The Portland daily press., 1896-05-21

Positively Identified Harry The
Turk.
Yesterday afternoon Coroner Rich,
Deputy Marshal Hartnett and DR.. John
f. Thompson went out to the morgue
at the Forest City cemetery to ascertain
definitely if there were any signs of vio-
lence upon the dead body that was found
in Back Cove, and identified as that of
Harry the Turk, who disappeared last
February.
Patrick Cornell, who had known Harry
the Turk, was also at the morgue and
positively identified the boots and re efer.
He said he knew the boots because the
heels were worn off on the side.
The body is gruesome sight, with it's
feshless head and hands, the bones of
the latter being mostly eaten away by
the fish. The clothing was removed and
the body WAS found to be ina very swol-
len and discolored condition.
DR.. Thompson examined the body care
fully and declared that there were no
wounds on the skull or throat. He said
that it was of no use to open the chest
as the body was too much decomposed to
show whether the man was dead or not
when he entered the water. OF course
there are many ways by which the men
might have been violently killed without
its showing in the corpse. He might have
been struck by q blow ON the head that
stunned him and then thrown into the
water or he might of course have been
strangled. From everything that can
be learned of Harry the Turk, he had no
reason to commit suicide.
The affair is as much of mystery as
ever. The doctors examination indicat-
ed that no signs of violence were visible,
yet did not by any means determine that
the man was not murdered.
Yesterday Mr.. d. +. Kelley, for whom
Harry the Turk had worked, said that
Harry was good man. He did not like
to hear men swear, his favorite remark
being "N0 good, swear too much"
Harry did not strictly follow out the re-
quirements of his religion in the matter
Of public prayer, but was follower of
| the prophet.
Mr.. Kelley said that after he was in
formed that Harry was living in fear of
his life, that is, after the breaking out
of the trouble in Armenia, be went to
some Of the Armenians and had talk
with them. He also took some of Har-
ry's things from house for him. An
Armenian came along and Fl ung one of
the articles into the yard, showing
much passion.
One said of him: ''Harry is Turk.
He kill our people,"
He talked with some of them about the
$50 that Harry claimed to have lost in q
house he had visited. "He must have
lost it here" said Mr.. Kelley.
"Harry lie," said one of them. "Harry
a Turk. He no Christian. Harry lie,"
and that WAS all he could get them to
say, but he reported the loss of the $50 to
Deputy Hartnett. This was but a short
time before the disappearance of the
man.
Harry seems to have continued his at
tempt to find the $50, and the loss uf the
money weighed greatly on his mind. He
was not during the closing days of his
before. Whether he did or did not have
good reasons for such belief, there can
be no doubt that during the last few days
before his death he believed that his life
WAS in danger.
There is a pathetic side to the story
told of the dead man. He had wife
and one child somewhere in Turkey to
whom he sent money. 1t WAS the hope
Of his life that he might be able to bring
them over, end the $50 he lost or had
stolen from him was small fortune
in his eyes, and the loss of the money
troubled the poor fellow greatly.
Harry had no sympathy with the course
of his countrymen in dealing with the
Armenians, and tried hard to live in
peace with all men. He was very intelli-
gent and a good workman. Mr.. Kelley
said yesterday that he gave him work at
the request Of an Armenian. AT that
time it was either not known that he was
a Turk or else the fact was not regarded
as being of much consequence. The
Armenian horrors seemed to have COM
pIetely changed his relations with some
of his friends.
Harry did not give the names of those
he claimed had threatened his life, or il
hdid Mr.. Kelley is not able to recall the
circumstances He seems to have inolud
ed all of those of whom he stood in dread
under the general designation of "they,'
but his fear was very real
Go with the Cadet Band to Long Island
tonight Leave Portland Pier at 7.45