The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-24
Verdict Of the Coroner's jury
in the Stanup Case.
HIS NECK HAD BEEN BROKEN.
Doctors Say He Was Dead When
Thrown Into the River.
1heofies ana Speculation - Ineonsiss-
encies In Testimony Pointed Ous-
Peters Wife IL Reticeas In Court
lnaisns Are ralkiag Of Vengeance.

| lowing is the verdict of the coroner, iurv
In the Peter Stanup mystery.
We. the jury duly summoned ard sworn 20 in.
asirs ia'o tho caise OF the dea.a q. re:cr e
ssanur. do find that .e canae to bis death by
disiocafioa OF she vsrsebrs O. the neck. caused
| hy fome person or persons unknown 10 this
! jury.
Personnel Of the jury:
A. r. Case. Nuren Kans, r. T. Meade, Chsrle.
L. thlnisn. Dr. Joseph " Everett. David Ruth.
eriord
Practically the verdic: was unanimous.
As regards williul murder. the proposition
was argued pro and con. Then the Jury
agreed upcn verdict
Since stanur disappeared the rosr-Ix-
rrlLisrscER bureau has been in posses
Sion OF facts regarding foul play some of
which have been advanced as theories. ="
Suspected persons fo- whose particular
concern some intima,ion Of foul play was
made have not in any wise by word or
act confirmed this suspicion. If they are
guilty they are shrewder than their friends
imagine.
In order not To prejudice witnesses at
today's inquest. and in the hone of secur-
ing perhaps more impartial statement.
care was taken yesterday no. to advance
the belief that Stanup had been murdered.
And sui this rrecaution mas no. served
to untanHle the mystery. In hn, few in.
stances those who might have been ex-
pectet to tell the truth more freely if there
was no prospect Of evidences Of foul play
as rule uttered no discriminating word.
What If any different color might have
crept into statements if the following
report on the autopsy had been published
before the inquest is conjecture:
External exan,ination--we found q red spot
on left arm. on the inner surface. midway be-
tween shoulder and elbow, about an inch long
and three-fourihs of an inch wide, which must
have been produced By pressure only . short
time before death Also no:icci that the neck
was very flexible. allowing the head % rotate
much moro than normal
Tho hrain-Cpon raising the calvarium We
found great congestion OF the veins OF the
brain; otherwise normal
The thorax-Upon raising the s:ernum We
found closscd blood in both siccs of the heart.
also in the pulmonary arteries and veins The
aorta was empty. The vena eava full OF elossed
blood.
The lungs-The lungs were perfectly normal,
coutaiuing NO water or bloody frothy mucous
Air subss perfectly free. Lungs light and full
OF air
Ssomach--S.omach normal, containing email
amount OF nuid. no congestion
lntcstsncs and mesentefy Perfectly normal
in al respects: no congestion: bladder empty:
kidneys normal. no congestion.
We then proceeded TO cut down upon the
ccrvicai vertcbsa. from back of neck We
found that the head had bcca separated from
tho first vertebrs, OF atlas, by violent means
eithe: before or after death.
In summary-After careful examination OF all
the vital organs aud conditions present. We be-
iieve that the deceased met death by other
mesns than drowning.
FREn G.. MILLER NJ
Il. n. ERows, ~ d.
There is no focusing of suspicion Just at
present. Regarding the old Tacoma shang-
haier who appeared as Browns Point dar-
ing the clash between the United States
troops and the Indians. Agen, Eelis says:
did not know he WAS there, know nothing
about him. The controversy regarding the rail
ROAD through the reservation 10 based on a
statute. and see no way IA which Peter stanup
could have been personally unf.iendiy 10 any
one a. . result OF the controversy.
OF course. some Of the Indians are aus
ricious. more or less, of ali who opposed
Peters plans. Agent Eelis, or the North
ern Pacific railroad. may have desired
re;er out of the way, they say. Mr.. EeIls
does not consider such impressions worthy
Of consideration. Peter stsnup, dead or
alive, would not have made any change in
the policy and course of the government.
Therefore il is absurd. in his opinion, 10
think of such thing. lie had been
twi..ed by Peter and Others Of not acting
honestly with Indians in securing change
of route for the Northern Pacific through
the reservation
Indeed charges to the effect that he go.
some of the Indians drunk and inveigied
then, into signing away right-of-way have
been preferred. Regarding this Agent Eells
says:
received the charges from Washington City
aud answered them with s.siaAv!t. and state
msass Of the Northern Pacific officials, showing
tha, nay ooadncs was simply fhe performances
OF rny duties did no. get Any Indian iatoxi-
Gated Charlns Wood forth preferred The charges
aad not Peter.
Charles Wood worth SAYS he acted rs
notary public in the matter Of some
charges of this nature. Agent Eelis All
heres TO the theory OF aecidea;s!Nirown-
ing. and suggests that Peters neck may
have been wrenehed or broken in bringing
his body over rough roads 10 the city, or
in getting i. into the dead wagon, or after
], was nshed oas Of the river Coroner
Hoska says:
No, Peters neck could 10, have bcen broken
I'm sne dead wagon. have seen drowned aasn's
uecss tnsi were pretty limp
Charles Wood aor.h says:
IL 20 certain stage Ia the examination
Axeat Esiss. WHO was present. had teen en1esy-
oYlag 70 maze u appear tasf Peter Was very
sruag and likely lei. Into tie river By accident
but the nexi w.tnsss, bs FRED e. Mlller, Jyus q
dsmy@r uEoa tie sgsats sheoFiss ~ :ss.ssylax
that Peer vas killed snd sarUsn into the water
afterwards. He aeEai4ea the facts ssaoz n ty TIE
autopsy. sr<r by s.sr. and explslussi ISai rssss
wxs ROT drowned. bus that ais neek was dis
.0es;ei. The covering Of tie brain was sesas-
what eongestss. ~ IL soGid se Il . l~ssoa'
nSck aaa ss~n osoAss. The braia ~as rorEasi.
20 iEsica;soas saoxisS that Death Axd szstssss
frosn i-osElag. Ire hear. had safas csotsei
blood IN each ss4e. The iaass Axd ans fA-sl-
e.s Of wafer ia .assn sat were light Ens hsof-
ast 1hxrs wss rosnia. 2tnosEasl ia ths bowels
OF other oEgars - lar - investigates
IL answer g. ihe question waesAss il rzigns
not says assn possshse for tie asex 10 haze aesea
sroAen By Peer falling eses the naaX os tie
river ts.s doctor said - woGEa hardly xss.
eoEpse OF anadred Toe: snd Open AID eaose aac
fasiea gate and thea walk 20 iae river snd fs.i
IN after Als Eeek was broken. bat fAss death
world bare hesa instantaneous there ~oai1 he
aatxr or twa OF TIE hear: and that woss.a ha
ali: tha. sAe ,ssrsea wko did the xgsslsx was sa
expert a: IL, aad saas 10 wss done instantly Tss
rssrx % tsss arm gsoss.bsy whsse iae tn1ssb
of tie assalA aai ASA gsasyed ihe asna. tae sSxer
rsssks nes shossng-
n- Ern~n esrssDorstsd nr. allse-. sud Epoa
rrzss-exszsia srsnn ~ Iavssr representing Mr..
Eels, stated saas there va no doaes vhsssssx