The daily gazette., 1881-09-12
FIRST EDITION.
MURDER.
A MAN SHOT DEAD
NEAR HOCKESSIN.


Found Upon theGap and Newport
Turnpike-Jerry Harrigan AR.
rested on Suspicion of Being the
Murderer
Great excitement,was occasioned in
and around Hockessin i'm Mill Creek
Hundred, early Sunday morning, by
the discovery, on the Gap and New
port Turnpike, a short distance from
the village, of the dead body of man
named Dennis Shea, bearing every
appearance of murder.
The Ibody was discovered by
Howard Watson, carpenter, who,
having stayed all night with friends
in the village, started about 4:30 o.
cleck in the morning for his home,
about a mile away. A short distance
above the village the road .descends
into deep valley, at the bottom of
which Wate on discovereda dead body
lying in the middle of the road, with
the face up turned and the head in
clining towards the top of the hill.
By the dim morning light theh pres
vailing he recognized the body as
that of Dennis Shea.
Horrified by his discovery Watson
at once ran back to town and mott
fed Esquire John G. Jackson, who,
accompanied by Constable John
Williamson, at once went out and
took charge OF the body. Crowds OF
people quickly gathered at the lonely
spot where the hody was found, all
eagerly discussing the horrible affair,
and speculatiDg as to the murderer. .
On the latter point there seemed to
be but one opinion-everbody aps
pearing to let their suspicious rest
upon one man, Jeremiah Harrigan "a
worthless, desperate character, who
lived in little house at the top of
the hill, on the left side of the road,
IN the immediate vicinity of the place
where the body was found.
AS this Suspicion was not long in
finding general expression, Esquire
Jackson went up TO Harrigan's house
and going in found Harrigan up stairs
in bed. The Esquire talked to him
about the matter, and accused him by
inuepdo, of being the author Of the
crime, but Jerry stoutly protested
that he knew nothing about the affair
and claimed that he had been sick in
bed since last Friday night. Esquire
JackEon coon left, but afterwards
Constable Williamson went to the
house and placed Harrigan under ar.
rest. He offered no resistance, and
expressed a perfect willingness to go
to Jail and "see the thing OUT" as he
put it. The Constable at once pro-
cured team and took him TO New
Castle.
Before Harrigan's arrest, however,
Esquire jackson visited him a second
time and talked about the murder,
when Harrigan confessed to having
done the deed. He refused to give
any dt tails, but said he was "able to
stand the blunt of the thing" He also
remarked that 'sif it hadn't happened
then it would come some other time, "
and if he chad to swing over it, why,
he'd swing, that's all" He expressed
no contrtion for his horrible crime,
and seemed to have no dread of its
possible results.
Meanwhile Esquire jackson had
telegraphed to Coroner Weldin, but
receiving no answer by o'clock, pro-
ceeded to empanel jury and held the
inquest himself.
The first and most imI Iortant testi-
mony was that Of three young mer
living in the neighborhood-Johr
Kelly, Daniel Lacy and Cornelius
Creeden-wh.ch was, In substance. as
follows: About II o'clock, Saturday
night. they were walking on the pike,
on the slope of the hill, when they saw
Harrigan and Shea down in the hollow,
Both were talking in an angry, ex.
cited manner, Harrigan seeming to be
the most violent in his wrath, as his
voice could be heard above Shea's.-
Suddenly they saw Harrigan draw {
pistol and discharge 1t directly at Shea
who instantly fell to the ground with
out groan, while Harrigan at once
turned around, walked up the hill Il
the other side from where the youn,
men were standing and went into hi
house. Well-knowing Harrigan's IS des
perate character the young men wert
afraid to approach Shea's body, anC
| CoHloIIiuS boScthOl asiooa W A~tls
and say nothing about the affair unit
it was discovered by other parties
when they could come forward AMI
give in their testimony, which woulc
fasten the guilt upon Harrigan. Ths
testimony of these witnesses was di
rect and corroborative and did no
vary in the slightest degree.
Ar hur Fox, an employe of th'
Kaolin works, who boards at Harri.
gan's house, was next examined, bu
he swore he went to bed at 10 O'Clock
slept soundly all night, heard no sho
and knew nothing of he murder unit
morning.
Harrigan's wife and children wer,
also examined, but said the.
knew nothing of the murder unit
Sunday morning. Mrs. Harrlgan, al
gnorant, evil,looking woman, said sh
heard the shot but though nothing
about it as shots were nothing uncom
mon in that neighborhood. She wen
to sleep shortly after hearing the shot
DIR. Mitchell, of Hockessin, exam
| ined the body in the presence of th
jury. He found that the bul ct, ver
large one, had entered the breast
striking rib in its progress, pene
J traiing into and seyering the top PAL
OF the heart, and finally lodging in tb
spinal column, about opposite the bei
tom of the breast bone. Singnlarl
| aaonnh thu halI uo n t,,rp ad nopa nlat a