The daily gazette., 1879-10-23
SECOND EDITION
MMrder Coming to Light.

Murtier Coming to Light
DISCOVERY OF SKELETON
IN A wOoD-A HORRIBLE DEED KEPT
SECRET BY THE MOLLY MAGUIRE IN
FLUENCE-FACTs DEVELOPED BY
CORoNER's JURY.
SCRANTON, Pa, Oct. 81, 1879.
A dramatic investigation of murder
which, IL is thought, WAS perpeirated
two years ago is now In progress at Dun
more, two miles from tins city, and the
people OF that neighbOrhood are very
much excited over the affair. A few
days ago party of boys while out gath
Moosit NJ cunt. ms discovered human
skeleton in weird, uncanhy nook,
three miles from the nearest habitation.
Tue grim discovery was first made BY
little George ONeil, who was ON
chestnut tree " hen he saw it, and was
so overcome by fright that he fell head-
loug to the ground almost beside the
gbastly skull. The boys ran home in
terror from the spot, add soon the neigh
borhood was alarmed aud party of men
proceeded to tine scene of the discovery.
The grass had been burned about where
the skeleton lay, and some pieces Of
oharred wood were scattered about,
showing that an effort had been made to
destroy all traces of the crime. The on
ly particle of clothing to be found was
shoe on one of the feet of the skeleton.
M uch speculation was INDUCED in con-
cerniDg the remains, and, from the ap-
pearance of the massive frame, together
with a number of circumstances pointing
in that direction, it was eventually sup
| rosed to be- the skeleton of j Ohm LOrson,
| "a Swede, who was undoubtedly murder
| ed AT Sport Hill on the outskirts of Dun
more, two years ago.
THE CoRoNER's INVESTIGATION
Coroner Travers empanelled Jury,
who are still uvesIigating the case. From
the testimony already elected it appears
that two years ago John Lorson, who
lived alone in portion of house which
was also occupied by Mr.. and; Mrs. Rob-
ert H-nnion, suddenly disappeared du-
ring the night, after having been badly
beaten by Two men named Sweeney and
Mala, and has never been seen since
Mrs. Rhoda Hennion, who lived with
her husband in an apartment adjoining
| that occupied by Lor>On, testities before
the Coroner's jury that the night before
Lorson's disappearance he cams into hel
h oilse and asked her husband TO accom-
pany him to his landlady, Mrs. Mean
drew, a powerful Amazon, who keeps q
shebeen house close by and is knowr
throughout the region as "R ed Biddy. ,
Lorson said that he could not talk goot
English and he wanted Hennion to ac
as Interpreter with view to settlins
some difficulty that existed between til,
landladv and tenant. Henuion did no
like to interfere, and late that nigh
while Mrs. HenGion was standing at he
door, she saw cred Biddy's" SON Jose,
Malta, and man na'ted Sweeney
knock Lurson down and Kick him
When he staggered TO his feet Malta
with an oath, told him to go home an,
keep his mouth shut. Lorson then man
aged to crawl to his room and moane
heavily. Mrs. Hennioh ia, s she tol
her husband that she was afraid the poe
4 Swede was badly hurt and they ought
go in and look at him.
a He lay on the bed with face % the wa
moaning, and they could not uLderstan
q what he said, but they did not think b
was very seriously injured. Mrs. He
!, MON says she could not sleep that nigh
and at four o'clock in the morning sh
: wa> startled by scufiie in Lorson
room. 1t seemed to be a desperate affail
and she held her breath in terror. Shor
ly afterward two men left the place, al
on the morning following Lorson wa
, nowhere to be found. The night aftt
ward Mr.. Hennion. while looking out q
| Ills WlnuoWy nlS WIG " iOO
out, and she says she saw
i. gang of men digging in
heap of coal dust near by. Size though
they were hiding the body of Lorson, bu
the sway of the Molly Maguires was 5
great in that district then that she wa
afraid to say a word about 1t as long 6
she lived in Sport Hill. Shortly ate
: ward she removed with her husband /
i Wayne county, and now, being at SAT
| a, Oh. fna lp fraA t..o
= : A year ago there was a suspicion tn;
4 Lorson had been foully dealt with, al
o search was made in the culm heap whel
+ it was then thought his remains We
v hidden. 1t is now supposed that Il
search then made caureJ the inurdere
of Lorson to remove his remains ava
to the seclusion of the woods, whel
they thought to burn them up and d.
e strOy every trace of the deed. There
evidence owing that the shoe found O
=, the foot of the Skeletons similar to th"s
worn by Lorson, and the nigh chez
: bones and massive frame Indicate the
Z Scandinavian character.
THE SUSPECTED.
I The man Sweeney, who is implicatt
6 in the statement of Mrs. Hennion, wei
West shortly after the disappearance I
Lorson, and Josey Malta, the son
:, "Red Biddy," is serving a term of tw
years in the Penitentiary for the klllii
II of one legged s.ldirr named Walls
The soldier was regular customer
~ the she be en- house of Mrs McAndrey
:, ard one stormy night, af er he had sptl
u all his money there and gone out for
Z time, he returned when the place W
closed and kicked the door for admi
:. tanee. Malta took his gun, aad. opehii
n his bedroom window, fired at Walls
> whom he shot through the breast. Wal
: fell dead on the doorstep and if NAL
escaped the hangman's moose it was sin
ply because his victim was poor al
i'riendless. The investigation # the l.