The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-24
FOUND DYING ON
OLYPHANT FLATS
Pencil PeddIer Murdered by Persons as
Yet Uuknowu.
DEAD MAN NOT IDENTIFIED
He Is supposed to lie Patrick Caf-
frey, of the South side--Although
Not identified, the Police of That
Part of the City Say the Description
of the Murdered Man Tailies Ex-
actIy with That of Caffrey.

A one-armed man, a pencil peddler.
of middle age was found dying on the
east bank of the Lackawanna river |
near River street. Olyphant, yesterday |
morning. Wounds on his left temple
told of foul play, but he died within |
an hour afterwarj without regaining |
the power to name his assajlants.
Who he is, or was, has not been fully |
decided upon, but from the investiga- |
ton made by The Tribune last night |
it is believed that the murdered man |
was Patrick Caffrev, who made his |
home with a brother on Cherry street, |
South Scranton. This man was un-
married, OF rowing disposition ani |
made his living by selling pencils. His |
left arm was severed on the railroad |
about four years ago.
The descriptions of Caffrey and of |
the dead man tally to dot. County
Detective Leyshon, who was at work
on the case yesterday, had the name as
John Roach. also of South Scranton.
BY this name he was known in Oily
phant.
The name of Howley Jordan was
also mentioned by persons who saw
the body at Sweeney's undertaking
his left arm amputated. He lived on
| the Diamond flats.
The only definite facts about the af-
fair however, are that the man was
murdered. The suspected persons are
| Thomas Bochinsky and two compan-
| ions who, it was learned, had been
drinking with Caffrey Saturday night.
| These men admit seeing Caffrey, but
they avoid duplicating themselves as
| the assailants.
| ALMOST DEAD WHEN FOUND.
Caffrey was found not far from Boch-
insky's house in what is known as Oily
phant flats. Two young men, James
Wheeler and Jesse Morris, were pass
! ing along River street at 9 o'clock yes
terday morning, when they came upon
the half-lifeless body. They at first
thought the man to be drunk but on
closer approach found blood stains on
his clothing and gashes in the left
temple. The man was breathing faint
ly.
A carriage was secured and Caffrey
taken to the borough council rooms.
There he died at 10 o'clock without re-
covering consciousness. Dr.. F. G. Van
Sickle was in attendance but could do
nothing to prolong life. Afterward
Coroner S. z. Longstreet was notified
and went at once to Olyphant. The
autopsy showed the vital organs to be
| in fair condition of health but when
the skull cap was removed--under the
two external wounds of the left temple
blood clots upon the brain were dis
covered, showing that death was caus-
ed from the rupture of blood vessels,
| the result of concussion. The skull
was not fractured. a jury was en-
panneled to act upon the evidence to
be submitted by County Detective
Thomas Leyshon at a meeting We'd
nesday night
When the county detective reached
the scene last night it was learned that
the dead man had been seen in the
company of Thomas Bochinsky at his
house. Bochinsky and his companions
had been seen rushing the growler"
repeatedly during the night and Caff-
rey drank with them. Bochinsky, when
interviewed, stated that Caffrey was
not in his house. He and two COM
panions were coming home from a ball
at o'clock yesterday morning and
they saw Caffrey lying on the road.
"We went up to him." said Bochinsky,
"and tried to make him get up. He
was drunk, you know. Well, he
wouldn't get up, but wanted to fight
us, so we left him on the road"
COUNTY DETECTIVES OPINION,
County Detective Leyshon is of the
opinion that the mischief was COM
mitted when Caffrey rebelled against
his disturbers. No arrests, however,
were made last night.
Mike Linchock was another man who
fR1nst h. IN.,GT
road. This was at IL o'clock Saturday
night He did not disturb him. 1t was
learned that Caffrey had been selling
pencils at the pay car at Johnson's 8
colliery yesterday. When the wearing
apparel of the dead man was searched
no pencils We're found. There was 22
cents in money. The man had visited
several Olyphant saloons after the pay
car left. One was Michael Hesyey's,
in Blakely. He was quite we'll known
throughout the region by the name of
Roach. John Murray, an Olyphant
man, recognized the body as that of a
man who three weeks ago entered his
> house. When Murray came in after
ward the man was sleeping on a couch,
, Murray thought it was his father.
! When the elder Murray came in after
ward he thought the sleeper to be his
son. So Roach" was permitted to
T sleep undisturbed until morning.
, The description of the body, as given
+ by Coroner Longstreet, is as follows:
About 40 years of age, short, heavily
built, smooth face, light hair, tinged
: with gray, nearly bald, blue eyes; left
> arm missing three inches from the
, shoulder, The South Scranton police
= when given the description last night
said it tailed exactly with that of Pat
I rick Caffrey. He was well known in
/, that part of the city. The identity OF
the man, however, will not be certain
. until he is recognized by relatives.
, The coroners jury consists of DR. F.
G. Van Sickle, John McAndrew, NJ. w
, Cummings, ST., M. w. Cummings, jr.
q John Murray and Patrick Cusick. They
will meet Wednesday evening at Squire
Cummings office to take testimony.