The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-23
FOUL PLAY idea REJECTED
Evidence at Inquest Does Not Change
Status of Nchugh Case.
HE KICKED THE LAMP OVER
Stories Told by Inmates Leave no Room
for Doubt COnGcrning Ills Fearful
Death Proprictrcss Held in
Bail TO Appear At Court.


for Doubt Concerning Ills Fearful
Death Proprictrcss Held in
Bail to Appear At Court.
Inquiring into the manner in which
Richard j. McHugh came to such an
untimely end, the jury empaneled by
Coroner Longstreet met at his office at
$50 yesterday morning to hear the tes
timony. The police We're expected to
have the four women who lived in the
house brought down to relate their
stories, but the quartette refused to
walk and the police refused to get cab.
DR.. LonTstreet and the jury went to
the central station and the inquest was
then conducted in the officers assembly
room. Richard ]. McHugh, the West
Side saloonkeeper, who is a cousin of
the deceased. was present. and he was
prepared to have the matter thoroughly
sifted with a view to finding out whether
the allegation was true or groundless
that one of the women threw a lamp
at the young man, and whether or not
there was foul play connected with the
happening.
Mr. McHugh assumed this theory on
two or three grounds; first. that no
word was given to the firemen that the
young man was In the building, and
second, that the room where he was
found was perfectly unscathed from the
fire and even the bed clothes on which
he laid were not singed This laid evil
dence of suspicious circumstances. He
was actuated by & desire solely to learn
If the truth was given when the de-
ceased was charged with kicking the
lamp over himself.
Satisfied There Was no Foul Play.
Last night Mr.. McHugh was pretty
positively decided that the event oc-
Cured in the way it has already been
stated, and he will not make any fur
ther effort to follow IN the foul play
theory.
Gerte West. the DrOprietress of the
house, was the first witness called by
the coroner. She said she knew moth
ing about the matter at all; she went
to the theater and was out after the
show taking a lunch with a
gentleman friend. The fire was
eXtinguished when she reached the
house. Her eyes were red with weep
ing. No further questions were asked
Of her
Florence Cassidy, or Flanaghan, was
the next witness. This is the one who
was in the parlor last with the de-
ceased. He came to the door short
while before II o'clock Tuesday night
and when she refused him admittance,
ha Tan. To l. yi,ly tot t,,I ~,
refused to let him in and he forced an
entrance in spite of her.
He was under the influence of liquor
to great extent, she said and when
he was In the parlor she left to go to
the kitchen. Hearing a crash and
knowing it to be the lamp. she rushed
to his assistance and dashed water on
him afterward she tried to tear off
his burning clothing. The Cassidy wo-
man is middle-aged and very dssipated
looking
She Was In Her Room Reading.
May Jones. another OF the inmates
was the third witness. She was read
ing novel in her room when the fire
originated. When she tried to get out
McHugh, she said. stood in the door Of
the room where the fire was: his cloth
ing was ablaze and he tried to hinder
her from making her escape down the
stairway
Lou Williams was the fourth of the
women. She and the preceding witness
are young. Miss Williams informed
the jury that she was in her room dress
ing to shake the dust of the town from
h.,r. p,,I
Barre. When she was getting out Me-
Hugh was in the passage way and his
clothes We're mass of flames. He was
running toward the kitchen when she
last saw him.
Lieutenant John Davis was the last
witness and he said that after the
fire was extinguished. the Cassidy
woman told him that McHugh was in
the building and was probably burned
to death or smothered by that time.
The lieutenant investigated and found
that her conjectures were correct.
Cassidy Won an Recalled.
At the request Of Mr.. McHugh the
Cassidy woman was recalled by the
coroner and the question was put to
her whether or not she threw the lamp
at the deceased. She denied it en-
phatically and the hearing adjourned
| until . o'clock this afternoon at the
court house. Mr.. McHugh may then
bring forward any evidence he may
hs,ve to offer i'm substantiation of the
foul play theory, but as stated in the
beginning of the story, he will not press
the matter any further.
The funeral arrangampnfS have npt
yet been made. awaiting the arrival of
Miss Mary McHugh. sister of the de-
ceased. from Baltimore. where she is
attending a young ladies' seminary
Burial will likely take place tomorrow
afternoon at $50 o'clock.
Imediately after testifying at the in
quest the four women were ushered
into police court. Alderman Millar
gave them hearing. Gertie West ad-
mitted she was the proprietress and she
was held in the sum of $500 bail for her
appearance at court. The other women
were held in the sum Of 5000 apiece as
witnesses against her. Louis Eppstein
| qualified as their bondsman and they
were released.
Alderman Millar served notice on
Bob" Davis and Clara Weichel, the
ground floor tenants of the Drug
| Store to fold their tents and steal out
with all the haste at their command, or
| they will be raided every time they EN-
bark in the business. The fire has put
an end to the resort upstairs unless the
| owner should remodel the place for the
| vile purpose.
COMING ATTRACTIONS.