The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-10-21
Lewiston Journal.)


"ol murderi mttrs-ssa!sr!n an agonized woman
was screaming with voice tnas-- hlied the
street, as Journal reporter was passing Main
and Court streets In Auburn at 7.30 A. NJ, of
Fsiday. She was on her knees, caressing the
/ pale face Of a man who was lying in the mud
under fourth story window on the north side
OF Houston's cracker bakery, now in process of
erection. The agonized woman, with heart
rending cries, re-echoed the words: "Ol murder
o murder !" and refused to be comforted,
kissing the lips of the man, who, il now seemed
was ifeless.
Another body lay four or five feet nearer the
river also lifeless, and another woman, flying TO
the scene, with screams that pierced every
heart, knelt before it, Several children were
sobbng as though their hearts would break,
aud by this time score or two of sympathizing
friends were present, speechless with grief and
dazed at the mysterious events.
a journal reporter climbed up three ladders
to the third floor of the cracker bakery and in
terVlewed two Of the masons at work. One of
them said:-
g those dead men down there are Patrick
O'Connell and Mathew Connors mason
tenders. Almost every day they have had
more or less squabbling, but we paid little
atteltion to oit-squabeling over fetching mortar
when i5 wasn't needed, or this, that, or the
other trivial matter. This morning they had
some hot words soon after they came to their
work. They we're sDatting about hod of
mortar. Conners dared Pat to fight. This was
up here Oh the third floor. Pat threw down
his hod and they clinched. You see where
their feet knocked the brick and scratched the
noor-here about six feet from that open win
dow. After they had clnched moment, Matt
took Fat by the shoulder and ran him back
wards, as 1t happened, directly before the win
dow. screamed to them to stop, but they
paid no attention. In an instant Pat fell
against the window SILL a couple of feet from
the foor, aud pitched headforemost out, Matt
following him in the same way-they were
still hold of one another. You see there is
basement story, SO that it is the same as four
stories. The fall must have been thirty feet.
They struck on their heads and never moved
after they struck
Another mason told substantially the same
story. 1t was all over so quickly that we
hardly had time to know what was going on
| They had had SO many squabbles that we paid
less attention to it. 1t seems as If O'Connell
pulled Counors out-trying to save himself. 1
don't think either ofsthem realized their dan
ger or meant anything serious. They seemed
to plunge ogt in each others arms as it were.
Conners pushed O'Connell back, and you see
this window sill is so low, that he couldn't
help pitching out he had nothing to help him
self with
By this time Col. Keene had arrived with an
express wagon and the lifeless bodies of the
two men were taken to Water street, where
both reside as neighbors, followed by crowd
OF friends. Drs. Beede and Sturgis made
cursory examination of the bodies but not
enough to determine the precise cause of death.
O'ConnelPs heart beat few minutes after the
fall, but Ccnners was pulseless when the
doctors reached the spot. The conclusion was
ample cause in either case. Over Conners'
temple was bleeding wound, and it was
thought O'Connell's neck was broken. O'Con-
nell leaves widow and four children. Con-
neIs leaves widow and six children-three
sous and three daughters. Conners was 48
years of age and OConnel about 80. Great
sympathy is expressed for the families invov-
ed III this awful and unprecedented tragedy.