The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-29
MURDER MYSTERY SOLVED
Death Of Johanna Loauc Explained
After Sixteen Years.
THE MURDERER UNDER ARREST
burglar LOguc Surrenders TO the Police
Who Had Been Unable to Locate
llim-Remarkablc story of
the Womnn's Death.

Philadelphia, April 28.--After weeks
OF patient search Coroner Ashbridge
has unravelled the tangled slSein that
enWraped the murder sixteen years ago
Of Johanna Loguc, the wife Of James
logue, one of the most notorious burg
lars In the United States. About two
years ago the skeleton of woman was
discovered beneath the floor of the
Kitchen of the house at 1850 North
Eleventh street. by "a hand satchel
ana knowledge that Logue once lived
IN the house the skeleton was identified
as that of his wife, Johanna. Suspi-
cion was Immediately directed towards
Logue, but the most untiring efforts
Of the police failed to discover his
whereabouts. About two months ago
Logue walked into Coroner Ashbrdge's
house one evening and stated to that
official that while working on a farm
In Minnesota he had heard that he was
accused of the murder of his wife, and
mat he had come east as soon as he
could raise the money, to surrender
himself to answer the charge The
fact of Logue's surrendering himself to
the coroner excited the chagrin of the
police department and created friction
between 1t and the coroner, with the
result that the coroner has received no
assistance from the police In clearing
up the case.
The coroner kept LOgue in n cell at
the city hall police station and refused
to allow any one to see him or talk with
him. The old burglar protested his
innnppnpa Of ha 9 g,
told the coroner the story that has kept
him busy since Logue gave himself up
following out. The result Of the coro-
neTs investigation was the arrest two
weeks ago of "a woman, who, like Logue,
was kept in the utmost secrecy in a cell
at the city hail. Today the coroner told
the story of the murder and the name
of the self-confessed slayer of Johanna
Logue, although the man who acknowl-
edges to the crime claims that the wo-
mans death was accidental
The Murderer Arrested.
The slayer of Johanna Logue is AL
fonso f. Gutaiar, jr., q grocer at 1929
Lancaster avenue, this city, and the
dead womans nephew and Logues
stepson. Gutaiar is a son of Mary Ga
hen, a sister of Johanna Logue, and
who was Logue's wife before he mar
ried Johanna. Gutaiar was arrested by
the coroner upon an affidavit Inv T,opue
charging him with the murder of his
wife. When arrested he at first pro-
tested his innocence, but finally, under
close questioning. acknowIedged hay
ing caused the death of his aunt and
accused Logue of n SUBSEQUENT tnowl-
edge of ii and aiding him i'm the disnosol
of the body. He afterwards retracted
the subsequent part of his confession
and cleared Logue of any participation
in the crime.
His statement was that on Saturday
night of Feb. %, 1879 Mrs. Logue came
to his house at 1850 North Eleventh
street, where he had barber shop. He
says that she was under the influence
of liquor, and that she told him that
she had come from New York that eve
ming and that Logue had gone to Bos-
ton. Knowing Logue's jealous disposi-
tion he succeeded in persuading her to
return to New York that night. He
took her up stairs and succeeded in get
ting her to lie down until he could get
an opportunity to take her to the rail-
road station. Fearing that the wo-
man, in her condition, would roll from
the bed he saws he tied her feet with