The Portland daily press., 1883-09-01
SUDDEN DEATH.
A Supposed Homicide Tu ms Out q Case
of Apoplexy OF the Lungs.

Yesterday morning about half part ten o'clk,
officer Sterling notified the police station that
a supposed murder had occurred on Washing
ton street and Deputy Marshal Black went up
to see about it. 1t appears that Sterling learn
ed that David P. Coffin had killed James Dol
an, and went in pursuit of him. Not finding
him at his home on Washington street he tele-
phoned the station. Black and Sterling track
cd Coffin on Cumberland street, but came up
to him on Myrtle street, where he said on be-
Ing arrested, that it was all right, that he was
on the way to the station to give himself up.
In the meantime Mayor Deering and Marshal
Andrews had driven to the house where the
murder was said to have occurred, and Drs.
Smith - the familyhphysician and Dr. Cor
don were sent for.
A reporter for the Press was soon on the
spot and gathered the following particulars:
The house occupied by James Doan is q one
and half story building with the end towards
the street. Mr. and Mrs. Dolan's bedroom is
located on the street end, and one window
looks out on the passage-way leading from the
street to the front door, Mrs. Dolan was in
this room and at the window, and gives the
following version of the affair:
Mrs. Dolan says her husband said to her that
he was going to swap horses with David Coffin
She urged him to have nothing to do with Cof-
fin. Dolan answered 81 think the horse /, o
good horse and 1 am going to try him." Just
then Coffin came along with the horse and
said to Doan ought to get moro for this
horse" Dolan then handed Coffin five dollars,
put the horse in the hack and having finished
Harvesting Coffin's horse, into the hack 1 Coffin
took Dolan's horse. Dolan then drove the
hack little distance to try the horses, bat the
new horse baked and acted badly. He
brought the hack back to the house and said
to Coffin "the horse don't agree with your
statements, and if you are a gentleman yau
will pay me back my money, and here's your
horse" Coffin said mo- you put him in and
he'll stay in" Some more words followed an6
Coffin remarked "you are on the street mean
ing that the horse had not become Dolan's prop
erty as it was not ON his premises. Dolan then
tried to pull the horse into the yard and Coffin
followed and struck Dolan several blows with
the halter OF the horse over the head Dolan
swung round on the horses bride and fell
heavily.
Another person, who was witness, said:
"Dolan said he would keep Coffins horse and
seized the animal by the halter and began to
lead it toward his (Dolan's) stable. Coffin also
erasped the halter to prevent this, and in the
scuffie the halter was pulled off the horse.
Dolan then seized the horse by the head, wher
Coffin struck Dolan several times over the
haQd NTH ha hal Gr5 nolo.
would not let go his hold on the horse, strack
the latter over the flank with the rope. The
horse made jump AND its hind legs struck
against Dolan's hack. The animal gave anoth
er spring dashing Dolan, who still chung to Its
head, against the small elm tree that stand,
close to the sidewalk, with great violence
Dolan, after striking the tree fell to the side.
walk and lay there motionless. Coffin theI
took the horse, put the halter on and led /
| away"
Mrs. Sarah Towle, who lives near Dolan
saw the blows struck and rushing out, lifted
Dolan's head from the sidewalk and says
Jimmie, don't you know me?" Dolan drew
two or three deep means and fell back dead.
| Collins statement was that Dolan met hin
on the street and wanted to swap horses Til,
two went to his house and arranged the bar
gain, Dolan agreeing to pay five dollars to boot
| Coffin then lad the horses to Dolon's hous'
| where Dolan embarrassed them and put in thu
| new horse. After trial Dolan wanted Coffin t.
| pay back the five dollars, and Coffin told hin
in that case it was the rule for the snapper
| that is Coffin-to keep the five dollars ant
| shift the horses back. Do,an then wanted
Coffin to give tbs five dollars back and Coffir
| wouldn't. Then Dolan tried to pull him int
his yard with the horses, and in the scrim
mage the halter was pulled off. Coffin pickle,
it up, struck the horse over the head with /
and that turned the horse ont of the yard
Then Dolan grabbed the horse and the hors
j pushed against Dolan and knocked him agains
the tree. and Dolsn fell heavily. Dolan sal,
| he didn't strike me nor I him.
Fortunately two other persons were seen yes
terday afternoon by Marshal Andrews VIII
| witnessed the whole affair. One was Mr.
Sonle, the letter carrier. and the other groce
| who does business on Oxford street, both o
whom corroborated Collins story and say b.
| did not strike Dolan.
Drs. Gordon and Small made post NOR
tenn examination of Dolan. They foundshin
a sufferer from diseased lungs, and there wa
| no evidence the blows with the rope cause,
his death, or had anything to do with it, Dol
an had had an attack of pleurisy some tim
ago His lungs, both of than, adhered, and
in the excitement of the discussion with Col
fin the heart poured food of blood into them
The left lung filed up and the right lung wa
not strong enough to sustain life Dolsn there
fore died from spoplexy Of the lung.
Dolan, was about 55 years old, married, an
had lost several children. He was fine look
ing, powerfully built man. Coffin is SO year
old, trader in horses, and was for fourteen
years teamster for Paul Prince & Son.
Coroner Gould and Undertaken Jeffords wa
called, but awaited the report Of the post mol
tenn examination.