The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-15
DEATH OF Mr.. BEHAN.
Testimony Elected Before the
Coroner Yesterday.
The Verdict Of the Jury.

Coroner Markey yesterday concluded the
,a,,,,aat into the death OF Theodore w. Behan,
,yho was found dead on the morning Of the
sixth, at his house. no. 3791s Dryades street
Tbe first witness examined was &.
JACOB sTEMLER,
Who testified as follows: Knew MIR. Behan
lived In the same house with him. When /
cot no on the morning In question thought
that Mr.. Behan was rather late, or that /
was somewhat early. My wife looked through
the shutters OF Mr.. Behan's room, saying
that he looked rather pale. / then looked
through the shutters and saw Mr.. Behan
living In bed. Soon after Mr.. McKenna came
m and we opened Mr.. Behan's door and en-
tered the room. The door was not locked, but
was stuck to the new paint On entering the
room Mr.. McKenna remarked, Suicide, by
Georgel" Mr. Behan was lying on his back,
his right hand across his breast. Mr.. Nc
Kenna raised Mr. Behans hand as II to wake
him when said to leave everything as IL
WINS until notified the authorities, which
did. I heard no pistol shot.
Saw Mr.. Behan the night previous and
asked him II he would lock the hall door, or
should do 1t. He was writing at the time,
and said that had better do 1t, as he did not
intend to 20 out that night. When Mr.. Nc
Kenna remarked Suicide" ETC., was stand
ing at the foot OF the bed, and saw no blood
as Mr.. McKenna's position hid the dead
mans face from my view. In the meantime
Mr.. McKenna picked up the pistol which was
lying on the bed near Mr.. Behan's hip, with
the muzzle towards the wall.
The body was In the same position when /
afterwards saw 1t at the inquest.
Mr.. McKenna tried the door and shook It
violently, after which he turned the knob and
It opened. thought the door was locked
and he forced 1t. Mr.. McKenna entered the
premises through an opening In the fence to
arouse Mr.. Behan, who was unusually late ut
the store,
MRS. LAURA sTEMLER.
Reside at No. 379I Dryades street. Knew
Mr.. Behan through living In the same house
with him. When came down sttdrs, seeing
MIR. Behan was not up. raped on his shut
tiers several times, but received no answer. /
looked In and saw deceased lying on his bed,
NV husband afterward looked In, and soon
II.
ceased entered his room by opening the door.
was In the kitchen at the time; saw Mr..
Behan's body when my husband had gone to
notify the coroner. NJ bedroom iS directly
over that occupied by Mr.: Behan, and heard
no noise at any time. Since Mr.. Behan has
been at my house he was always up before
was. =,
door and entrance door were locked. Mr..
McKenna was washing his hands near the
hY,IIs tina fanr@ wtlAn told him that Mr.
Behan looked very pale. He then came over.
NV husband did not ask for hts breakfast, but
only his hat and coat, SO that he could In.
form the coroner and Mr.. Behan's folks OF
the latter's death.
j. II. nr'KENNA
examined. Reside at No. 3s1 Dryades street.
Lust Wednesday morning at about q clock |
was about to 70 to breakfast, when / heard
the women folks calling Mr.. Behan. went
to the window a1fd looked In Saw him lying
on the then went 70 his d9or and
went up to his bedside. where found him
dead. He was lying on his back, with his
hands by his side. Saw what supposed to
be Smith n Wesson pistol lying by his left
side, with the barrel pointing from him. His
head was thrown over the edge OF the pill
low, In manner to prevent sleep, his mouth
open, leading me to suppose he was shot
through the mouth.
/ went in the room by myself, but, when !
turned to call, saw Stemler behind me. When
l said Suicide" | saw Stemler, my mother
and Stemlers wife standing In the doorway.
They proposed to examine the surroundings.
to which objected. informed Stemler where
some Of Mr.. Behan's relatives could be found.
and he left to acQuaint them OF the affair.
No one called me and said that Mr.. Behan
looked pale. Mr.. Behan's right hand was not
on his breast when / entered the room, but
was stretched alongside Of his body. | took
him BY the hand, when reached the body, to
See If he was really dead.
Don't remember that Mr. Stemler said any
thing TO me when / took up the pistol !
pushed the door pretty strongly, and nothing
but a lock could have resisted. The door was
n little tight from being stuck with new paint.
heard noise at about s o'clock like the
crack Of pistol. but when my mother. said
the cat had broken something | thought no
more OF the matter. noticed there was no
blood on the sheet or mattress. afterwards
saw q pool Of blood on the floor, about under
his head and shoulders. don't think the
body was moved after l saw 1t. When en-
tered the room the body was lying about the
centre of the bed l saw the coroner wipe
something from the forehead Of deceased like
powder. Mr.. Behan was Of a melancholy dis
position.
Reside at No. 3Sl Dryades street Knew
Mr.. Behan. Saw him that morning after he
had been found dead. When was dressing
heard quick, loud noise, like p crash.
Thought II came from our store. Heard the
rapping at Mr.. Behan's windows and thought
II funny he was not up. The noise heard
was like the crash Of glass or slate, and oc-
Cured q little after o'clock. ! commanded
a full view OF Mr.. Behan's room when stood
on my gallery, and saw no one leave his
room liz cat had left the room at the tino
/ could have seen 1t. / did not remain on the
gallery over five minutes
W. q. O'NEIL.
Reside at No. 476 Dryades street Knew
Mr. Rahap Hp rppaptpdlV asked me what
was the best method OF disposfnG OF ones
self / thought he was joking with me and
thought nothing Of it. The last time he said
anything to be about the matter was about
ten days before his death. told him once
that il he committed suicide would have to
stntn 1uhnt ha told and he ranied that liz