The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-09-20
GEORGE FREEMAN
Probable case of MansIaughter.

For some weeks Detective Ira True has
had in charge the investigation into the case
of George Freeman, the colored man, whose
dead body was found on the flats of Back
Bay, June Goth, and who was first thought
to have died from excessive use of liquor,
but afterwards was thought to have been
killed in quarrel. The coroner's verdict
was such that Matthew Kerwin was arrest
ed and gave bail in court on charge of
manslaughter last Friday, as reported in
these columns, and Saturday morning Depu-
ty Marshal Black arrested William Leahy,
more generally known as 'Porez Leahy," in
Norway, on the same charge, and he will be
arraigned this morning. Mr.. T., A.
Simpson has given his undivided at
tention to the case and the prin-
cipal evidence ON which the man was ar
rested, including what was published in the
PRESS, as the result of interviews with va
rious persons after the death of Freeman, is
as follows:
Mrs. Vincent, 140 Washington street, says
she was awaked at II o'clock that night by a
noise outside her window. She saw about
20 men. Someone said ''the cops are COM
ing" They then scattered and went up the
street Mrs. Vincent went to bed again but
was awakened a second time at about 2.3O
o'clock. She heard two men talking. One
said you struck him too hard and he can't
get up" She does not know who the men
were.
Ellen Cain, $50 Washington street. saw
Freeman in company with Jenny Pike sew
eral times that evening. At l1 L.; 9,elsck
poste her house. They were using hard
language to one another. They crossed over
in front of her fence and she heard scuff1e
on the sidewalk. She heard a man say:
',Porez Neahy) don't strike him again; he is
struck man when down in my life." In a
| few minutes they went down the street. In
| the morning she found Freeman'S hat where
the men had the scuffie.
| Mary E. Burton, 176 Washington street,
| says that on the night of June 10Th, about
11.3O O'Clock, she was returning home in a
| buggy with Frank Jones and his wife. OPP
| posite Mrs. Gains fence she saw George
| Freeman, Perez Leahy and Matthew Ker-
| win: They were having words and she. saw
Leahy strike Freeman on the head with a
| piece of wood about two feet long, knocking
him down. Kerwin said Don't strike him
again; he is down." Leahy said: mo
woL't, l never struck man that was down
In my life" Freeman said: "Porez you
Mrs. Hannah Coffin, 204 Washington street
| says that on the night of June 10th, at about
1890 o'clock, she heard screams on the
street. She got up and looked out. She saw
Freeman staggering down the street and two
men following him. She watched them I'm.
| til they turned into Gould street, in the di:
| rection where the body was found.
Hattie Ray, 8 Gould street, says she was
| awaked at about Il. 30 that night by men go
| ing past her house in the direction of the
beach where the body was found next morn
| ing.
Mrs. Jennie Estes, alias Gillen, alias Pike,
| says she was in company with George Free
o'clock. She was in Mrs. Burtons that ev-
ening. Freeman left her at Mrs Coffin S
and she gave him ten cents to get shaved
with. She heard Mrs. Cain say she saw
| men beating Freeman outside her fence that
night.