, and death
was occasioned either by the shock of
the wound, or by exhaustion con equeut
upon the loss of blood. Moore was very
feeble when he arrived at the Almshouse
and did not speak afterwards.
The jury rendered verdict that can
drew Moore came to his death on Sept
9th, 1878, by gun shot wound, the gun
being in the hands of Israel Loatman, on
Sept. 25sh, 1873
Ioatman, who left NV Castle the day
after tn. shooting, has not since been
seen or heard from.
FOUND DEAD.
On Saturday afternoon, as Israel II.
Peck, colored, was returning home from
work on the banks of the Christiana
Creek opposite Walton, Whann Il Co.'S,
he suddenly came upon the body of a
man lying in the rear of hay stack, with
his face down among the grass. AT first
Peck thought the man was asleep, but
upon approaching little nearer his mind
was soon disabused of the thought from
the odor arising from the body. Being
convinced that the man was dead, he
came into town and informed deputy
coroner McCaffrey, who went and viewed
the body, thus relieving the colored man.
Yesterday the coroner held an inquest
over the body, and Barney Rogers being
the only witness, testified that he recog-
nized the body as that of VIM. Mooney,
blacksmith, who has been employed at
Front and French streets. He saw the
deceased on last Saturday night week
drunk at Water and Market streets. The
deceased belongs in Baltimore, where he
has wife. He was about so years of
age. The body was in very bad state
of decomposition, and Immediately after
the inquest was inferred in the Potter's
Field. The jury returned a verdict that
ha pana fn hio 1aath from panspQ nm