Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-18
THEMYSTERIOUS
AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE
DEATH OF MICHAEL SHEA.
Suspected Parties Released on Writ
OF HabeRs COTpus-The COTOner's
Warrant Declared IIlegal-POltce
Officials Charged with False Inn
PrIsOnment-The Testimony Taken
at the Inquest.

Warrant Declared IIIegaI-POlice
officials Charged with False Inn.
PrIaOnment-The Testimony Taken
at the Inquest.
In consequence Of the postponement Of
the CoroneT's inquest in the case Of Michael
Shea, who was found dead in the slleyway
at the foot of Houston street on Sunday
morning, under circumstances which induce
the belief that he was murdered and placed
there, we have refrained from giving circu-
lstion to the reports and surmises
in reference to the unfortunate affair. The
developments Of yesterday, aud the fact
that the investig alton has been commenced,
as will be seen by the account given below,
render It proper that we should now state
sll the facts in the case so far as obtainable.
As has been prev ously mentioned, Police
men Prendihle and GrOgau were sent down
the riv on Sunday night after some par
ties who were supposed to be concerned In
his terrible sffsir, and succeeded
in srresting John MeTerney aud John Nc
Cav a feg miles beyond Tybee, who came
on board a schooner which the officers had
previously boarded in anticipation OF cap
turing them. They made their appearance
in a small boat about four o'clock Monday
morning, and as they were taken on the
schooner the policemen quietly arrested
them. l. IS stated that before the officers
made known the cause Of the arrest one Of
The men said: ''Y u have got the wrong men
who did that killing" an intimatiOn that
they knew something about Il. They were
brought back to the city and incarcerated in
the barracks.
Meanwhile James Lane and James Nc
Bride we're arrested on warrant of he COrO-
ner, charging them with being implicated in
the murder Of Shea. aud on the C0rOner's
verbal order John jacobson, Ira B. Foster,
J0hu Welcb, John McGaw and John Nc
Tierney were arrested, the latter two, as
stated, having been captured by the police
men who were sent down the river.
THE PARTIES RELEASED ON WRIT OF HABEAs
CORPUS.
Yesterday morning Messrs A. P. 81 s. B.
Adams, attorneys for Lane and Mcbride,
applied to the Ordinary, Hon. John o Fer
rll, for a writ OF habeas corpus, on petit
ton alleging that said Mcbride et al. were
illegally restrained OF their liberty, and the
writ was made returnable before the Ordi-
nary at four O'Clock in the afternoon.
The writ was against General R H.
Anderson, Chief OF Police, and Lieutenant
7. J. Sheitall, requiring them to produce in
the court, At the hour named, James Lane,
James Mcbride, John Jacobson, Ira B.
Foster, John McGaw, John McTierney and
John Welch. The return of the police
authorities was that Lane and Mcbride
we're committed under a warrant of the
Coroner aud that the others had been com
Initted under verbal order of the Coroner.
The hearing came of At 4 o'clock, and the
Ordinary discharged al OF the parties upon
the ground that the warrant Of the Coroner
was not in conformity to law, and that the
l.. l. 0-gkr - r.,FN
and McB ide under the law and facts as
presented to the court; and that as to the
others, any verbal order of the Coroner to
imprisOn a citizen was in direct violation Of
the law and constitution of the State.
Ire parties were consequently, by order
Of the court, released from the custody of
the police officials.
OFFICERS OF THE POLICE CHARGED WITH
FAL1E IMPRISONMENT.
Shortly after the discharge Lane and Nc
Bride appeared at the office OF Magistrate
Molina and upon affidavit applied for war
rants sgainst Lieut.. I. j. Sheftall, Sergt.
Henry Lingg and Policeman Prendible,
charging them with the offense OF false i'm
prIsOnment. The warrants were Issued
and Magistrate. Molina notified the
offices named of that fact. As
soon as notification was received
BY Lieutenant Shelf all, he at once proceed
panied by Sergeant Lingg and Policeman
Prndible, and rendered bond in the sum Of
$500 each, as required BY the Magistrate,
for their appearance to answer the charge.
ARRESTED AS WITNESSES.
In the meantime Magistrate Isaac Russell
had issued warrants against the rarties who
had been released by order OF Il Ordinary
under the writ OF habeas corpD and they
were arrested as States witnl 5. Upon
the advice Of their lawyers, however, they
refused to give bond or 90 to i all, and were
Internationally released, Magistrate
Russell subsf quently being convinced that
he could not legally detain them in custody.
Thus this matter stands, and from
all indications It is probable
there will be some interesting
iegal DEVELOPMENTS. We give in the above
merely a recital OF the facts, and refrain
from any comments until after the examina-
ton 10 regard TO the charge against the off
GERS Of the police Of false Imprisonment.
CORoNER's INQUEST.
At seven O'Clock last evening the Coroner
op ned his inquest ia the Superior Court
rom to ascertain how and in what manner
Michael Shea had come to his death. Toe
interest that is felt in the case in cOnse-
quence Of the mystery surrounding it attract
ed a tremendous crowd, and the court room
and gallery we're packed aud the corridor
lined with parties anxious to learn some
thing In regard TO the crime, for such it is
almost universally conceded to be.
There were a large number OF persons
summoned as witnesses, several Of whom
were examined, but nothing OF any particu-
lar importance was elected and not fact
developed that gave any clue to the perpe
traitor or perpetra ors of the murder, IL such
It should prove to be.
Messrs a. P. & $. B. Adams were cOun-
sci for Lane and McBride, who are under
the ban OF suspicion as being implicated IN
the sffair, aud Mr.. J. J. Abrams appeared
for the relatives of the deceased 10 ascer-
tain how he had come TO his death.
We give herewith a summary OF
THE TESTIMONY
as ELECTED bv the examination, much Of It
being superfuOus and having no bearing on
the case. It is as follows:
Charles jacobson testified that he went
into Mr.. Lanes barroOm about
five O'Clock Saturday afternoon, and
saw Mr.. She's playing pool. He subse-
quently went out for walk and returned to
the house about ten o'clock, and remained
in the bsrrOOm until twelve o'clock and
then went TO bed; Mr.. Murphy, Mr.. Tier
nan Mr. McGaw and two or three others
were In the saloon at the time; Shea nor
George Hawkins were not there; the saloon
IS on the southeast corner Of Bay and Haber
| S0am sIreetSs Wllu6ee UUdIuo al Dtu6 +
house and heard of no fuss or commotiOn;
Is certain that Shea was not in the barroom
when he returned at ten O'Clock; neither
were Hawkins or Ford.
James Ford testified: l went into Mr.
| Lanes on last Saturday afternoon and saw
Shea, Lane, and some one whom l did not
know, playing pool, aud l said / would
like TO join the game; we played several
games; Shea lost the first, and
the next two games l lost, and then dropped
out, which broke up the game. / then
PLAYED two games with young man known
as DOboy Bob Afterwards Shea and Nc
Cav commenced a game, and the latter
won the first game. They started on the
second game and McGaw was putting In
the balls pretty fast when Shea said, "Why
did you not put them in that way before?"
McGaw replied, Il did" Shea said, "You
did not" McGaw replied, you are
id liar, did" Shea reiterated that
he did not, when McGaw respOn ded,
sYou are a s. of a liar" Shea made no
answer 10 this, but kept on playing. Lane
was behind the bar attending to some one
who had come 10. Tierney and Hawkins
were standing at the end of the bar talking.
then went out OF the house, and about six
O'Clock was sitting on the bench in front of
Mr. Iarkin's barrOOm. when Shea came up