The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-24
THE M'CANNS' DOING.
Verdict as to the Cause of Jo-
seph Cicero's Death.
STRONG MEDICAL EVIDENCE.
Eyewitness Tell of the Fatal Fight,
and of the Elder MeCaun's Threats
Before the Shooting.
STRONG MEDICAL EVIDENCE


oner's jury with the murder CT Joseph
/ Cicero. and James Mccain with being an
accessory. The following Is the verdict
found by T. Nash. p. Galland. G. @. Guy.
John Haley. F. II. Muldoon. III. j. Hunt,
who composed the Jury:
I'VE. the jury. find that deceased came 20
! his death on August q. 1895. from the ef-
/ feet of gunshot wound feloniously made
and inflicted by means OF a revolver In the
! hands of John Mccain. and we do also
find that James Mccain was an accessory
to the murder"
element among the farmers living around
| Avondale and BiItterworth's undertaking
rooms. where the inquest was held, were
crowded with them yesterday afternoon
during the two hours It lasted.
Only eys-witnesses and those TO whom
Mccain. sr.. had talked before the ARRAY
were examined. and their evidence was so
| conclusive that rot doubt existed as 10
what the verdict would be, the only ques
/ ton being as TO how long the jury would
| be out. IL was said that the defense would
show before the case was finished that the
shooting was accidental. This belief was
shattered. however. by the evidence of w.
c. Hutchinson and John Parm. the two
men who actually saw the final shot fired.
Ars. Cicero and Rev William Brown also
saw the shooting from distance. but they
We're not subpoenaed.
ne Mo- aims were represented Dy w II.
White. while Prosecuting Attorney HASTE
and his deputy. w. II. Morris were pres
ent IN the interest of the state.
Fatally Wounded Before He Was shot.
The most interesting of the new evidence
WAS that OF DR.. Neville, who, with Coro-
ner Askam, performed the autopsy on
Cicero's body. He said tnat independent
OF the wound made by the bullet, which
entered the back of the head, ranging up
ward through the brain and lodging near
the right temple. the base of the skull was
cracked sufficiently on both sides TO pro-
duce death. without the bullet.
What could produce such a fracture?"
asked Mr. Haste. "a blunt instrument
and possibly a heavy blow from a mans
fist: that is, IL the head was resting
against solid matter"
Would the blow have TO be delivered on
the front or back of the head2" ION the
front, from the character of the fracture"
Now, Doctor said Mr.. White, could
not man receive such fracture by fail
ing on the ground in a scuffie?" mo. sir,
l do not think he could"
What other marks did you find on the
mans head?" continued Mr. HASTE.
There was a hole in the chin large
enough 10 admit a lead Pencil. and PEN
etrating not more than TO the jawbone."
Were there any others?' NO: none
that broke the skin. The eyes were bad
~ discolored and swollen. and there was
discoloration on the bridge OF the nose"
This testimony strengthened the belief
OF many that when Cicero and Jim Nc
Cam came together in the scuffie. Nc
Cam hit Cicero over the head with his
pistol and that as far as Cicero was con-
cerned he was insensible and helpless
when John Mccain took his brothers
pistol and shot him.
What Eye-witnesses Saw.
The testimony OF John Parm and C. W.
ha ff.,s,S "a Ha
fist fight and shooting. was about the
same in each case as that published yes
terday morning. The only particular in
which 1t differed was in Parm's testimony.
To the reporter on Wednesday he said
that John Mccain rushed over TO the
combatants. took the gun away from his
brother and caught Cicero by the back OF
the coat and shot him At the inquest he
said that Mccain grabbed Cicero by the
hair. pulled him up to n reclining posi-
ton and shot him In the back Of the head.
The testimony OF Thomas Provan. road
supervisor: Abner Davis. a neighboring
rancher, and Frank Sale. was in sub
stance the same as that published yes
terday.
Old Man McCann's Threats.
\. ". Bottsford gave some interesting
testimony about the row between Cicero
and old man Mccain at $50 o'clock the
morning Of the shooting. He said the
men were fiiAhfftiltA- wren II mt A-4fA4t-
The old gentleman accused Cicero Of try
ing 10 injure his sons chances for the
election Of road supervisor. which viii be
held shortly. and called him q jail bird.
gambler etc. Cicero sail: We'll. I guess
YOU know what lail bird is as YOU have
been there yourself" This angerei Nc
Cam greatly. and tearing around, he said
Damn Ncu- III get you there soon"
/ Cicero was inclined 10 treat the wordy
row lightly. and laughed al the old mans
threats. Mccain turned 10 20, saying
as he did so, we viii fix you Up right
/ away" Bottsford left with Mccain. an.
I Cicero returned 10 work. Mccain and
Potlsford went down the road and the old
gentleman said the row was all over the
coming election. Cicero. he said, was
+ trying "a defeat his son John for road
/ supervisor and said: C Il him.
Wen TX him now"
] At the conclusion 81 the inquest ". H.
/ White entered a protest against the jury
I bringing IN verdict calling the killing
feIonicus assault. on the ground that
/ corouer's jury had TO authority 10 Ten-
de- any such verdict. hut was there 70
tell what caused the death or the &C.
( ceased aIr HASTE instructed the Jury
thar the form of the verdict was legal.
The NCCanns Charged With Murder.
/ Prosecuting Attorney Uastie IN the even
ing fled IN information against Michael
Mccain. John McCRnn and James No
/ Cam charging them with murder IN the
/ first degree for killing Joseph Cicero last
I Wednesday Michael Mccain was arrest
eli last night ~ Deputy Sheriff McCorry
and placed in the county Jail along with
his son John. Jim IS n Providence hes
pItaI. getting along as well as could BE eX-
pectei He IS being closely watched.
\ report was current on the streets last
night that there was talk at Avondale Of
fvuchfnE old man Mccain II he pat in an
arreara7ce but It could not be verified.
John Curry. cf Tolt. who - stopping AZ
ire Di.leT. says thar over year ago joan
pEnswell who now works for him. told
him that John Mccain was a rival sutton
for she hand 81 Mrs. pinEwfi, AMI that
Mccain had threatened - xii the girl
II she would not marry him. and further
that one night ne saw Mccain living in
Wait for him. bgit that he got the drop on
Mccain and made him leave. tie said
that this occurred about a mile east %
NfeCann's home DiuEwei now lives be-
tween Redmond and Tolr-
Mrs Joseph Cicero. WIDOW q the dead
man. is stopping AZ the Dilcr, having
come down from Avondzie 20 the inquest
+ she IS. accompanied by Mr.. and Mrs. VIII
fsru Kffelv and Mrs. g :. Austin. OF
kirkland. Mrs. Parks and Mr. = Bolts
ford 81 Avondg}e precinct
Cicero was Master Workman % EouEh-
ton Lodge. No. =. A. o L. W. and the
foor gentlemen state that he was its most
active and benevolent member. The old-
- Mccain IS sad - have been arrested
for activity in tae snti-C hinese riots one
Of The Younger AcCanus used % keep a