The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-12-07

The first arrest in the Michael Corr
coran murder case was made vester-
day. At the point of a revolver Charles
Lyddon, laborer, was arrested in the
Greenwood mine at Minooka by Peter
Touhill, Duryea saloon keeper. and
the latter's brother, John, tracker in
the employ of Connell e. Co.
Lyddon was brought to this city and
locked in cell at the central police
station until late in the afternoon when
he was taken to Wilkes Barre by Ser
geant Schmidt, of that city's ponce de-
partment. While he admits having been
in Duryea Friday night, neither his APP
pearance nor the story he tells in
detail of his movements indicates his
connection with the brutal crime, but
the Touhill brothers aver that Lyddon
speaks falsely in attempting to explain
his whereabouts on the night of the
murder. Neither they nor the police
will reveal what the Touhills allege to
know but the latter say their evidence
is sufficient to warrant holding the
prisoner.
LYDDoNs STORY.
I.yddon is SO years old and of Irish
sides with his parents in Minooka. He
has a smooth face, was neatly though
plainly dressed when brought to the
police station and has the general ap-
pearance of an honest, though, perhaps,
roughly reared, young man who has to
work hard for his living. A Tribune
reporter had the opportunity of inter-
viewing him in his cell During the
talk he was seemingly straightforward
and answered questions readily His
voice trembled when alluding to tn"
injustice of his arrest. He was quite
overcome when referring to COrcoran
as q noble hearted man whom he had
known, as we'll as the whole Corcoran
family, since hoyhood.
Lyddon's story to the reporter was as
follows: II was In Louis Bevano's shoe
shop at Mnooka eGrly Friday evening.
I often dropned IN there for 2. chat.
ON this nigh. an Italian who could not
| talk English was present. Bevano
| acted as interpreter The other Italian
wanted to go to Lackawanna. lie did
not know the way and offered to pay
my car fare if | would show him the
way. | consented, but for fear he
would not pay my fare back, | bor-
! rowed % cents of q friend.
I'VE went by street car. He wanted
/ to go to Peter Kennetti's saloon.
! took him there. 1t isn't in the center
! of Lackawanna; it is near the Duryea
| line. Maybe ii is in Duryea-I am not
/ certain. | remained there with him a
| little while. We had three drinks there
and then l left with the intention of
! going right back to Minooka. Before
! left the Italian gave ME Is cents.
II stopped first at Tom Kilcoyne's
home next to The Lawrence store and
from there went to Touhill's saloon
! Now that was the nearest l was tC
Mike COrcoran's that night. 1t is a
mile and a half away, | guess, at the
end of the Durvea trolley line. l didn''
do anything or say anything while
there which should get me in this
, trouble. | was drinking but didn't APP
pear much different than l do now
| There were other men in there, but
they We're nc friends of mine.
ADMITS BEING DRUNK.
From Tounill's l walked TO Daven-
ports hotel near the Brick church in
New England ! knew Pat Nolan, the
BARTENDER and stopped there and talk.
ed to him. / was quite drunk anC
very sleepy when / got aboard a cal
and started for MnOoka. 1t is my i'm.
! preston that the son of John Lover.
ing, the superntondent of the Green
wood mine. was on the car but am no
certain: I have that impression, though
/ was too sleepy To be sure about il
! now.
II rode on the car to James Thorn
tons at Mincoka. I saw Eddie Brown
| there. He wasn't the only one, but
am not sure who the others We're.
1T was about 1880 o'clock when
got home. | went to bed and went tC
sleep and was in the mine at work the
next day. Now look at my hands,
| Showing them through the bars. "DC
| they look like the hands of a man who
| works or of man who kills? Goo
helping me, If | was a murderer. il
| wouldn't he Mike CorcOran I'd kill
! You might say we We're boys together
I've always known him, his father
mother and stepbrothers.
Il was loading coal when Peter anG
John TOuhill came into the GrecnW ooC
mine and arrested me. Pete pointed :
| revolver at me. God knows / may be :
rough fellow, but | amt a crook.
boarded with Peter Touhill a year anC
never had any trouble with him. n,
they didn't have warrant, st least
didn't see it,"
On the night before the murder I
| sample gang of toughs which have in
Tested the valley We're in Buffers hote
AT MoOsic. They We're bOisterOus anC
one of their number was very drunI
and talkative. After showing fiv,
watches and remarking upon the eas'
with which they could be secured, h,
was hustled from the place by his com
panions. There We're five in the party
SENATOR CORCORAN TALKS.
Senator CorcOran, cousin of the mur
dered man, was i'm Scranton last night
He attended the funeral yesterday anC
was en- route to his home in Cincin
natl. In conversation with a Tribun,
reporter at the st. Charles hotel, Sen
ator Corcoran freely expressed the be
lief that the guilty parties would ~
caught He does not believe them L
be of a very intelligent type of Grim
inal, and on that account thinks the!
will be tempted by the reward to be
tray one another
Senator Corcoran had neither tn,
time nor the opportunity to ascertain
as much as he wished of the NOR
minute details of the crime, but from
what he learned he has formed th'
opinion that the victim was in bee
when killed. He was a sound sleepe
and this has led others to incline I,
the same theory.
Senator Corcoran knew his cousin in
timately He visited him frequently
In discussing the case last night h.
said: mo, Michael never had
chance"