The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-08
DEATH OF Mr.. BEHAN.
MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES CON
CONNECTED WITH THE BLOODY
TRAGEDY.
The Question Ii whether ~ was =
suicids-The chief Of Police lnyesU-
Eating the Affair.

eating tire AuAH.
AT half past 8 o'clock YESTERDAY mo, ~
we'll known gentleman. MIR. Theodore wailaoe
Rahan q grocer doing business NJ No. ooi
nrvades street. was found dead In hls Deu' -
an apartnent III the rear OF MS grocery opom w,
examination he was found 10 nave pis'oi oa''
In bis head. ~
ranah Htember. the occupant Of the room Just
ahoya Mr.. Behar's who called In the neighbors.
Aha conclusion was Immediately reached that
the deceased had committed suicide
Rut upon subsequent investigation OF the
oase. together with consideration OF the gen
aral habits OF the deceased, as well as OF MS
obaraoter another theory has arisen. and many
beleye that the young man was the victim Oh
foul play. This latter conclusion Is simply
based upon a chain Of circumstantial evidence.
III which many links are wanting to establish
The fact that Mr.. Behan was murdered. Yet. on
the other hand. the attempt to establish case
Or suicide II equally deficient, there being not
the shadow OF q cause presented TO snow that the
victim desired to give up life.
On repairing to the scene. the police. together
with the reporter of the DEMOCRAT and Coroner
Marley. made O survey Of the place MI.
pahan was lying on single bed In q room
divided from the store by q partition that ran
onlv half way to the ceiling. The hands rested
naturally by the side while the head was
noised on a pillow covered with blood. The
male. marble face. made more pale and death
like by the black curly hair that fell In ringets
on hfs forehead. seemed undisturbed-in death.
A glance at the right temple showed where
tha bnll had made it's entrance. but there was
not the slightest sign Of powder-burn about the
wound, This latter fact is one OF the circum-
stances upon which s based the theory that the
affair was not a suicide as a weapon used BY
ono who intends to take his own life by shoot
ing himself in the head is generally held 60
close that the fes b is badly burned around ana
about the wound. OF aJ least plackouou Win
On his left side. Just aboveIthe left knee.
lying on the bed was found o
SMITH b wEssoN PISTOL
With ono chamber empty. The deceased's left
hand was resting on the barrel OF the pistol;
the barrel being In the direction " the head 81
the bed. The strange position OF the pistol, as
Mr. Behan was known to have been u right
Handed man Ia another fact that goes to crush
the presumption Of suicide as i III! y argued that
ID bo able, after shooting himself IN the right
temple, no matter what ,spasmodfcai contor-
lions might have oGwed e d nave p bis knee
md than rel lace the right hand In Its natural
D The next thing that was done was to find out
fhe deceased. and 1t was proven that similar
wennon had been loaned the deceased by MRS.
Minor residing on Camp street. she stating
thnt III the time he borrowed it he told her that
he had made up his mind that for the future ne
was going to sleep OF his store and wished u
pistol for the more certain protectloh OIL Hill
III Jacob Stember. who occupied the room Just
above the one n Whioh IN he h trageay tbat az
o'clock, when he cime down stairs. MI Behan
was not up. This was avery unusual ,hlng for
him as he generally arose early ana opened
Ma stnra in time to CAPTURE the trade OF the
early marketers. He then looked through the
window aud saw NJ Behan lying 10 f 6ed' ana a.
informed his wife Of the fact. and then went
out Of the building. , =.
said that he never heard the shot or any noise
that sounded like q shot
Mrs MeKenna. who occupies the mousse 70.
3s3. states that before the discovery OF the
tragedy she was conversing though an opening
In the fence with Mrs. Sten,ber on the subject OF
Mr. Behan h pb bad bsen %
late, and perhaps It would pe pest 10 ailoW hill
V NJ VIII John IN r. McKenna the husband Of Mrs.
McKenna noticing that Mr.. Behans customers
were congregated In front OF the store waiting
to make purchases. made w his nina
TO ROUSE HIM.
He repaired to the door leading from me e yard
into his sleeping apartment and raped several
times receiving no response, he tried the d9or.
and to his surprise Il Yielded TO Ms touch En-
tian e s SHAKING the sleeper when he was
Iun to and that MIR. Behan was, dead
and that the bed clothes were covered with
blood He then gave the alarm.
During subsequent conversation between
McKenna and his wife they both were OF the
opinion that they heard q noise Of O'Clock,
which was the report Of the pistol IN the dead
mans room, but which, at that time. they at
tributed to a falling shutter. . :. ar.
Behan Is effects by Administrator Behan. brother
81 the deceased and Coroner Marley. to see
whether. in case of his having committed sui
eide he had left a letter assigning the cause foI
fhe act. but their search proved fruitless. .
Ii was at first asserted that the theory OF the
case being one Of murder was based upon 9
letter received on Monday last. signed Private
Marketmen" by Administrator Behan inform
ing him that II he did not stop pushing tht
private market war something would happen tt
him IN very few days that would make hin
very sorry The Administrator was interviewed
on this subject and he stated that In his opinion
fhe letter has no bearing on the case whatever
Other neighbors OF Mr.. Behsn than those al
ready mentioned stated that Tuesday night a.
dressed himself for the purpose OF going out
hut changed his mind about O'Clock and sh
down to write letter. after sending 70 neigh
boring store for some ENVELOPES This letter
since the affair, Is supposed to have been part
Ing epistle to his brothers, but now that ! n Y
letter has been found 1t is the opinion 81 h1
brother that the letter was to some Oh MS CORE