The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-11-16
WpAKE
MYSTERY
Friends Of the Dead Priest Insist He
was Murdered.
THEIR THEORY OF THE TRAGEDY.
Declare That He Was Decoyed into a Small
Street by Robbers-The Police Look
ing For Two Young Men Who
Are Under Suspicion.

Philadelphia, Nov. 16.-The police are
IN the lookout for two young men,
one of them an italian, who it is be-
lieved can throw considerable light on
the mystery surrounding the death Of
the Rev. Henry j.. McPake, the, Catholic
priest, who vas found dea on Wednes-
day last in the yard of st. Paurs acad-
envy. This means that the police have
not given up the investigation, even
though the coroner's jury has brought
in a verdict that death resulted from
natural causes.
A jeweler Of this city has given the
police a description Of two young men
who brought a watch into his store the
other day and asked its value. The
jeweler has since read a description
of Father McPake's missing watch,
n declares 1t was just such a watch
as that brought into his store. These
are the young men the police are after.
The theory of the friends of the dead
priest was formulated yesterday in
minute detail by several of those who
have been foremost in urging the au-
thorities not to let the matter drop, but
to push it until every last vestige of
possible doubt shall nave been cleared
away.
Briefly stated, the belief Of the friends
of Father McPake is that some time
shortly after 9 o'clock he left the parish
house Of the A-nnunciation church, in
tending to go first to the parochial resi-
dence of st. Paul's, and later to call
at the home of his family, on Naudain
street. After he had alighted from the
car an italian came out from a small
street and appealed to him to visit some
person who was in the extremity of
illness. The Italians request was moth
ing more han a lure, for he had mis-
taken Father McPake for the Italian
priest who was one of the assistants OF
Father Isoleri. at the Church of St
Mary Magdalena al Pazzi.
When he was led to a spot convenient
for the purpose his a%ssailants struck
him with a sandbag on the right tenn
pie. The blow felled him unconscious
to the pavement, and he struck the
stones with his forehead. The high
wayman hastily rided his pockets and
found the watch and little else. Con-
WINGED that he must have money, and
believing him in the darkness to be
the italian clergyman, they recollected
the custom in vogue among their coun-
trymen Of carrying money In a belt
around the waist, under the outer cloth
ing. They hastily unfastened the but
tons, but found no belt, and perhaps
now at last aware of the mistake they
had made in their victim.
The question of disposing of the un-
fortunate man arose. He was still alive,
although unconscious. The thoughts OF
the assailants reverted at once to the
convent. They may have taken him
into a house occupied by one of theiI
number until Montrose street was de-
serted. When the time came they lifted
him over the fence, carried him to the
real door Of the academy, folded hi:
overcoat and put it under his head, and
left him there on the chance that wher
the conven doors were opened in thu
morning he would be found and per.
haps Aursed back to life. The cold air
when his assailants had departed, re.
stored Father McPake to partial con.
seriousness. He struggled to his feet
and staggered towards the opening
leading to the basement. There, trip
ping, he fell down the steps and the
final shock in his weakened n de-
bilitated condition, proved fatal.