The daily gazette., 1879-04-07
Murdered on the CauseWay,
A VICTli OF DRUNKEN BRUTALITY
A COIOred Man Beaten and
Dragged In a Ditch.
LEFT ON THE ROAD TO DIE OF EXPOSURE


Dragged In a Ditch.
LEFT ON THE ROAD TO DIE OF EXPOSURE
Perry Demby's last Visit to the City
Altdeked by q CrO,od and Deserted
ty his Friends-Discouery Of the
Body-Inquest by the Coroner, etc,
Stiff and cold, with lips swelled and
bloody and clothes soiled with mud, the
dead body of colOred man lay in the
middle OF the road on the New Castle
causeway, at an early hour yesterday
morning. The startling sight was OBJ
served by Elmer and James Ridgeway,
milkmen, as they were driving to Will
ming on between five and six O'Clock,
and as soon as possible they went to the
police station, aud reported the fact to
officer Dinsmore, who was the first police
man they met. Officer Dinsmore at
once started for the scene, accompanied
by Sergeant Jones and officers Carey and
Gibbons, and soon came across the body,
lying just as their informants had told
them. Soon after Coroner Buiz arrived
:coInpanied by Police Sergeant Dolan
and Thomas j. Bennett, and the body
was removed to the foot-path on the esst
side Of the road, so as to be out of the
way of passing teams. by this time a
knot of people had gathered from the
surrounding neighborhood, and the body
was recognized as Perry Demby, colored
man about sixty years old.who for mum.
Der of years was in the employ of Ran
dolph Peters, the well-known nurseryman
of New Castle Hundred.
When examined the body was found TO
show evidepces of bad treatment, though
no serious wounds were visible. The
lips were swelled and bloody, and the
clothes were completely covered with
mud. Near the body was found coat
covered with mud (Which it was after
wards learned belonged to Demby's SOM
and piece of trough and ready" tobacco.
In the ditch on the west side of the road
were marks as though two or three men
had engaged in a severe struggle in the
water, and from the bank to where the
body was found, several spots of blood
were observed as though the victim had
either walked or neen dragged FROM the
ditch to the middle of the road.
INVESTIGATING THE AFFAIR.
Meanwhile the police were making
active inquiries into the affair. Officers
Jones, Dinsmore, Carey and Gibbons
went over to Mr.. Randolph Peters place
and learned that Alonzo DENNY, son of
the deceased, and Saml Clark and Chas.
Washington colored, all employees OF
Mr.. Peters, had been into Wilmington
with the old man the night before. All
three of the young men were cut and
bruised, as though they had been engaged
in severe fight, and young Demby's
clothes and person were very dirty, as
though he, too, had been in the ditch.
Strongly suspecting that these men were
concerned in the supposed murder, the
officers at once arrested them and took
them to the police station. The story
they told was that they were going home
about half-past IL o'clock Saturday night
when they were attacked by four or five
white men on the causeway, just beyond
Guthrie's carriage factory. Stones were
freely used by their assalants, and after
being knocked down and severely bruised
The young men ran to their homes, leav,
| ing the old man to his fate. they did
not know until morning that he was
dead.
Sergeant Dolan pursued his inquiries
in the drinking saloons on the causeway
and in several houses occupied by colorec
people. He learned that during Saturday
night quarrel had occurred in the
furthest saloon on the east side of the
causeway, occupied by Edward McManu'
and that four youngmen-Walter Flynn,
Jefleris Smith, James Monaghan and
George Kopp-had been put out by the
proprietor.
He also learned that fight had oc-
Cured between party Of white men
supposed to be these four) and some
colored men, and that colored woman
named Hattie Berry, who heare the noise
of ofthisdsturbance, heard one of the white
men say, .don't kill him here, let's take
him further up the road" On the strength
of this information it was deemed proper
! to secure these men, and Sergeant Do
Ian arrested Monaghan and Smith,
while officer Brickle arrested Finn and
officer Gutchmer arrested kopp. Ed.
ward McManus, proprietor OF the saloon
from which the four men were elected
for fighting, was also arrested during the
morning. The men seemed surprised
| Wutil lDCy WClC Hhu pioiSSSSe
to know nothing about the affair.
THE BODY REMOVED.
Coroner Butt summoned jury, and
after the body was viewed it was placed
in box by undertaken Wilson, and re-
moved to his office at Eight and Shipley
streets. As no apparently fatal wounds
were observed Oh the body, it was gener
ally supposed that the man had beel
beaten until he was nearly insensible o.
completely exhausted, and being unable
to move after getting out of the ditch
died from exposure, the weather beinl
very cold during the night.
GREAT EXCITEMENT.
News of the supposed murder flew
over the city at an early hour, and grea
crowds of people focked over the cause
way to see the body. The negroes il
particular, turned out in large numbers
and laughed and chatted over the afiai
as though it was festive event.
| WHO DENNY WAS.
, DENLY was about sixty years old, an.
had lived in this neighoorhood nearly al
his life. For number of years he ha'
been employed by Mr.. Randolph Peters
and Mr.. Peters speaks of him in the high
est terms of praise. He says he was al
excellent workman, always attentive t.
his employers interests, and man
sound Judgment and good habits. MI
Pc .ers was much affected by his falthiu