Evening star., 1896-08-06

hack room. and were probably under a
heavy covering when the fatal shot was
| fired. Be that as 1t may, 1t Is now known
that instead of returning home at 10 o'clock
that night. he said he did, Matthews
really returned little after o'clock in the
morning. giving him just about the time
necessary to go from Aliens Fresh to
Rock Point At the former place he could
have landed within fifty yards of the
| house, and under cover Of darkness he
| could never have been seen, much less
recognized.
This is only one link in the strong chain
of crcumstantial evidence, and the fact
that he returned home after 3 I'm. cannot
be disputed, for he was seen, and not only
| identified, but Mr.. Stein, one of his neigh
bors also a crabber, not only saw him. but
] conversed with him. In the Stein house
| the alarm clock had been set for $50
| o'clock, Mr. Stein wanting to make an early
| start in order to get one of the best posi-
tions in the cove. Mrs. Stein had the early
waking on her mind, and, consequently,
she did not sleep soundly. The noise Of some
cne sculling boat aroused her, and seeing
a man in boat going In the direction of
| the choicest grabbing place. she called to
her husband, Get up; there's man in the
cove ahead of YOU"
He got up, as his wife had advised, and
| locking out the window, saw the boat go
| directly to the spot where he had thought
| of going.
There he said to his wife, "the man
has my place in the cove
happily surprised when he discovered that
| the man in the boat did net stop and make
| fast, as he had supposed he would, but con-
| tinued over toward Lancasters wharf and
| landed in front of Matthews shanty. Soon
afterward Mr.. Stein went out and talked to
| the man, who proved to be Matthews. The
conversation was general one. and there
was nothing about 1t to excite suspicion
| that there was anything wrong.
Wore His Oil Coat.
1t is now believed by the states attorney
| that Matthews wore his oil coat when, as
| he believes, he committed the crime. This
was because he could wash off any stains
of blood which might get on it. To the
shanty was searched for this coat as well
| as for the clothing worn by Matthews Sun
| day night and which he had not had an
opportunity to get rid of between the time
of his return home and his arrest by Con-
stable Joe Howard.
They were all found and were all soaking
wet, showing that they had been dipped in
| the river recently, If not actually washed.
| Even the oil coat was wet, and upon 1t
were two spots which States Attorney
Posey thinks. are pieces of human flesh.
| The coat had evidently been washed In the
dark Of the night, as had the trousers and
| coat, ,and these two spots had been overlook
ed. In the pockets Of one of the other gar
ments two rags were found. These rags
| the prisoner had said he left in the boat,
and that he had used them while washing
| the boat. Because of the wet condition OF
| the coat and vest States Attorney Posey
| found it useless to examine them for blood
stains, although when they get dry they
| may show such stains.
An Examina tiOn of the Gun.
Having gotten possession of these gar
| ments the states attorney and Constable
| Howard then made search for the gun and
| hatchet. but the latter instrument was not
| to be found. II one had been used and
| Matthews is the real murderer. then, 1t is
| thought, he dropped 1t in the river on his
| return trip hoLaeward after the deadly
| work had been done.
The gun was found and its condition as
| sured the attorney that its recent use had
| taken the life Of Jim Irwin, the inoffensive
| oysternan. Both barrels of the ancient
| weapon were loaded, but one of them had
| been loaded only a short time. and the
| condition of the load showed that 1t had
been put In the gun In a hurry for there
| was scarcely powder enough In 1t to send