The Portland daily press., 1884-01-23
WAS 1T MURDER ?
Cutting Affair on Franklin Street
Last Night.
Which Results in the Death Of a young
Man.

Two brothers, named John and Charles
hlynn, the former 26 and the lattar 81 years of
age, have occupied rooms In the upper part of
a small wooden house, in the rear of Murdoch
q Freeman's bottling establishment, No. 8
Franklin street. The brothers are 'longshore-
men, and have recently worked on the English
steamers.
yesterday there was no work, and they went
on 'spree," both drinking heavily. Nothing
unusual was noticed by the other occupants Of
the house-Mri T. MCCARTHY and Edward Fla.
vin-till about 10 o'clock last night At that
hour, Mr.. MCCARTHY, whose rooms adjoin that
OF the brothers, Gays he heard loud talk, as
though the brothers were scolding; then he
heard one say to the other, 'iYou're ID
liarp coupled with vulgar term, and then
dull thud, as if one had struck the other. This
was followed by the exclamation, sob! Jack!,,
repeated five times, What have you done?"
Then some one went down stairs and out Of
the door.
The next thing MCCARTHY heard was the
voice OF Jack at bis door, saying, sFor Gods
sake, Tim, give me some warm water'' Nc
Oarthy got up and dressed, and carried the
water into the room. There he saw DIR. Mer-
rill and Jack bending over Charles, who was
lying upon the bed, with blood streaming from
wound in tho groin. A large qaantity of
blood was upon the floor at the foot of the bed.
After the doctor had dressed the wound he
went out, and by his (the doctor's) orders, Nc
Carthy notified Officer Stevens, who went to
the room, and after looking things over called
In officers Measure and Sparrow, and they all
entered the house together. Meantime, Nc
Carthy told Jack to run for the priest, and he
did So
When the officers entered the room. thew
saw Jack sitting by the stove, with piece of
kindling wood in his lap, and cheese knife
the blade of which was about eleven inches
iong,) in his hands. His brother lay upon the
bed, dead.
In answer to questions, Jack proceeded to
tell the officers how his brother cut himself
while trying to split the piece Of wood with
the knife. The officers, however, did not
listen to his story, but Immediately took him
to the station.
Dr. Il. T. Merrill stated to reporter that he
found the man suffering from deep cut back
ward and downward, in the left groin; that an
artery had been cut and the man had bled to
death; that when he arrived at the house the
man was pas speaking; he did not care to say
'nas 'ne man mad been stabbed, though he did
nos sninK ne could have made such wound
himself.
In an interview with the prisoner at the
station, on being told that his brother was
dead, he seemed much overcome, and 1t was
some time before he could be persuaded to
speak of the unhappy affair. Finally, he said
in substance:
THE PRISONERS STORY.
l and my brother had been working upon
the steamers, and while waiting for one to
come in yesterday we had drank some beer,
Charlie (the victim) had got pretty full" and
went home with him and put him to bed
at o'clock in the evening, then went out to
see II the steamer was in; found she had not
arrived; then l went up on to India street and
into bar room. There found Charlie again /.
took glass of beer. then we both went home
When We went into the room Charlie sat down
on the bed, took piece of kindling wood in
his lap and the butcher knife in his hands to
cut the wood with. ! sat down by the stove
to get ready to build the fire. We
got to talking pretty loud about the
steamers, and I spoke up rather sharp
Well, let's us build q fire and go to bed 1
had not more than got the words out of my
mouth before Charlie said 'OhI Jack, what
have doneP I'm stuck; run for doctor. ;
He was bleeding very fast, and ran right out;
went first to DR.. Ordways, but could not
raise him; then went up on Congress street
to another doctor, and he refused TO come
with me. Then went to Dr.. Merrill's and he
at once came down. Charlie had had the knife
pressing down on tho wood and one hand
slipped off, letting the knife down into the
groin. Before, God, that is the truth"
Coroner Gould was called, and after viewing
the body he ordered Undertakes Jefferds and
Magic to prepare it for burial, aud will hold an
inquest today.
Deputy Marshal Crowell has taken charge of
the knife and stick of wood, and has them
locked up at the station.
Jack Flynn, the prisoner, is not very tough
looking customer, but he has figured several
times in the police court for drunkenness and
disturbance. He will DO held to await the re-
suit of the inquest.