The New York herald., 1878-08-16
ACCIDENT OR sUICIDEa

The PAssAIC TRAGEDY STILL MYSTERY
CONFLICTING EoRIEs-pIsCHARGE OF THE
PRISONERS.
The Paterson police seem TO have satisfied thsm-
selves that tho death OF McGral not due TO foul
play. Though this conclusion may satisfy tho
o0ic iai mind 1t certainly has not been generally
accepted It 10 extremely difficult TO reconcile al
known facts with the theories OF suicide or acci
dental death. When tho story OF the hands the
Ere freight train preceding the which run over
MsGrals body ON Sunday night came to
the cars Of Chisr OF Police Graui he
deavored to SEQ ana examine tho men, but was unable
TO do SO until yesterday, when, In answer TO q
message from Jersey City, he won't down and
mad their Version OF what occurred on that
night bearing on this tangled affair. Thcse
men, Oscar n. Kn,bali, engineer john Budd, Frank
Barklny and Nathan Vcntmu, brnkemsn, told
straightforward story 10 the following general pus-
port :Tnsy say .ha. at Paterson station, which they
wers switching two cars Of stock, whom
|. man answering tho description OF
tank car, the sixth rom the rear ond, where the
cuboose He was drunk and ugly. and paid NO attsu-
that car ana finally the train started with him stII
on board In passing along down toe road be Was seen
,n ~. ms M % %. 1eas
his nat until Asaliy at or near clifton he lost his hold
on u and i: was distinctly seen to iall TN. DTS
was held In tho uaboose 10 what should be done
with him, and IL was decidsd to put MIN or at Passac
Bridge as the train wsud have 10 stop there anyway
During the ride down tho man leaned against the rail-
ing OF tho car
PUT OFF THE CARS
Upon arriving as Passa,c Bridge the brakeman,
Budd attempted to put tho man OF, but he was very
sSss 70 sar o:s
him loose and dragged him over tho
% 70 me ss q A:
ma marx. sn .Ss loose o,ns:,. .. no sr:ss .sS and
sal nf I'M
Of tho Marks from the supposisious wagon to whcre
he found the track. They left him thero aud
front end one ei Them rcmarking, THAT'S the
stirest man I've handled Tor somo time"
after the train and had seized the railing at the rear
end and wae trying 10 get on The brakcmanu, Budd,
Of o o 'o for and
ran along like boy at the roar OF = wagon. ba.
1aslly be became sxhsusted and lot 20, or else wss
kicked eose-as there 10 reason to suppose was the
case-and tell, but soon picked nimscn up,
showing that he was not much hurt. Several
drovers who wore 10 the caboose called out, Come
op, old fellow, op, but tho walked slowly
back TO Aycr,gg's crossing and they saw him no
more
II - on this state msnt mat the .accidentap theory
crossing, Where no was after ward found. he sank
down from hts hurts hts exhaustion and sns effects
the liquor and was run ever and beheaded and
| by engine No. 34l, which was duo about hour
later. Many nnd !. eosy 70 aocoao. Tor the wagon
tracks By susges..a that some person has driven
bu, anding their mistake have ,urnsd
aoou,. causing tho marks seen. The blood
OF TO one sido at tho place whore McGran Was sup
posoa 70 have been taken irom the wagon, is nc
counted for by the fact tnat tho man
laid there BY tho Drakemsn. The bloody hand
korchief in his inside breast pocket 10 accounted
Tor tho theory that McGrnil wiped his bloody
with u afier the knock down In Main street. between
eight and nine O'Clock, and 80 on 10 the end OF the
| chapter.
Upon learning these facts Coroner Myers yesterday
morning released Mcssrs. Bell ana lrv,n,
holding them, however, In 5000 bail each
TO appear as witnesses at the inquest
on Bells pantaloons which was proceeding in New
York, also stopped for the present The Inquest
was 10 commence At ten A. N. to-day.
EvDzNcEs MURDER.
Mr.. VI. J. Dwyre, oil Passaic, found o neck scarf
lying near tho gate OF the new ence the Aycrisg
property, on the eastern side OF tho railway,
found and IN tho line OF the wagon tracks the knot
OF The scarf 10 saturated with blood at tho part that
front OF the throat 1t Is black satin scarf,
sailor knot pa.sern-a knot with two ends and
small band 10 pass arouud tho neck.
Ittc to the left Of the throat piece there rs
two and halt inches In leng b, ana around the cut
the material 10 saturated with blood The band 10 torn
completely through where u 10 fastened inside OF the
knot, ana tho Short severed 6nd SILL remains inside.
This would indicate that is had been grpped
by the neck and nearly choked before the tis gave
way. The scarf has been Identified by the members
OF the engine company as the ono worn by hcGrail
last Sunday night Ft
Tho suicide ineory which mas been adopted by the
police is incompatible With tho known facts IL he
cut his throat himself he must have done Il some
distance from The place wnerc he latd hts neck
across the rail to obhteraie tho evidence
OF the fact. He must have lot his blood
before reaching the track and then dragged him.
SELF on his back to Tho placs. He must havo
taken OF his collar and ne and thrown
them awav on the read, and put bis blood soaked
handkerchief his pocket IN an unusual place. The
suicids theory completely exploded before u
reached the police. and II 10 only cover for their