Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-24
MURDER FOR MONEY
Mrs. Maria Dell Discovered
Dying on the Roadside
Near McKeesport.
HER SKULL is FRACTURED.
The Old Lady Dies Without Giving
a Clew to Her Assailants.
A DEEP MYSTERY In THE CASE.
Her Secret Pocket Found and Rifled of all
Its Contents.
HER SKULL is FRACTURED.
A DEEP MYSTERY In THE CASE.
LOOKING FOR WORK SHE FOUND DEATH

to the long list of Allegheny county homi-
cides. The victim is Mrs Maria Dell, of
Mckeesport, harmless, white-haired
woman 63 years of age. That she was the
victim of one or more highway robbers
there is no doubt. She was brutally beaten,
robbed and left on lonely roadside to die.
The tragedy occurred on Saturday evening.
There is no clew to the murderers.
Between and o'clock Saturday even
ing Edward Ballenburg, IS years old, son
of farmer living on the Crooked Run
road, about mile and quarter from the
Mckeesport city line, was starting out for
the evening, when at lonely spot along
the way he heard a moan as of a person in
distress. Frightened, he called out A
feeble voice replied. Fastening to the
spot, he found Mrs Dell lying on the
stones along the roadside. Her white hair
was soaked and her face covered with blood
from two great gsshes on the head, her
clothing was torn and disarranged and the
poor woman was scarcely able to move,
though conscious and able to talk.
Doesn't Remember What She Said.
Ballenburg talked to her for some time,
though, strange to say, he now declares he
cannot remember anything she told him,
and then ran to the farm house of George
w. Morris, nearby, and gave the alarm.
Mr.. Morris and his family ran to the old
lady at once and removed her to their
house, where she was given every possible
attention. In a.few moments she became
unconscious. Knowing who she was Mr.
Morris thought best to take her to her home
in McKeesport in his buggy. Dr. We'd
dell was called ct once to attend her there,
but his efforts were truitIess. At 1880
o'clock yesterday morning the old lady died
without having regained consciousness.
Mrs. Dell Is the wife of John Dell, an
old soldier who, with his wife, has lived in
McKeesport for many years The couple
have two grown sons and three daughters.
For a number of years they have been
making their home with their youngest
daughter, Mrs. Shaw, in two-roomed cot
tsge in the Fawcett plan, Eighth ward,
McKeesport, near the city line.
Made Living Doing Chores.
The family is poor Shaw is laborer in
mill. Dell and his wife have been doing
chores among the farmers and neighbors in
that locality. 1t has been customary when
either of them secured work away from
home to live where they were employed
making their daughters home their head
quarters.
Lately Mrs Dell has been out of en-
ployment. On Thursday morning she
packed little basket with clothing and
started from Mrs Shaw's house to find
work. She said she would go to see her
granddaughter, Nellie Whalen, who lives
Turtle Greek. Her husband and her daugh- |
ter's family were all present as the old lady |
departed, and as she bade them goodby |
she said:
"I have between $40 and S25 in here"
patting her waist on the lett side signif- |
icantly, "and guess I'll live on that until !
can get something to do"
Where the old lady spent Thursday and |
Thursday night has not been developed, but
on Friday morning she appeared at Turtle
creek, calling on her granddaughter, Lille.
She LETT the girl at noon, saying she was 60
ing to Wilmerding, where she expected to
get work in a restaurant That was the
last trace of her at present known to the
authorities until she was found cruelty
beaten, bleeding and dying along the
Crooked Run road.
Coroner Mcdowell Investigating.
The McKeesport police were notified of
the case early Yesterday morning ami they
notified Coroner Mcdowell, who, with his
clerk, Grant Miller, went out to investi-
gate the case yesterday afternoon. The |
Coroner ordered a post-mortem examina- |
tion of the body by Drs. Black and Bur- |
lingame. They reported last night that |
there were two fractures of the skull, one |
five inches long extending back from the
forehead. The other was at the base of the |
brain, nearly three inches in length. There
was also an ugly tear of the flesh on the
left arm above the elbow, apparently made
by the cruel grasp of her assailant, and a |
fracture of the pelvic bone Indicating a |
brutal blow or kick in the abdomen. The |
wounds on the head were either produced |
by sandbag or handybilly.
In his investigation the Coroner empan- |
neled jury and examined the husband, |
daughter and granddaughter on the witness
stand. The evidence taken showed that |
Mrs. Dell always carried her money in a |
secret pocket in her underwear, at the waist |
line. 1t could not be reached except from |
her skirts, but the pocket was
torn off, and the money was gone when the |
old lady was taken home. Her dress had |
been rudely torn open at the bosom and her |
skirts had been trampled and torn in the |
scuff1e with her assailants. As far as the |
family knew, no one but themselves was |
aware of her having money or where she !
carried it. If Mrs. Dell had an enemy in |
the world her family did not know it, and |
they all declare entire ignorance of who |
could have been her murderer.
A Fit Spot for Tragedy.
The spot where the murder was committed |
is about $50 feet from the intersection of the
Crooked Run road and tine old State road. |
1t is a lonely, isolated place, and within q |
short distance of it number of tragedies
have occurred in the past. The latest was |
the murder of H. C. Shample, two years |
ago at picnic, for which Stewart Cherry !
was convicted and is now sserving term in
the penitentiary.
The police at McKeesport are now work.
ing on the case. The Coroner has ad-
journed the inquest until tomorrow after
noon when it will be continued in the May
or's office. In the meantime the District |
and County Detective will be re-
quested to assist in tracking down the muir
derer The Coroner says he is satisfied re-
port current in HcKeesport yesterday that |
Mrs. Dell had been drunk and fell over the
hill, receiving her injuries, is without foun-
dation. He Investigated fully and finds the
old lady was never known to use liquor in
any form.