The daily gazette., 1881-07-29
THE BODY FOUND.
The UmknOwn man Drowned ON
Wednesday Might Fished UP Last
vonfng- COrOner's Inquest.

@EVon1m8- COrOmer'S Inquest.
The body Of the unknown man who
was drowned In the Christiana at King
street wharf, on Wednesday night was
found yesterday afternoon about $50
O'Clock by Charles 4. Sparks, who
grappled for It.
After the body bad been found, the
coroner was notified and had 1t removed
to the undertaking estab blishment on
Shipley street below Third.
All efforts to ascertain who the man
was has thus far proved unavailing, as
there was nothing found upon his person
whereby he could be identified, aud the
man who was las. seen with him did
not know bis name, or where he was
from.
This morning Coroner Weldin sum-
mond jury and proceeded to hold an
inquest. The testimony OF the witnesses
threw no additional facts upon the case
than those already published In the
GAZETTE.
The first witness called was Geo. Ii.
Pau men, clerk at the the Pennsylvania
House, who testified to two men calling
at the hotel and obtaining drinks. The
younger OF the two did the treating; sf-
ter they had gotten the drinks they went
outsid, and sat on the steps, where he
found them when be closed up at about
1l.45 O'Clock. They asked If they conld
get another drink but were refused. He
beard no names mentioned; AID there
was no suarrelliDg between them.
fhe witness recognized the clothes {
the drowned man but could not recog
nize the features.
Charles Z. Sparks, testified that on
| Wednesday night shortly after 2 O'Clock,
Sergeant Jones awoke him, and asked ii
he had any grappliog irons; that man
was drowned a. King street wharf. He
told tue officer that the ones he had
could'not be used at night. Yesterday
the witness went down 10 the wharf
q out $50 O'Clock, and after making one
trell of the line found the body. lie
had never seen the deceased before and
did not know bin.
| DR.. Ogle testified that be first saw
deceased at Palmer's establishment. The
body was In good condition; he found
no bruises, except slight scratch near
the right eye, which was there before
| death; the man might have scratched
himself In jumping overheard.
There were no external marks OIL the
body to show that Death had been caused
by violence.
'Oficer Richardson testified to seeing
two men sitting on the Pennsy lvanIa
House steps on Wednesday evening
about 1890 o'clock; about II o'clock he
went into the hotel and saw the de-
ceased and another man taking drink
At the bar. Shortly after IL O'Clock as be
was coming from the depot be met q
man on Front street, who said that o
man had jumped overheard from King
street wharf, aud wac drowned. In
company with other officers he went
| traces of the man.
! The officers then questioned the man
| about the aAair, and he told three differ
ent versions Of 1t. FIRST, he walked down
to the wharf with the man and be de-
iiberately walked overheard; the second
was that he was standing about one hun.
dred yards away from the wharf when
the deceased started and ran overbosrd;
the third was that he was standing at
Front and King and saw HIN jump
overheard.
The mans versions of the affair being
contradictory, 1t was thought best to
lock him up. The witness identified the
body IS that Of the man whom he had
seen earlier In the evening at the hotel.
This was the last witness, aud George
r. Roberts, who was foreman, gave 1t as
his opinion that the man under arrest
should be brought before the jury and
sworn. This announcement led to some
discussion, some OF the jurymen being OF
tile opinion that the jury had no right to
examine the accused, es he might GRIM
mate himself. The jury finally ad-
journed TO the private office Of the Chiel
of Police, and the man arrested on sus,
picion was brought before them. The
question again aI 0se as to the right OF
the jury to have the man sworn. After
useless debate Of about fifteen minutes,
the coroner refused to swear the man
until he had received legal advice. He
called upon q, B. Lore, Esq, who soon
informed the coroner that the jury could
not have the man sworn bat he could
make voluntary statement after being
cautioned not to say anything to GRIMM
ate himself.
4 The man without any hesitancy made
the following voluntary statement;
1My NJ me is Daniel Murphy, resi-
dence, Oonshohocken, Pa. All l know
about the case is that went into eiga
. store opposite the hotel on Wednesda.
evening, and met two or three younI
men there and treated them to CIGARS
then took them over to the hotel an,
treased them there. While was sittlni
on the steps man came along iookinI
ss II he was broken up. He asked me
: could treat him, aud told hsH yes
J then took him into the hotel and I. ca,
7 ed him three times. I do not believ
: that could recognize the man that
treated. When nearly midnight he ask
ed me to take walk, AND we starte'
down King strt at, and had gone but
o very h'Sle dlstar oe when the man start
4 ed on o run, and saw him jump over
q boatd. As soon rs seen him Jump
|, rau down aud seen his hat hoaMng;
4 then ran back and called police. l wa
4 excited AZ the ttms and the officers ar
q rested me. That ia all have got to "a
4 in regard to the matter"
, After q short deli beration the jnr
4 rendered verdict TO the a ct that th
9 deceased came to his death by voluntar
r drowning on the night OF July eth.
Proposals Asked For.
VIM. j. NJ 0rrow, chairman OF IL
Board Of Education building committee
advertises ip to=fiay's paper for propose
70 for erecting new school-house AT I'll
70 corner CT Oak and Harriaon street
k Eleventh Ward, Plapa and specifci
D. tiQns can be seen at the offica of q. Or
n ham n Son architecfa M 011 MARI