Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-08-14
ROBBING THE DEAD.


4 Pnsttme 1,,dulged IN oya Trao. Of chtea-
goans In a Church.
''--e lChicsgo Tribune, Aug: -7,s..sese'>
Yesterday afternoon James Hare, the old
sexton of the Fourth Presbyterian church,
where PR f. Swing preached for 60 long, was
in the church building, busted with some
women putting down mating. He Was sud-
denly struck with paralysis, and fell senesless
to the floor. The women, as they saw him
fall, rushed out Of the church, very much
frightened, for the purpose of informing the
police. There was at work on the building
at the time three men-a stonecutter, ma
son, and brlcklayer-named John McHugb,
j. Y. Bennett, aud Roland Bennett. As the
women rushed out to notify the police they
saw these men working on the outside and
told them what he'd happened. No sooner
had the women disappeared than the three
men rushed into the church, went to the spot
where the sexton was lying, prompted, per-
haps, in The first place by curiosity, but af-
forwards inspired by the devil, and began to
search the body. They discovered on it,a
watch and quantity of money, which they
Immediately appropriated.
The sexton, an old man of so. lived in tho
basement of the church, and was in the
habit of carrying about with him the little
sum which he had accumulated as the say
ings of years. After having rifed the body,
the stonecutter, bricklayer and mason re-
turned to their work. A little after o'clock
Coroner Mann's deputy, Sawyer, came along
and held the inquest. While it was in pro-
gress, friends of the deceased, who knew
that he had some money, and that he was
in the habit of carrying it about with him,
called attention to its disappearance, at
which they naturally expressed some sur
prise. The women were questioned, and
said there was nobody around but these
three men. A policeman and the coroner's
constable and deputy went out in search of
thera and found them near by busted in dis
pute about the division of some money. They
straightway laid hands upon them, brought
them back to the church. and searched them.
Upon McHugh they found $3.50, upon j. Y.
Bennett 1872. so and upon the other Bennett
$40 and watch. The frie' ds of the dead
man insisted that he had $3.50 with him, al
though the sum taken from the three men
footed up only $3O2.5O, leaving shortage
of $47.5O. In the amount, however, they
may have been mistaken.
The men were questioned about the affair,
and admitted they had taken the money off
the deceased, but they; said they did it
simply for the purpose of turning it over to
the coroner. They were afraid that If it
we're left on the body somebody might come
along and gobble it, SO they, as honest men,
took charge of it for the purpose of
turning it over to the proper authori-
ties. This statement, which they doubtless
will make this morning when the case
comes up for hearing at the north side police
court, was naturally considered somewhat
unsatisfactory by the coroner's officers, and
the three men we're taken over to the Chica-
60 avenue station and locked up to await the
action of Justice Kaufman this morning.
The coroner was informed that while
these three men were in the church with the
body three ladies, passing by and looking in,
saw them rifling the corpse and dividing the
spo1ls among them. These ladies went their
way, hawever, and, in the confusion and e1-
element, no pains were taken to learn their
names. Mann is anxious that they should
report themselves at his Office, in order that
they may be used as witnesses in the case
against these individuals.