New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-20
MURDERED ON THE HIGHWAY
a pAYMAsTER AND HIS ASSISTANT ROBBED
AND KILLED ON A LONELY ROAD
TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE PAY of
woRKINGMEN, sToLEN-How THE CRIME
WAS DISCOVERED wILKEsBARRE
SENDS OUT POSSE TO CATCH THE
MuEDERERs-No TRACES OF
,,vrrLnoKArH rc IKE rRIBuxn J


xrrraor ora robberv was committed this morning
a few miles from here on the Willsesnarre NOUN
tain. j. Barney Mcclure, paymasfer LOT q" ran
road contractor James McFadden. ana MS staoie
jboss Hugh Flanagan, were murdered AZ l o clooN
this morning on the public highway, w'th'h lour
miles of this city, and 81 200 In cash whlch tneS
had with them was stolen lhc Ho"e"
Valley Railroad Company is BUILDING orahcn
from Pleasant Valley TO Fairv1ew ana large
mart Of the work is in the hands of the weli-knowh
railroad contractor j. McFadden. lie employs
about GOO men mostly Hungarians and ltalians'
and tomorrow was his payday. ABOUT iV
o,clocl, this morning Mr. McFadden's paymaster'
Mcclure, with his assistant Hugh Flanagan, aP
peared at the wyoming National Bank ana drew
from that institution the sum OF sl2'ooo WIN
which 10 nav the worlmen. After obtaining "'e
money the two men got into an open buggy and
arovn N Miners Mills. Here they stopped at
the most Office. obtained their mail and then re-
eumed their tourney to their destination about
three miles distant, to what is known as the CON-
missary. That was the last seen OF them allve'
The road through which the paymaster was
obliged 10 drive is lonely one and not much
travelled. After leaving Miners Mills, but TWO
or three houses are passed until the headquarters
of tho contractor are reached These are far apart
and not in sight of each other. AT point about
q milo and a half from Miners Mills, the narrow
highway is shut in by brush. This place is nearly
half mile from the nearest mouse,
little cottage occupied by Widow Apples III Is
here that the murder was committed. As i'r
as is known not person witnessed the 'rase"9
and no sound of shooting heard by any one
in the neighborhood.
The evidences of the tragedy were discovered
nv Contractor McFadden himself. lie was on his
way to the station to take the tram Tor "iikcs-
hare. He was surprised to his horse and
buggy that he had given to MS paym"s'er J"
,bc morning standing in the roadway. There
was no one IN the vehicle, but beneath the wheeS
he found the dead body OF Mcclure, his paymaStcr'
McFadden WAS excited and thought that the horse
had run away and killed the paymaster lie
drove bocl, 10 HEADQUARTERS and with his walking
toss Alexander McQuirn, returned to the scene
Of the murder The horse was standins
in the same position ana McOiure
body still lay doubled up in the roadway
glance showed that the paymaster had been snot
and a moments investigation showed that he hau
also been robbed OF the 81 900 that he had taken
from the bank, as we'll as of his watch and the
money that he carried in his pockets search
for his assistant. Mr. Fannigan was begun, ana
resulted in finding his body about 100 yards iur-
tber down the road. He had been shot through
the temple. A portion of the skull hau oeeh
lifted off and blood flowed from the mouth. Inc
body WAS yet warm, but life had fed
This was about ii o'clock. Twenty minutes
later the news was brought to Wilkesbarre, and
spread like wildfire 1t was but the work of
few minutes to organize a posse. Two railroad
detectives. O'Bricn and Heffernan, and Sergeant
Hall Of the police force, led the movement, and
in comparatively short time nearly hundred
volunteers had offered their services. Some
went ON foot some on the train, and others Dy
wagon to Miners Mills.
The bodies were brought down to Miner MILLS
shortly after noon in a wagon Great crown
had collected about Undertaken Wisers pace whch
the wagon drew up The District Attorney 'o-
semi Moore. kept the throng back and designated
men TO remove the bodies. As the still imp
,boppb bfeless victims were taken from the Nehi-
ole thrill of horror went through the crowd
First the form of Hugh Flannigan, well known TO
nearly all present, transferred carefully 10 the
building His clothing was covered win 1 mua,
as though from a struggle in the wet ana mu9uy
road and his face was covered with blood. me
body Of Mcclure seemed to nave oeeh rousniS
used His arms were held ABOVE ms heau ~ "
heavy oyercoat and indicated that he might nave
been dragged some distance by the hanus pooh
ewes were open, presenting shasty ,appe'l-
ance d clot of blood at the side oi the hosc I
showed where a bullet had entered, while lohs
cash on the left side of the crown oil inc heiu
looked as though ball had torn ITS way through.
Alexander McQuirn who had been cary & on ,a6 ,dn1
snot informed the reporter that the horse hau
been shot seven times, but was not dead, ana an
other man showed one of the cartridges louHu,
which is undoubtedly similar 10 IN nc oIes ~ was
whca the men and horse we're shot ~ Was Nn,, d
A4-calibrc in size, centre fire, and evidently
belonged to Winchester ris nu,nper nrape al oi
letters and papers belonging TO Mcclure were al y
found in the road and taken in charge by Mr.
McGuirn. ,o<,, ,,+ forth
of fha
are the coal and iron policemen ana the COUNTY
detectives at work. but Sheriff Search drove up
10 the scene directly after the news G enutes af
work kilograms have been sent 10 every Iaiil run
road station within 100 miles OF TINS clty, anu anu
the local police and constabnlary OF the %noit lt
connty have been informed OF the crime ana pu.
on fhe watch But at this moment there IS no, h9t
the Slightest clew 70 the perpetraor oi ihls norue
nr;me There are some reasons for suppcsing that
IL was committed by gang OF iaborers w9rtn.s 3.s
on the road The employees OF a store al niIer iau
Mills say that two gangs OF ltaIahs sI9pleu- iei %
th;s morning. One band OF four, all OF Wh0n
appeared TO be perfectly SOBER star~u up IA ,n1
lonely road where the murder was nf the
naymaster at the post office, after having drawn tn
money from the bank. Another gang .osa o,
FIVE Italians alliances Tefs before Mcclurc man who
came down first before the murder said he saw
these two gangs about quarter ,l lie ISa' Ro,b
and not far from the scene OF the traSeuy' DoVii
ranrs are said to have disappeared; A.
An inquest was he'd on the bodles py 'he
coroner this evening. The testimony taken was was
of no importance, except rs to the SUSPICIOUS
actions Of young Italian, whose name name Is s WITH IN
held at present. and who was clerk Tor 'he
ias heau Sr pmaS,cr AT the works. lie had been at
M; SEardns cpsc4 Station this morning acting in pc
cniar manner inquiring at the station about n @ sae
running OF trains etc The inquest was .itn I,a ao
ionrnaJ The detectives have arrested the ltailan
S~t he was allowed TO go later on, as he promised
TO aid them in finding the murdererS,; n,;on1 ne bs Is
hing shadowed every step, as ~ Is oeHeNeu he
,,nn,ssx something about the murder ~
Cashier Flanagan. of the Wyoming Sauona, !as
Bank was seen by your ana ro S,atse tS
Wroning National Bank in the morning The
none was packed in an envelope box. Mcclure
took a revolver from his pocket with the remark
that he might need il before his Journey was
com plcted and placed il where it would be con
venient to get hold of in case of emergency