The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-02
Coroner's Jury Unable to Name
Mrs. O'Rourke's Murderer.
VERY LITTLE NEW EVIDENCE
Mrs. y =. Desglas. Of the MeneAga-
hels House, says she Heard . Cry
ON the Afternoon 81 the MURDER,
bat Thought - Came From Child
Police Anxious t. Get ut the
Truth AAout WOman's Husbands.

At the inquest held yesterday afternoon
at But;erworth's undertaking rooms over
the body Of Mrs. Margaret O'Rourke. who
was found murdered in room 10 at the
Mononsahela house a week ago yesterday.
only two new points were brought out.
The first was that Mrs. E. NJ. Douglas,
the housekeeper. heard cry some time
between 2 and o'clock on the afternoon
of the murder At the time she was in the
kitchen and did not pay any attention TO
it, as she thought it was child out on
the street This testimony was great
surprise to Coroner Yandell, who said
after the inquest that Mrs. Douglas told
him she had not heard any outcry.
The second point was derived from Dep
MY Sheriff A. G. Lanes testimony. He
said that after the room had been swept
the imprint of right hand appeared on the
carpet under the bed. He Is satisfied that
Mrs. O'Rourke crawled under the bed to
showering on her,and that then he pulled
her out by main strength. In doing So
he thinks, she grabbed the side OF the
spring mattress and held on. In this way
the foot of the bed was raised up, and the
casters fell out.
The condition of things in the room indi-
Gated that there was not much of a strug-
gle. In fact. Mrs. ORourke was not large
enough to make a great fight for her life
yet she evidently cried for assistance.
w. H. Bailey, colored man, VINO has
hz-t 49, - l. a.
Cherry street side of the house, said that
he recalled having heard a series of
screams and the racket from a scuffle on
the afternoon Of the murder. He was not
positive as to the exact time. but placed
it definitely between and o'clock
The jury, consisting OF 8. Ellicott. ]. H.
Sexton. A. G. Murray. Thomas Kelly. Ira
A, Scott and John Card, decided that Mrs.
O'Rourke came to her death from blows
on her head inflicted with a hammer or
blunt instrument in the hand of a person
unknown.
Among the witnesses who testified were
Detective W. l.. Meredith. Nathan Ander-
son. Detective Jack HI. Williams Mrs E.
NJ. Douglas. W. HI. Bailey. Deputy Coro-
ner c. B. Yandell and DR.. Sloan
Samuel p. Cox who was arrested on sus-
picion and subsequently released. was not
placed on the stand, as his name had not
been included in the list OF witnesses fur
nished the coroner.
There is no let-up In the investigate
and while Detective Meredith and Deputy
Sheriff Lane do not feel confident OF solv-
ing the mystery. they say that they will
still keep at work.
There Is one feature In the case that
keeps constantly rising and that Is con-
corning Mrs. O'Rourke's husband. Is he
dead? As matter Of fact there Is no d.
rect proof Of such a condition of affairs.
The impression that he has passed out Of
this life arose from one paragraph in
telegram mentioned in the Post-Inteili-
gencer the morning after the discovery of
the body. That simply said that he was
supposed ito be dead long since" There
is nothing to establish his DEATH II
he were alive the police think he would
have been willing to have his wife think
hsn dead. because she had a Judgment
against him for $500 Deputy Sheriff Lane
Is satisfied that that judgment has never
been paid So long as Mrs. ORourke
thought O'Rourke was dead. she would no,
have taken any means TO make him settle
what he owed her by virtue OF the order
OF court at the time they were divorced.
AS vet no one knows who that old man
Is that kept coming to Mrs. ORourkea
house in Milwaukee and inquiring when
she was going to leave for Seattle and
where she would stay. He appeared TO be
unusually interested In her welfare. He
may have been so simply from the stand
point of a friend. but again the police say
there may be a story behind 1t all. He
may have known that O'Rourke was alive
and kept him posted on her actions.
Suppose. suggest the police. that O'Rourke
after disappearing from Milwaukee came
West. He may have settled In Seattle
and lived here under an assumed name
II Is not out OF the question that he met
his former wife and If so. the chances are
nine 10 one that they would renew the old
duarreis. She used to speak OF him In
harsh language. and said he treated her
so cruelty that court granted her d.
vorce. There must have been good cause
for the divorce because she was a woman
of the lower world
About eight years ago a man named
ORourke came 10 Seattle from the Middle
West. He had a son called the "Rourke
Kid" The latter was bad one. and the
police had much trouble with him.
ORourke lived at one time near the police
station. His name did not suit him. and il
II stated he got the Legislature to change
ii 10 Hammond
The story Is well known TO Capt. Willard
and Deputy Sheriff Lane. Last night Lane
admitted that ne was anxious 10 see Ham,
mond and have talk with him.