Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-23
MYSTERIOUS DEATH.
The Coroner Has Plenty of
Cases to Attend.
IN AND ABOUT THE STATION.
Sunday Work of the Gallant Police
FOrce-Criminal Notes and
Happenings.
IN AND ABOUT THE STATION

An inquest of somewhat unusual inter-
est was held by Coroner Meredith last
night at Z :l5 P. NJ, on the body Of James
Allen, evidently railroad man, who
was found dead under mysterious Cir
cumstances near the crossing Of the
Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railroads.
The first witness called was J. E..
Robbins, who testified that he was q
switch-tender at the crossing, and that
he found the deceased lying about six
feet from the Santa Fe track without his
shoes, which were some ten feet away
from him. That he noticed some papers
lying round and a red bandana handker-
chief, and that he reported the matter by
telephone to the police station.
r. A. Morrison, another railroad man,
said that he was a switchman at the
signal tower close to the crossing of the
two roads, and that about II o'clock on
Saturday night he was informed by the
man whom he relieved that one of the
lights at the crossing was out. On going
down to relight it he noticed the deceased
lying close to the signal pole on which
which the light was placed. He was face
downwards, feet towards the track, and
some six feet from the Santa Fe track.
Thinking he was in drunken sleep he
did not say anything to him. His shoes
we're off and were placed about twelve
feet away.
DR.. 1. E. Cohn was the last witness,
and his testimony was to the effect that
he held post-mortem examination on
the body. He found deceased to be a
man Of about feet 81 inches in height,
weight about 100 lbs., light brown hair
and moustache. On the right and left
forearms were tatooed the American
coat of arms. There were no external
marks of violence on the body except a
confusion and swelling of the soft part
of the head over the left temporal bone,
and also on back of head towards the
right side. No bones in the skull were
fractured. The brain was found to be
congested at the site of the contusions,
also clot Of blood between the mem
branes Of the brain around the left tenn
poral region. All the internal organs
were in healthy state except the right
lung, which showed sings of old pleuritic
adhesion. The cause of death was con-
eestion Of the brain, caused by external
violence.
Inc jury, alter careful consideration Of
the case, brought in a verdict 10 the ef.
feet that deceased came to his death
from injuries to the head, inflicted with
blunt instrument, but whether same
were inflicted by some person or by be-
ing struck by railroad train we have no
means Of knowing"
According to papers found lying round
him he was native of Cork, Ireland,
about forty years of age, and has served
in the Seventh Infantry regiment from
April 3, 1867, until April 2, 1870; in the
Eighth Cavalry from January 16, 1875,
until January Is, 1880; in the Third Cav
airy from February IL, 1880, until Feb
ruary 10, 1885; and in the Twentieth In
fantry Provost Guard from May 5, 1886,
until May 81, 1887 Besides these were
a Fourth Ward election ticket, letter
from Ed. Murphy, dated The Needles,
CAL, June 10, 1888, and addressed to
Thos. Shannon; poll tax receipt for
San Diego county in the same name,
dated April 81, 2SSS; newspaper and
some newspapers.