The sun., 1898-12-04
KILLED BY MASKED MEN.
BURGLARS MURDER A HOTEL Pro
PRIET0R IN DURTEi, "a.

PRIEToR IN DURTEl, Pl.
He Was NJ. F. CorOoran, Well. Known as 9
4 Politician in LuEerno County-JuEulaI
Vein Cut by n BuIlot-Left to Die While
the Safe Was Being Cracked by the Men.
6cRlNroN. Pa. Dec. 3--Mchael F. Corcoran,
former Postmaster OF Duryea. little mining
town three miles south Of here. was murdered
| by burglars at an early hour this morning. Mr..
! Corcoran was proprietor and manager OF the
| Anthracite Hotel, largo frame structure sit
uated on Main street in the heart OF the town.
About 2 o'clock this morning four masked men
entered the hotel. The kitchen window was
FIRST prled open and one OF the burglars entered
and opened the kitchen door. allowing the re-
mninder OF the party access to the building.
They passed along the hallway to Mr.. Cor
coran's bedroom and broke open the door with
hammer.
Corcuran was aroused by the noise and
jumped from the bed. One of the burglars
shot him The bullet passed through his neck.
severing the jugular vein. and as he fell to the
floor the gang pounced upon him. and after
tying him hand and foot with clothesllne
they gagged him and threw him on the bed to
die.
About that time Mary Monahan. a servant.
who was sleeping on the second floor. rushed
down stairs. She was imm ediatsly covered
and foot was also gagged aud blndtolded and
then told to sit on the bed She had seen Mr..
Corcoran lying on the bed with the blood pour
ing from his n eek. and said she preferred lying
on the floor.
Throw her to hell" said one OF the burg
lars and Immediately she was thrown between
the bed and wall. One OF the gang seemed to
be a little more tender-hearted than the 9TH
ers. and he was guarding her by holding a
revolver against her head. AS he leaned over
her he said:
Now. don't be afraid: we are going to blow
open the safe. but we won't hurt you"
She begged him not to kill her
Il am only working here. and am the only
support OF widowed mother" she said, and
the burglar replied with further assurance
that no harm would como to her.
few minutes later there was q terrific ex-
ploson which shook the building and sent the
bedroom furnishings flying about the cham
ber. The explosion took place just rs train
was passing on the Delaware. Lackawanna and
Western Railroad and that prevented the re-
port from being heard outside. The cash box
in the safe contained 5000. and that was taken
with the contents of the cash register In the
barroom. which had been taken into the bed
room and pried open with chisel by one OF
the gang while the others were drilling the |
safe. |
After the explosion Mary Monahan states |
that she heard one OF the men ask where his |
shoes were. All were in their stocking feet and |
wore masks. The one who stood over the SER
want while the work was going on wore red |
scufle which ensued in binding her the hand
kerchei fell on. He had black mustache. was
ter se he
the work of rifling the safe was completed they
made great haste in leaving the building. and
one remarked:
I've had better get out OF here if we do not
want to get our heads blown on"
side and the place was then deserted. crowd
OF young men in the Entis Club rooms of Pitts;
ton about o'clock this morning heard and
q burglars who d i'd the work at Duryea. When
alter much dililculty freed herself. She fastened
servant girl. She was frightened but was per
suaded to go downstairs. Mr. .Corcoran was
xR r s RM 2s bads
street and awakened Mrs, Charles, Martin. Dr.
,on to his assistance. but they were too late. for
MI; Corcoran was dead when they came.
valley. He had lived in Duryea for ten years,
md md was proprietor Of the hotel where the MUIR
1885. He was a candidate for Sheriff Of, Lu.
,erne county this year. District Deputy of the
OunR Men S Institute OF the PennSylvanla |
5nrisdictio4i and member Of the Elks Of
state and was prominent figure IN politics.
De is a cousin OF Judge Corcoran of Cincinnati, |
j.. and also a cousin OF former Prosecuting |
Attorney of the same place.
The dead man was unmarried and Is survived |
" two sisters. Mrs. Mary Richardson and Mrs.
lanes Keating. Mr.. Keating is assistant mas
er mechanic at one OF the big mills here. He |
vas the first relative notified OF the murder,
md with his wife hastened to Duryea.
Miss Monahan says that man answering |
1aGn Iffin n hA M ah uha,, II,
mask dropped OF came to the hotel to sell po-
atoes yesterday afternoon. Previous to his
sit another man was in the barroom, and Mr.. |
}orcoran as ked Squire Day II he knew who he
vas. The latter replied that he did not and |
>orcoran said he did not like the looks OF the
nan.
Four men came to the Pullman House. at
)uryea. last saturday night and registered re-
naming over night They secured weekly
ates OF Proprietor Simpson and were not seen !
gain until yesterday. They had plenty of
money. but were poorly clad and wore strnng-
he men also had dynamite cartridges and
uses. The only answer they would make to
Inquiries was that they We're out OF work.
The robbery OF the Lithuanian Brewery at
)anyille early on "Wednesday morning. the
rackipg OF the safe in the Plymouth Express
flee tho following night and the Corcoran rob
cry last night look like the work of the same
ang. All the crimes took place after midnight
nd desperate meaas were used in each case.
County Detective Leshon to-day arrested
atz tosmoyiz in the murder OF Richard How I
lis. the lehiGh Valley brak eman In the Aus
IN Heights branch wreck. He is also credited +!
nth being one OF gang OF desperadoes who
ave been operating in and about Duryea for
IrGyla wa nT nDpIf ffAit hia |