The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-20
They were NOT MURDERED
Crime Not Revealed at South Side
Fire Inquest.
VERDICT OF CORONER'S JURY
Inquest Brought Forth Evidence That the
Fire and Death of the Two Brothers
Was Accidental-Th Had
Beeu Drinking.

Among the unwritten tales of myster-
ious deaths the account of the RESPONSE
bility of the death Of the two Italians,
brothers Antonio and Martin Abate,
who were burned to a crisp among the
ruins of a Stone avenue dwelling yester-
day morning, will have to be recorded.
A coroner's jury found no definite
knowledge of the true understanding
connected with the loss Of the two lives.
OF only one point did the jury become
satisfactorily convinced and that was
that neither Gaspare Abate nor his wife
knows the least clue to the origin of the
fire or the unaccountable features sur
rounding the entire affair. Undertaken
Christian Stoor, OF Cedar avenue, was
ordered by the coroner to remove the
bodies from the house and convey them
to his establishment.
In the narrow bed room where the
men slept, the fire had reduced the walls
and ceiling to a heap of embers. There
was no trouble in finding the body of
one of the brothers, Antonio. His black
ened and charred remains presented
repulsive spectacle. Not an ounce or
flesh had been left on the skeleton. the
remains of the other brother had to be
dug from beneath the mattress OF the
bed. When this body was lifted from
its position pool of blood was noticed
where the head had lain. Th'r lgave
rise to the suspicion that foul pay had
been committed.
No Marks of Violence.
The bodies were first viewed at
STAIRS undertaking rooms and Coroner
Kelly examined carefully the body Of
Martin, which had not been delorlneu
except at the feet and hands Ihere
were no marks of violence on the Dody,
only on the nose and when the coroner
laid bare the fossal of the nose no frac-
ture was discovered. 1t Is supposed
that in the throes Of death the man
rolled out of the bed.
The dead men were brothers OF Gas
pare Abate and boarded with him at
1415 Stone avenue. The three were stone
masons. Saturday was pay day ana
according to the accounts of some OF
the neighbors liquid refreshments were
purchased largely during the day.
The surviving brother, his wife and
their three children went to bed about
s o'clock Sunday night and left the back
door unlocked to admit the brothers
There was an ordinary fire burning and
kerosene lamp was left lit. The first
he knew of the fire was when his wife
aroused him, and then the house was
filled with smoke. He dashed to the
room where the children slept, caught
all three up together and ran out with
them. Then he shouted to his brothers
lie also said that he fired three shots
to alarm the neighbors, but he contra
dicted himself in this story.
origin Of Shooting Theory.
Reports like the firing of a revolver
were heard, but hat is accounted fol
by the theory that he kept powder and
cartridges in the house and the fire
exploded them.
The verdict of the jury was to the
effect that death was accidental and
Gaspare Abate and his wife were exon
Grated from all culpability.
The bodies will be buried this after
noon in Hyde Park Catholic cemetery.