The Republican journal., 1888-06-14
The Murder on a Postal Car.

after moving the length of two cars. 1t was
sand man i'll the postal car was taken with
hemorrhage and must be taken of. Persons
rushed into the car and found Sinclair lying on
pile of bags in apOol of blood. lie was taken
INTO an omnibus and carried to the Penobscot
Exchange. where he boarded, and was found
TO be dead. He was supposed to be dead from
the time he was put in the omnibus. He was
taken to undertaken Hunts to be prepared for
burial. when it was found, instead of hemor-
rhaSe, his death resulted from "A wound in the
breast made by some sharp instrument. appar-
emily doube-edged. cutting through his jumper
and shirt. penetrating the breast just below the
lett collar bone to the depth of four inches,
>eNerins a large artery. and death must have
ensued almost Immediately, as shown by an
autopsy.
ARREST OF TIE MURDERED MANS ASsoCI-
ATES.
The only persons known to be with the de-
ceased III the car We're postal clerks \. Il. Sell
Ion. of Massachusetts, and :. Lyman Hayes, of
New Hampshire, who have run for years with
Sinclair, the latter having been on the road
some fourteen years. The train started of di-
rectly, taking the postal clerks. despatch
was sent to Augusta requesting their arrest
aud Marshal Morse and officer Breen of that
place accordingly proceeded to the mail car
where the men were found attending to their
duties. When the marshal read the despatch
to them and told them TO prepare for departure
as they were under arrest. both appeared per-
fectly calm and collected, and did as ordered
Sellon Wore sort of 4 buster. and this was
spattered with blood in sckenins manner.
while the end of the car in which the men
were ut work was also bloody, blood being
found on the floor and mail sacks. SellOn said
he should not change his clothes but took off
his outer coat and hung it up in the car, where
1t remained when the train left the station
Not even particle of blood was found upon
Hayes person, but he changed his clothes at-
ter arriving at the mar>hal'> office. where both
Of the men We're held until the arrival of the
morning Pullman train east, when they We're
taken to Bangor in custody of Officer Breen.
Sellon would not talk much. HAYES said at
first that they found Sinclair in a bleeding COLI
dition on reaching the car to commence work.
and afterwards varied his story, relating several
different accounts and saving that the three
We're in the car together when the man WAS
taken with a hcmorrhage There was no
trouble. they said. They both talked in a per-
fectiy unconcerned way about the presidential
candidates and their prospects, and other mat
tiers >con had been i'll the service some four
teen years. Hayes four and Sinclair ten. They
had always occupied the same car together.
running between Bangor and Boston. and there
bad never been any difficulty between them as
known. >ellon, who is about fifty years of
age, is Il rather >ury. i'll Eatured man. 50 Il
postal clerk says, and it is believed he com
mitted the crime willie Hayes witnessed it, re-
fu>ing TO relate what he knew from fear of
Sellon.
WHAT THE CHIEF CLERK SAYS.
In regard TO the matter Mr.. +. II. Water
house. chief clerk OF the railway mail service.
said: '.All three Of the men Were exceedingly
fine clerks. and We're liked and respected by
those who knew them. They were Repub-
cans. If they hal not been good clerks they
would not have been retained so long. These
men constituted the OILY Republican through
line railway po>ta! crew in Maine. Sellon lives
III Massachusetts. and is married and has a
number OF children. He also has relatives in
Bangor. He Is about forty-liNe years Old, and
ha, been i'll the service eight years Hayes is
about thrtv-two wears old, lives at Milton. \.
H., and has been in the service five years. He
l. moderate man, but smart. active clerk.
lie has Il wife, but think he has 10 children.
| examined the ear, which was very bloody.
don't think that Mr.. Sinclair was man that
would commit suicide. ] regard the suicide
theory rather wild. In my opinion Mr.. Sill
clair was murdered. and regard the affair as
one of the worst in the history of our railway
mail service. Mr.. Sinclair lost his wife a short
time ago. and two children survive him. He
has been seventeen years in the service. SO
far As | know there had been no trouble
among the men that would lead to murder.
They got along together rs well as any crew
and good deal better than some crews that
are composed of Republicans and Democrats.
am not at liberty to state the inference drawn
from an examination OF the car. or whether,
i'll my opinion. the murder was committed by
one Ui llIe CLERKS. bOIll NtIlOn anu IlaNe> nave
been arrested and are now in custody. and !
have appointed crew to take their places"
The deceased was much liked BY all. lie
was moi known to have an enemy and his as
sociatcs in the service. stand high As any in the
community.
TIE CoHONER'S INQUEST.
An inquest was held Monday mornin. at
which the foregoing facts We're testified TO by
several witnesses. The afternoon session was
taken M in Eearnu the story of uoSt.ll Gle rE
Hayes. who said that few minutes before the
time for the train to start, while he was in the
rear of the car engaged in his duties he heard
Sinclair say that he would not again throw off
such large mail at Watcrvle without help.
>ellon said ''You WILL Sinclair replied -!
will not by - Selion answered "Iou will
you - bastard, or I'll make YOU" Upon
this Sinclair made some exclamation and start
ed for >ellon. When Hayes looked up Sin
clair had Sellon doubled back over the proec-
ton in front of the letter rack, and he started
out TO get some help TO separate the men, but
before leaving he looked around and saw :;iil-
clair walking down the ear towards him. lie
stopped and walked back to Sinclair, meeting
him in the middle of the car. lie asked him
how he felt. and Sinclair replied that he felt
faint. He then told him to 90 to the sink,
where he bathed Sinclair'S head, and then see
ing that he was getting fainter said lie would
go and get something for him to drink. When
he came back with WhitchoIl>e. the baggage
master, they found Sinclair lying upon some
empty mail bags in the rear of the car, bleed
ing profu>ely. Whtehousc tried to raise him
and give him some brandy but found that he
could not take it. >ton approached and asked
what the matter was. and Hayes noticed that
there was blood upon his coat. Whitehollse
said that Sinclair was very sick man and that
he must be put into coach and sent to his
hotel. Whtehouse and others lifted him to
the omnibus. Neither he (IIayc>) or Sellon
assisted in carrying or moving him. SelIon
q n he oar ipin
up the blood with a large cloth, and Hayes
continued sorting the mail. Hayes missed his
knife and asked sellon if he had seen it. Sellon
replied that he had it Is he had lost his own.
The knives are used for cutting Irvine i'm doing
up letter packages. and are kept in the car.
Selion's knife was Jack-knife with a long thin
blade kept very sharp all of the time. Selon
kept the knife of Hayes all the way TO Augusta.
where it was taken from him when arrested.
In the latter part of his testimony. HAYES in re-
Spouse TO question. said that he had known
of but one quarrel between Sinclair and Sellon
previous to the one of Saturday evening, and
that was two years ago in Boston. when the
two men would have come to blows if he had
not separated them. They did not speak for
about three days. but finally got over the diff
flruty and We're on good terms Hayes said
that he knew of no trouble between them since
that time.
The story of the witness was told in a
straightforward manner and corresponded i'm
shall Whitney on Sunday. His examination
lasted over three hours. AT the conclusion of
the testimony the jury held deliberation and
then, at about six O'Clock, brought in the YER
diet, which was as follows:
An inquisition held at Bangor within the comfy
o Penoscot, the lth day of june in the year 1855
before George w. Whitney, one of the Coroners of
said County of PenoDscot, upon view of the BODY
OF Jerry q. Sinclair, there lying dead, by the oath
o. Charles L. Williams, Charles W. CoGin Charles
l.. Getchel, Sias d. Jones, Edward Corners, and
job Collect, good and lawful men, who, being
charged and sworn to inquire for the State When
now, anu by what means the said Jerry G. Sin
clair came to his death, upon their oaths say That
from the evidence before u.s. the said Jerry q. Sin
clair came to his DEATH on the evening of the 9th
day of June, 1885, at Bangor on board United States
Mail Car, No. 81, from the effects of a stab in the
breast, made by sharp instrument in the hand of
Onor and the Jurors of the Inquest have hereunto
set their hands and seals the day and year above
said.
At the close of the inquest Sellon. was taken
to the Jail and placed in the cell next adjoining
that of Stain.
The remains of the murdered man were sent
to his home in Osspee, n. H., Monday even
ing.
Selon has confessed the killing and claims to
have acted in seif-defence.
Selon was arraigned Tuesday before Judge
Brett, pleaded not guilty, and was held in
$4,000 bail for the August term of Court. Sell
lon furnished bail and is now ut liberty. HAYES
has recognized ia $500 for his appearance as
witness.
IN BRIEF. Mr.. Blaine has engaged passage