Morning journal and courier., 1892-08-29
No EVIDENCE OF FOUL PLAY.

The Coroner's Verdict I'm TO the Cause
ofJames Mahoney's Death-He Finds
that He was Accidentally Drowned.
The investigation into the cause Of the
death of James Mahoney, whose body was
found in the Mill river Friday morning
last, has been completed, and 1t is not eI-
pected that any further steps will be taken
in the matter. Acting Coroner Pond has
made a most thorough investigation of sll
be that Mshoney's death was due to &C.
cidental drowning, while under the in
fluence of liquor.
Coroner Pond, when asked as to what
circumstances there were to bear out such
finding replied substantially as follows:
with the assistance of the police have
gone over the ground in the case as
thoroughly as possible, and have traced
Mahoney from the time he left home to 60
to the races at Hartford until he WAS last
seen about midnight Thursday. There is
no doubt in my mind but that Mahoney wss
badly under the influence Of liquor when
he left Shannon on Bishop street, and
that he wandered of, and in some IN
known way got into the river and was
drowned. The autopsy showed beyond all
doubt that he was alive when he got into
the water and that his death was due to
drowning. OF course there is nothing to
show how he got into the river, but the
facts In the case favor the theory that it
was by accident and that he was alone.
The only marks on his body were the cuts
above his right eye and the bruises on the
right cheek. These might have been
caused by an ordinary fall, and the way In
which the flesh on the side of the face was
scraped indicates that such was the case.
He might have fallen on fat surface or
he might have fallen and cut his head on q
stone.
GAS to the way he got into the water,
there are two plausible theories: When he
left Shannon on Bishop street 1t was 1890
or later. He had been drinking during the
evening with friends, and We have conclu-
sive proof that both he and Shannon were
badly under the influence of liquor-the
latter now admits this Mshoney started
| to go home, and as he Was not man 80
customed to drink doubtless did not care
to go home in tine condition that he was
then in, and being familiar with Orange
street and the locality set out to walk, as @
man will do under such circumstances. In
this way he may nave gone out on tns
bridge, and being a large man and possibly
being eick fell off into the water. Another
| theory is that he went up to what is known
as ''cold spring" and fell down the bank
| there into the river.
| "Of course this Is all superstition, but 1t
is the most plausible explanation of the
case, and there is nothing of any OF the
stories in regard to foul play which WAY
rants belief. They have all been run to
the ground"
Late Saturday evening Mahoney's hat
was found floating in the water, and from
| its appearance the claim that Mahoney's
death was accidental seems all the more
probable, owing to the fact that not q sim
| gle dent or cut was observable upon il.
Had he been struck over the head, as was
claimed, it ia more than probable that the
hat would have shown it.
| Mrs. Mshoney and her daughter, who
have been visiting friends near Norwich
for the past week, did not receive the news
of the death until late Saturday. The
funeral will take place from his late resi-
dence, 1S1 Wilson street, this morning at
$50 o'clock. followed by q solemn requiem
mass at St. Msry's church at 9 o'clock.