Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-17


the same kind in this country.
Insurance offers very tempting field
for imposition, and judging by the star
Ting exposure it is fair to infer many have
been successful. Whether the case we are
now about to consider was u suicide or
u brutal murder must, after presenting
the facts, he left to the Judgment of the
reader.
In 1872 Captain J. NJ. Colvocoresses
lived at Bridgeport, Conn. Judging from
the name, it might be inferred that he
was Greek. In fact, he was an Ameri-
ran by birth and had served with distinc-
lion in the United States navy. He was
prominent during the war, and his surviv-
ing comrades bear testimony as to his
courage, intelligence and general good
character.
Captain Colvocoresscs was retired on ac-
count of disability in 1865. The writer of
this sketch remembers having seen him in
New York in 1871 at n reunion of army
and navy veterans He was a man of
middle height, well formed and with iron
gray hair and mustache.
Being slightly lame he walked with n
cane. and his florid face Indicated IA fond
ness for good living. The captains genial
manners impressed all who knew him,
and il was difficult To imagine his having
made enemy SO bitter as to desire To
take his life
Judging from the quiet manner in
which the captain lived with his wife in
bridgeport, the Inference was that he was
not well to do and that he depended en-
tircly upon his pay as II retired officer for
his support. Those who knew him be-
lievcd, however, that he feared an assault
from some one as the heavy cane which
he carried was in reality the scabbard of d
sharp two edged sword.
On the night of June 3. 1872. cries of
murder were heard in an unfroaucrted
part of the city of Bridgeport anth fully a
mile from the home of Captain Colvo-
cOresses. Those who heard the alarm hast
encd at once in the direction of tho sound
until they came upon Il man weltesing in
his own blood from two pistol wounds, one
in the breast and the other along the scalp
A lamp was procured-for the man was
unable to spcak-and then to the horror of
the bystanders they saw the well known
face and form of the old naval captain
An alarm was sent out and the police at
once began a search for the assailant Be
fore removing the body-for the captain
died within an hOur-thc following facts
were noted by the chief OF police: some 20
feet away from where the murdered man
was found there was n broken old fash
Toned horse pistol which was subsequently
recognized as the captains property and
| with which it was believed he tried TO de-
| feEd himself by using it as Il club after it
had been discharged Near at hand-in-
| deed, not six feet away-thcre was "a re
volver, two chambers of which had been
| emptied, and the bullets subsequently ex-
| tracted ut the post mortem examination
were of the same size as those remaining
| in the pistol.
There was, indeed, suspicion that
the weapon was the one used by the cap
| tain's assassin, and that it had been
| dropped by him when the old man gave
| the alarm and hurrying footsteps We're
| heard coming to his aid.
To further confirm the idea of strug-
GLE the captains coat and vest were open,
and his cravat hung loosely about his
| neck, while his shirt collar was unbut-
l toned.
| The news of the murder of Captain Col
vocoresses excited not only Bridgeport TO
the highest pitch, but Mortified the whole
country when the papers reported the fol
lowing day the wanton assassination of so
| gallant and well known an officer.
| The following strange facts were
| brought out before the coroncr's jury and
served to modify in the minds of the skep-
teal the belief that the captain had been
murdered for the sake OF robbery His
watch and a small sum OF money had not
been touched. But this might he due to
the fact that the robbcr had not time to Sc
cure the plumber after he had pcrpctr.lted
| the murder.
| Among the interested spectators at the
inquest were number of insurance Off
cials, for it had come out that Captain Col
vocoresses had recently been insuring his
life at n great rate and carried at the time
oil his death sl9o. 900. The legal represent
ative of one Of these companies cross ex-
amined a number of witnesses who had
seen the body after the assault One OF
these men, who proved to he remarkably
clear headed and observant was asked
what signs of struggle he noted. He
replied:
Il saw the captains broken sword cane
the broken horse pistol and the partly dis.
. charged revolver"
How were his clothes arranged asked
the lawyer.
1.-THE day was warm, and so his Goa,
may have been opened, though had no
ticed that he usually wore it closely but
toned up. The coat WIS now wide open.
as were the vest and the collar of hi.
shirt. replied the witness
did you notice the necktie?''
II did. 1t was loose. black silk hand
kerchicf which he always Wore in a bow
knot,
WAS it torns''
mo; it was simply united, the end.
hanging loosely over his breast The YES,
was open from top to bottom
Were any of the buttons torn off,
Not one"
WAS the garment old or new:''
81 did not notice at the time but l saw
, It the following morning and inferred thai
: | 1t had been worn for some time
As the reader will observe the intention
I; of this questioning was TO cast doubt uPor
: the fact that the captain had been mur
! derously assaulted and to excite suspi
e cion that he might have been a party {,
!. the crime himself, If, indeed, he were no
q theSonly party.
The details Of the inquest were tc'e
Graphed throughout the country, and al
: though there We're lot wanting those. par