Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-05-25
PALLlSTER Persisted TOO.
Body Found In the uud on with "a Bull e I
Uolo Through tho Head

holo through the Head,
SING SING. n. y, May GA body was
found in the Hudson river or Sing Sing
this morning, and it has been identified as
that OF Pallister, the murderer who escaped
from prison with Roehl month ago. The
body was much deoomposed.
Examination showed a bullet hole under
the left eye. The supposition is that Roehl
shot Pallister and then committed suicide.
la addition TO keys found on the body
were lly-loaded 80 calibre revolver, five
cents the money taken from Keeper Hulze
when the murdcrers escaped, and rosary
which was given to Pallister by Father
Creeden OF this place.
Now Seems Probable That Some Third
Party Must Have Shot Them.
SING SING, May 22.-The mystery sur
rounding the death of Pallister aud Roehl,
the condemned murderers who escaped from
Sing Sing on the night Of April 20, and
whose bodies have since been found in the
Hudson river, has been deepened by the
revelation Of a fact concerning the escape
which has never before been made public
U to tho present time it has been generally
unders God that Palister had the revolver
taken from Keeper Hulse. Roehl was sup
posed to have had Keeper Murphy's
Huse's revolver was found OF Psliister' S
boy. Roehl was unarmed when his body
was found except for jackknite iu one Of
his pockets.
Keeper Murphy, after being discharged,
returned to his home in Kingston. Yester-
day word was received at Sing Sing from
him to the effect that on the night Of the
escape he did not have his revolver when
he entered the death house. From this 1t
would appear that the only revolver the
m en- had was the one taken from Hulse.
As this was fully loaded when Pallster S
body was found it furnishes conclusive
proof that neither OF the men committed
suicide, ard that neither shot the other.
This disposes completely of the generally
accepted theory. The only way apparent
ly in whicl the men could have met their
death as they did i. that some one shot
them while they were in the boat.
There is no chancs that the shooting was
| done by any one connected with the prison.
The only keeper who could have been near
at the time Of thu escape admits that he
neglected his duty and was in different
pert of the prison grounds. For this he was
dismissed IL he had shot the men it would
have been to his interest to nowledge it.
Instead Of losing his position he would have
received a reward and been promoted. II
| is plain then that the men must have been
shot after they were clear of the prison.
1t would seem most probable that wher
they found themselves tossed about in the
small boat they pulled alongside the much
talked Of sloop which lay of prison on The
night of the escape. 1t is not customary
for vessels Of this size and kind to mantail
an anchor watch at night. One, however
may have been Oh duty that night becaus,
OF the danger OF dragging the anchor in thu
storm. II no anchor watch was on duty thu
men could have eHsy climbed over the rail
Once on the deck they probably searched
about for some one, and suddenly aweken
ed the skipper or one Of his mon, who tax
ing them for river pirates, shot them Thoi!
bodies would then he thrown overheard
and the anchorage shifted to avoid I'm
pleasant explanations and protractad ro
.ention of all on board. Ii there was M
anchor watch, the men were undoubtedl,
shot as they climbed over the rail. In thi
case their boiiss would have tumoled bacl
into the water.