The Newtown bee., 1890-06-20
WAS IT MIIRnER 2

1 aCeu aDOuC quarter OH a ulle DelOW
 Babbitt's bridge on the Brookfield side of the Housatonic river and is within four rods of it's bank, which, for some distance both above and below the spot where Leavenworth is said to have come to his death, is very steep, with perpen- dicular banks over 10 feet high in some places. Leavenworth, who resided in Roxbury Center, came to Southville, Sat urday afternoon, on business, with $7 in his purse and dropped in to Daly's sa- loon, where he and the Castle brothers, who reside not far from Southville, with Henry Manville, man of many places of abode and employed by days work and in fishing and hunting, proceeded to have good time, celebrating Leaven- worth's 52d birthday and got uproarious- ly drunk. Manville has not been in his usual health, this Spring and Summer and has, at times, tended bar for Daly.
 During the spree, Leavenworth refused to pay for some drinks and Manville threatened to throw him into the river unless he did so. About 30, Frank Castle, who lives with his brother in
 Bridgewater, about a mile above South vile, saw the men, Leavenworth and
 Manville, having a scuffle in the little field just back of the saloon and, as they alternately downed one another, uncon- sciOusly approached the brink of the riv- CT. Before Castle was aware of their danger, both disappeared over the bank.
 To fD tIn o1s
 them, finding both men unconscious. He succeeded in rousing Manville after a
 time, but Leavenworth was stone dead and never showed signs of life after the fall. Castle turned him around so that
 his head would lie on higher ground.
 Castle alarmed the Dalys and, later,
 went for Medical Examiner Williams of Brooktield, who arrived at 10 30. Peter $. Hall, who lives nearest the saloon on the Brookfield side, was one of the first at the saloon after the accident, having
 met Castle going for the doctor. South
 vile residents were aroused from sleep about II by Daly's son and number
 went over to assist and to witness the proceedings. The little field between the saloon and river was newly seeded, last year and rank growth, principally clov- CT, covered the ground. Those first on the ground state that no signs of a tussle such as two drunken men would be apt to have, were visible in the grass, but a
 well defined path, as of body drawn through the grass to the brink and the | Il,
 the end of the path, a steep descent through brush and trees, down which
 man could walk with caution, led to the
 brink, when, after sheer fall of over 10 feet, the body of Leavenworth rested on
 the stony beach, about midway between
 the foot of the bank and the waters edge, which, at the time, was nearly
 rod from the foot of the bank. A ladder
 was procured at Daly's and the body
 placed upon this, with straps beneath the arms and drawn to the top of the bank,
 as Dr Williams was too decrepit to de- scend or climb up the bank. A sharp, jagged rock was prominent near a pool of blood where Leavenworth' head lay when found by Castle, but so far from
 the foot of the bank that it seems ncred- ible that he should have struck on it in the fall. The body was removed to the saloon, to which Daly strongly objected.
 proposing that a boat should carry the
 body over to the Southville side. Dr
 Williams postponed an examination until
 morning and, considering the case of inn | xlx.sw. Al,
 where he telegraphed the coroner at Bridgeport. Later in the day, he return ed to Daly's and made an examination of the body, finding an ugly scalp wound
 on the back of the head, but no injury to the skull. Rupture of blood vessel in
 the brain caused death. Leavenworth
 presented ghastly sight with face and
 head smeared with blood and eyes star | ing wide open and, when laid in the road
 near the saloon, bled profusely from the
 ear. Leavenworth's wife and friends in
 Roxbury had been informed Of his death to care for the body, Sunday. Dr Will. :. Hams gave permission to care for the re
 mains, allowed their removal to Rox. bury, Sunday and the funeral and buria
 was on Tuesday at l, the interment being
 at the Center. Coroner Doten arrived by the first train, Monday morning, visited the scene of the killing and examined those conversant with the affair, aftel
 which summons were issued for those di reetly concerned in the death to appeal before him at Brookfield, Tuesday at II
 Officers failed to find Manville, so that after the hearing at Brookfield, stay il i, proceedings till Wednesday was taken when Manvile was examined at New i, town and detained, pending further in vestigation by the coroner. Manville's
 past record is against him and an indict ! ment for lnanslaughter will probably b,
 brought, which will bring but light pun , ishment, though the pervading sentimen i, among those best posted is that it is 1 1, case of murder. Daly moved the gras
 through which the path was made to tn,
 river, before the arrival of the officers
 Monday morning, and has plowed it pre- i, paratory to planting tobacco. He af firms that he is done keeping saloon ant :. expressed regret that such an affai
 should have transpired at his place . Leavenworth leaves wife, sister of Iru . man Wheeler of Sonthbury, but no child |, dren. and is spoken of highly by thos, ' who know him, as to his natural abili k most any attachments were debased t.