Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-20
PROBING A MYSTERY.
Coroner Mcdowell Promises to Un-
cover a Murder Case.
JOHN W. COOLEY'S BODY EXHUMED
Sanden Belar Found Dead Yesterday in o
NeighbOr's House.
AN ITALIAN LABORER'S FATAL FALL

The body of John W. Cooley, who was
found drowned near Braddock on Thursday
last, was exhumed yesterday by Coroner
Mcdowell. An inquest had been held in
the case Immediately after the body wa:
found. A verdict of found drowned was
rendered and the body was buried. Cooley
resided on Hopkins street, Allegheny. He
was mill worker. Recent developments
induced the Coroner to reopen the case, and
it is now highly probable that sensational
murder case will be disclosed.
On Monday last the Stag Club gave an ex-
cursion up the Monongahela river on the
barge City of Pittsburg. On board were a
number of sporting men from Pittsburg,
Allegheny, W oods' Run and McKee's Rocks.
noon. The police had no information of its
going. Among the attractions of the excur-
sion were three dog fights. The boat first
steamed down the river to McKee's Rocks,
and then came back and up the river to
near Monongahela City, where the party
landed and the dog fight occurred. The
boat returned to Pittsburg about II o'clock
the same night The fighting dogs are
owned by John Daley and Fred Scherute,
both of Woods Run.
What the Coroner Found.
The Coroner's investigation yesterday
developed that Martin Oliver, John Deeuey
and others managed the affair, and that
Cooley had left Pittsburg with the ex-
cursion party.
Captain Kline, who had charge of the
party, was seen last night. He said his
boat had been engaged for the excursion,
and was to cost 500. He said he had not
yet been paid for the trip. He knew of the
dog fight, but he had not seen any quarrel
or trouble on the boat, either going up OF
coming down the river.
After exhuming the body yesterday DR..
McCandless held post mortem. He found
that Cooley's nose had been broken and
that he had sustained a severe bruise on the
forehead. The doctor gave it as his opinion
that the deceased had either been struck on
the nose with some blunt instrument or had
fallen violently and sustained the injury.
Coroner Mcdowell and Captain Kline
held long consultation at the morgue last
night and to-day the Coroner will begin a
vigorous investigation. He believes Cooley
was knocked off the boat and was drowned.
Cooley had been employed as heater at
the Thirty-third street mill. He was one
of the sympathetic strikers His wife and
four children are in destitute circumstances.
Dead in a Neighbours House.
Sanden Belar, laborer, died yesterday
morning at 565 Ohio street, Allegheny,
under very peculiar circumstances. The
house at which the death occurred Is mis-.
cradle tenement, lorded over by Simon
Gerben, who runs it as a boarding establish
ment. The night before last Gerben visited
his fellow workman, Matt Kosmark, at 33 Ra
bine street. Both men are stonecutters and
work on St. Charles street. 1t was about
II o'clock when Gerben arrived at Koz-
marks house, and the latter invited his Wis.
itor to have bottle of beer During theil
conversation Belar arrived. He was not
drunk at the time. When asked to join the
party in glass of beer, Belar refused say
ing that he never drank anything but
whiskey.
Kozmark produced quart bottle about
half full, and rendered it to Belar to drink
from. A short time afterward Gerben left
for his home, arriving there about 11:30 P.
NJ. He had only time enough to get to bed
when knock came to the door His frau,
as he says himself, got up and answered the
call, and found Belar there He said he
had no place to sleep and asked to be let
lay on the floor. Mrs. Gerben said ser
tainly," and the visitor layed down.
About o'clock yesterday morning she
got up and found Belar dead. Why she
got up to look at the man she could not say,
neither could her husband. 1t is possible
but improbable that Belar in getting to
Gerben's house might have fallen down the
flight of steps that lead to Ohio street. At
the Allegheny police station last evening
the two police captaik on duty said they
knew nothing whatever of the case They
were in entire Ignorance of any death
having occurred under the circumstances
related. The Coroner will hold an inquest
to-day.
Clicks Fatal Fall.
Joseph Click, of McKee's Rocks, an
Italian laborer 10 years old, was seen walk
ing along the brow of the hill that over
looks the Fort WAYNE tracks at Woods g
Run, about o'clock yesterday morning.
Shortly afterward he was found on the rail-
road track dead. The distance to the top of
the cliff is about $50 feet The locality is
known as Verner's Hill. The body when
found was horribly mutilated, and it is
thought the man committed suicide.
Thomas Hickey, a section boss on the
Pittspurg, McKeesport and Youghiogheny
Railroad, was killed last night at Beck S
Run. When his body was found on the
track by some workmen the head was en-
tirely severed from the body. He was taken
to Semmelrock's undertaking rooms near