The record-union., 1893-09-13
THAT BROKEN NECK.
Coroner Clark Holds an Inquest Over
the Dead Stranger.
Witnesses Tell What They Know About
the Case-Dell Murphy Attend
ed the Hearing.

Coroner Clark began an inquest yester-
day in the case of the unknown man who
was found with a broken neck in the rear
of John Norton's saloon, 206 X street,
| Sunday afternoon.
Dell Murphy. the young man who was
arrested under suspicion of having struck
the man, causing his death, was present
at the mOrgue with his attorney, Senator
L. c. Hart.
The first witness called was Norton, the
proprietor of the place. He said he came
into the saloon shortly before o'clock
and saw Murphy standing near the bar.
Murphy told him there was man in the
back room who had had a fit. Witness
asked him if he had struck the man, and
Murphy replied in the negative. Muir
| ply then went after doctor, and when
the latter arrived he tried to revive the
injured man but without avail. When
the witness first saw the man he was
| alive, and he asked him what was the
/ matter. The dying man could give no
| coherent reply, however. Norton said
he noticed some blood on the card table.
John,Pendergast, Norton's barkeeper,
testified that he was reading paper be-
/ hind the bar when Murphy entered and
went into the back room. The deceased
! followed him. lie heard noise mo-
ment later, and, going to the room saw
the stranger lying on the floor. Dell
| Murphy picked him up and sat him i'll a
chair. The head of the deceased dropped
TO the table and his nose began to bleed.
| The witness wiped the blood away with
wet cloth. Murphy told Pendergast
that deceased had fallen to the floor in q
/ fit. The doctor, who arrived soon after,
/ gave the deceased a drink of brandy and
removed him to another room in the
rear. No one but Murphy and the de-
I ceased were in the room at the time.
/ The witness did not hear any scuilling or
talking. If there had been anything of
the kind he would have heard it. Pender-
gast noticed bruise over the left eye of
the deceased after they had placed him in
the chair. Murphy shut the door whom
he entered the room and the deceased
opened 1t again. The witness had never
seen the deceased before until that morn
ing, when he came in and asked for an
empty bottle. The deceased, when he
entered the saloon the last time, was stag
gering and seemed to he quite drunk
Robert Goods, who drives the police
patrol wagon, told about taking Dell
Murphy to Jail. He and Chief Rodgers
went back to NortOn's saloon and made
an examination Of the premises. He
said they found hat and a bloOd-stained
hanGkrrchief. There were blood stains
on card table and also on the wall. 1t
was all fresh blood he said. The stranger
was dead when the witness saw him.
When Murphy was arrested he seemed
Hurried, but Goods did not know
whether he was intoxicated or excited.
Murphy told the witness the deceased
fell against the door.
Police Officer II. j. Carroll testified
that he went in the patrol wagon with
Goods to NOrton's saloon. On the way
to the police station with Murphy, the
latter said that the deceased had fit and
fell against the door. There was no blood
on the deceased when the witness saw
him, the lace having been washed by
someone. The witness thought Murphy
had been drinking.
DIR. q. A. White, who performed the
autopsy, testified that he found "A contu-
sion above the left eye, and an abrasion on
the nose. There was a scratch back OF
the left ear. The fatal injury was dis
location of the neck between the first and
second vertebra. The doctor said ne had
never heard nor read of such an injury
resulting from fall from standing posi-
Con. There was posi- bllity, howeve.
that If weak man should fall against "A
door he might break his neck. But the
deceased was strong, well-nourished
man, and the probabilities were against
such an accident. The deceased had the
appearance of being a morphine or CO.
caine user, but if he was such he had not
been using it very long.
DIR. q. Dart was the next witness. He
testified that ne was summoned to Nor
TOMS saloon by Dell Murphy. He found
the deceased sitting in a chair, being
supported by some men. The witness
saw that he was dying and tried to stim-
ulate him with brandy and water. But
the man died in few moments without
regaining consciousness. The witness
made no further examination, except
that he noticed the bruises on the temple
and nose. These, he said, could have
been produced by blow of the fist or by
a fall.
At this juncture Coroner Clark an
nOunced that four important witnesses
had not put in an appearance, and as he
desired their testimony he would postpone
further inquiry into the matter until 2
O'Clock this afternoon.