Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-08-24
TH0S. H0GAN'S DEATH.
IT MAY HAVE BEEN = MURDER.
Found lying ia the River With Fatal
Wound in the Suspicious
Circumstances

About half pasI o'clock ca Saturday
evening Mr.. aud Mr. Jonathan H. MeRlzeT
accompanied by their daughter aud son.
row boat aud when near the north ond of
tie steamer channel they no.leod straw
bat and a two-dollar bil floating on the
water and, few feet further north, noticed
the body of a man laying IL the water near
the bank They al once notified MF
Sahers, proprietor of the Commercial Hotel
at the corner OF Oskes and Summit streets,
and he notified Detective Gesi, who, accom-
panied by Officer Graves, proceeded 10 the
channel and there found the body Of Thomas
Hogan, lying with his face down, IN ten
inches of water between two boats. They
Coroner Bradish, who, with DR. Best, le~ed
the body and had II removed 10 Undertaken
Durfee's rooms.
The man had not been drowned al the
general appearance Indicated that he hA0
been struck dead, and then had fallen or
been thrown into the water On the left
side of the head, back OF the eye.w a small
wound opening and extending backward
from the eye, dividing the muscles and tissue
from the skull and making fracture Of the
skull Lone. There was no blood found III
the boats near him, and he had probably not
been Ia the water more than fifteen minutes.
as the body was still warm when taken out
Hogan was - years of age and had been III
the employ of Alcott Caldwell, who owns the
boats that are rented on the river, since d
small boy. DIR. Beat says he wound could
not have been caused by falling, unless he
fell on some very sharp instrument. lie
probed the wound, but could find nothing 10
chow the cause.
The deceased Was seen AT o'clock on Sat
urday afternoon at the Commercial Hotel.
and appeared well and IN good spirits. lie
il brother of Mrs. Bart Champion. Robert
Finch, who has the contract for dredging
Grand River, was tOwed up from the Lake
Shore Railroad bridge 10y the steamer Bar
rett, and said that he saw Mr.. Mentzer and
his family in the boat. lie rowed up
the channel from the Barrett and paid Ho-
gan S2.25 for the rent of boat for week,
two-dollar bill and quarter, and Hogan
appeared as well usual and perfectly
sober. Mr.. Mentzer says Mr.. Finch pas
him near the railroad bridge, and may have
landed about ten minutes ahead of him, but
he doesn't think IT could have been any more
| than that. as he rowed slowly up the channel.
The post mortem examination was held by
Drs. DeCamp and Best, yesterday afternoon
at 3 O'Clock, at the residence of his mother,
29l Ottawa street The examination showed
that the skull had been crushed and
blackened from the blow, and in all proba-
bility death resulted from concussion of the
brain caused 10y the blow. which. IN the
| opinion of the doctors, was sufficient 10 cause
death even If he had not fallen into the
water. Mr.. Finch said on Sunday night
| that a. he was leaving the Island two meL
| in hack passed him and went onto
| the Island, but inquiry among the
| hackmen failed TO ind any one who
| had driven there with two men. The only
article of the deceased's missing Is gold
| ring which he was accustomed to carry IN a
| little bag IN his pocket. His watch and key
| pocket knife and lead pencil were found IN
! his pockets, which shows that the motive OF
his assailant could not have been robbery.
Some think that he had a quarrel with some
| one about money as the two dollar bill found
| floating on the water might indicate. Coro-
ner Bradi-h empaneed the following Jury
which viewed the body at the undertaken
| and adjourned till this morning at 10 O'Clock
at DR.. Bradish's office, James Hennessy,
Thomas Martin, l.. q. Stewart. John Rus
| sell, 4. A. Kinney, and A. ID. Cheshire.