The New York herald., 1879-10-22
MURDER COMING TO LIGHT.

ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY OF A SKELETON IN A
THE MOLLY MAGUIRE 1NFLUENcE-FAcTs DE-
vELopED BY CoRoNER's JURY.
SCRANTON, Pa. Oct. 81. 1879.
dramatic investigation OF murder which. it is
thought was perpetrated two years ago is now in
progress at Dunmorc two miles from this city, and
the people OF that neighbordood very much
excited over the affair. few days ago party
of boys while out gathering chestnuts in the woods
on the Moosic Mountains discovered human
skeleton in weird. uncanny nook three miles from
the nearest habtation. The grim discovery was
frst made by little George O'Neil, who was on
chestnut tree when he saw it, and so over
come by fright that he fell headlong to the
ground almost beside the CHASTITY skull The boys
ran home in terror from the spot. and soon the
neighborhood was alarmed aud party Of mon pro-
ceeded to the of the discovery The grass had
been burned about where the skeleton lay. aud
pieces Of charred wood were scattered about show
ing that effort had been made to destroy all
OF the crime The only particle Of clothing to
be found was shoe on of the feet Of the skele
ton Much speculation was indulgod in concerning
the remains and. from the appearance of the
massive frame. together with number of crcum-
stances pointing that direction. it was eventually
supposed to be the skeleton OF John Lorson, a
swcde. who was undoubtedly murdered at Sport
Hill, on the outskirts OF Dunmore two years ago.
THE ConoNERs INVESTIGATION.
Coroner Travers enpanelleda jury. who arc still in
vestgating the case. From the testimony already
elected it appears that two years ugo John Lorson
who lived alone In portion OF house which was
also occupied by Mr.. and Mrs. Robert Hennion. sud-
denly disappeared during the night. after having
been badly beaten by two men named Sweeney and
Malta, aud has mover been seen since. Mrs. Rhods
Hennion, who lived with her husband in IN apart
ment adjoining that occupied by Lorson, testiies
before the Coroner's jury that the night before
Lorson's disappearance he came into her house aud
asked her husband to accompany him to his land
lady, Mrs. McAndrow q powerful Amazon, who
keeps shebeen house close by aud is known
throughout the region as "Red Biddy." Lorson said
that he could not talk good English and he wanted
Hennion to act as interpreter with view to settling
some dispute which existed between the 1andlady
and tenant Henniou did not like to intesfere. and
late that night, while Mrs. Hennion standing at
her door she saw ..Red Biddy's'' SON Josey Malta.
and man named Sweeney knock Lorson down and
kick him. When he staggered to his feet Malta.
with an OATH. told him to go home and
to crawl into his room and moaned heavily. Mrs.
Hennion says she told her husband that she
afraid the poor Swede was badly hurt and they ought
to go in and look at him. He lay the bed with
his face to the wall. moaning, and they could not
understand what he said but they did not think he
could not sleep that night and o'clock in
the morning she was startled by scufie in Lorsons
room. 1t seemed to be desperate affair. and she
held her breath in terror. Shortly atterward two
men left the place. and on the morning
The night sftorward Mr.. Hennion' while
looking out his window, called his
wife to look out and she says she q gang OF
men digging III u heap of coal dust near by. She
thought they hiding the body OF Lorson, but
the sway OF the Molly Maguires great in that
district then that she afraid to say about
1t as long she lived In Sport HILL Shortly after
ward she removed with her husband to Wayne
county. and now being at safe distance she feels
free to speak. year ago there suspicion that
Lorson had been fouly dealt with, and search was
made in the culm heap whero 1t was then thought
his remains hidden. 1t is supposed
that the search then made caused the murderers
of Lorson to remove his remains away to the
sion OF the woods, where they thought to burn them
up and destroy every trace of the deed. There is
evidence showing that the shoe found the foot of
the skeleton is similar to those by Lorson and
the high cheek bones and massive frame indicate
their scandinavian character.
SUSPECTED.
The man Sweeney, who is implicated in the state
ment OF Mrs. Hennion, went West shortly after the
disappearance OF Lorson, and Josey Malta, the
OF "Ited Biddy." is serving term OF two years in
the Penitontiary for the killing of oncegged SOL
der named Walsh. The soldier regular customer
at tho shebeen house OF Mrs. McAndrew, and ono
stormy night after he had spent all his money there
and gone out for timc he returned when the
place closed and kicked the door for adnittance
Malta took his gun, and, opening his bedroom wn-
dow, fired ut Walsh. whom he shot through the
breast Walsh fell dead the doorstep and IL
Malta escaped the hangman's moose it was simply
because his victim was poor and friendess. The
investigation OF tho Lorson mystery will be resumed
by the Coroner's jury Oh Wednesday of this week.
when several important witnesses will DO examined.