The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-06-20
MOST MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR
William Gurd Dies from the Bullet
Wounds He Received.
Why WERE THE SHOTS FIRED
Thar Is the Question That Is Worrying
the Officers Of the Law-unable to
Arrive NJ u Satisfactory
Answer TO- II.

at the Lackawanna hospital at $50 yes
terdsy morning from the effect of the
two pisto. wounds that were inflicted
on him by some unknown assailant
near the Boies Steel Car Wheel works
between 9 ard 10 o'clock Monday even
ing.
Gurd's 8 account of how he came to get
shot was published in full in The Trib.
une yesterday; and nothing has SO far
developed that tends to tArow any
more light on the mysterious murder.
1t Is one Of the strangest cases that the
officers Of the law have had to deal
with for some time.
The dead man was 3S years old. mar
ricd, but had no children; he was an
Englishman and worked as miner in
Capouse shaft. He belonged to Lodge
No. 1. Sons of st. George, and was in
&C mfortable circumstances.
His wife has a penchant for MEM
bership in female organizations. and on
Monday evening she left home to at
tend lodge on the West Side. She left
the house at Z o'clock and locked the
door, her husband leaving at the same
time. They parted at Ash street and
walked on up Ash street. while she took
the car for the West Side. She returned
home about 10 o'clock and waited pa
tiently for Gurd to make his appear
ance. He promised to be home at 10
o'clock. but the hours dragged slowly
and 1T was midnight when he arrived
and knocked at the door.
lie Looked Like Ghost.
She asked If it was he who was rap
ping for admittance and the voice that
answered her was husky and weak.
He sank in a chair and told her Of his
condition. DR.. McAndrews was sent
for and arrived at . o'clock in the morn
ing. He told Gurd that the chances
were against him and advised him to
tell all that there was to be told about
the happening. The story that was
given to DR.. McAndrew is not the
same that Mrs. Gurd tells in regard to
how the wounded man got home. Ac-
cording to the doctors version Gurd
said he ran home all the way. and Mrs.
Gurd says that he told her that he ran
u short distance. fell on the ground
and laid thre for two hours The
thought that he was liable to die in the
field gave him superhuman energy and
he struggled to his feet and walked to
the street car track where he boarded
u Suburban car and rode to New York
street. walking from there to his home.
The gossip among the neighbors and
the general impression in the neighbor-
hood is that there Is woman in the
case. II Gurd's story Is true that he
was passing Il couple. seated under
tree. and was fired upon by the man
without any provocation, it is a most
remarkable case of cold-blooded mur-
der.
1t Is too chimercal to believe that any
man would stain his hands with a fel-
low creatures life blood under these
circumstances.
County Detective Leyshon at Work.
No notice had been given to County
Detective Leyshon of the case until late
Tuesday evening, and then when he
heard of it he went post haste to the
Lackawanna hospital to take Gurd's
ante-mortem statement, but the man
was then semi-unconscious and so daZed
from the effects of ether that had been
administered to him by the surgeons
before probing for the bullet, that the
county detective could not hear the
mans story.
Mr.. Leyshon went to work upon the
case yesterday with only the meager
details at hand and consequently has
not as yet made any substantial prog
reSs.
One thing is certain, that Gurd told
the truth so far as his statement i'm re-
gard to the location of the occurrence.
The watchman at the car wheel works,
William Jeffrey, was sitting in the open
air and after he heard the first shot his
attention was attracted to the place
where the firing appeared to be. He
the second shot.
A young man named Oliver Day
heard the shots in the direction of the
hill above the car wheel works and he
says that there We're four fired.
It Is FavOrite Trysting Place.
This field is trysting place for young
persons OF both sexes who are not over
ly particular about their conduct and
it has been customary with special
to pry around and come un-
expectedly upon couple holding tete-
a-tete in some shady nook, and then
exposure unless hush money
We're paid
At the hospital yesterday morning
Coroner Kelley empaneled jury as
d. s. Ryan, John Grimes, ID. j.
Thomas Fl. Kelley. DR.. p. II.
and DR.. Head, of the hos
pital. The body was viewed and the
jury adjourned to meet at the court
house Friday evening. The coroner
held an autopsy at noon and found the |
bullet, from a 3S-caliber weapon, i'm |
bedded IN the large intestine. The |
cause of death was peritonitls. brought |
nm nv tha bulIet wound I'm the abdomen