The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-22
VAST ACCIDENTAL?
=
Officials Say That
John Connors Was
Killed by Cars.
WHEELS TOOK OFF HIS EARS.
1t Is More Than Many Web
ster People Can
Believe.
WHEELS TOOK OFF HIS EARS.

! Webster, Aug. 21-The theory held
by Deputy Sheriff Maurice P. Glare,
State Detective p F. Murray and Med
ical Examiner C. C. Bradford of
southbridge is that John Connors was
the victim of an accident.
Opposed to this theory is the belief
held by the majority of the people here,
That the man was really murdered. De-
fective Murray says that there is not
the slightest possible chance that
murder was committed. His theory,
as he outlined it to The Spy reporter
this afternoon, is that Connors jumped
for a car in the middle of the niger
freight train, fell and met his death.
'Ihe one thing against this is the way
the ears were taken off. Mr.. Murray
believes that the car wheel took the
ears off, cutting one as the man fell
ana the other as he was rolled over.
Thele side Of the face looks as though
the car wheel bruised it.
Connors and Duffy parted early Sat
nrday evening, and the latter soon af-
ter took train for his home in Put
nam, Conn. Duffy met an old friend,
John Griffin of Dudley, who came here
stopped to talk with him on Main
street and Connors left him.
Connors was seen at the De Witt
House about 8 o'clock and at that time
was under the influence of liquor. He
was told to look out for the police, as
he left the hotel. This was the last
seen Of him alive as far as is known.
In the meantime Duffy had gone to his
nome in Putnam where he remained
until he read the account of the IA
tality this morning.
Then he came directly to Webster ar
irving here about noon and going at
once to Sheriff Clare's office.
Detective Murray had been dispatch
ed to the scene of the tragedy by Dis
trict Attorney lockwood Hoar this
morning, and to both these officers
Duffy told a straightforward and con-
wincing story that relieved him of all
suspicion, if indeed any had been har-
bored
The deputy sheriff and detective with
f. H. Berger, clerk of the district
court, went to the spot where the body
was found this afternoon, and made q.
thorough examina ton of the surround
angs.
1t was found that the black derby hat
which was picked up about 15 feet
from the body was not injured in any
way, and to the minds of the officials
this proves that the man was not at
tackled. Not sign of a struggle could
they detect, nor was there any blood
anywhere except a small pool where
the head lay. This convinced them
that there had been no foul play.
From the start Maurice p. Clare,
chairman of the board of selectman,
and deputy sheriff, has stoutly adhered
to the opinion that the man met death
by the cars, and not by violence. Off
Ger Joseph p. Love comedies with Mr..
Glare in his opinion.
Station Agent A j. Christopher is
dead against the officials in his
view of the case. In fact, nearly every
body else in town, except the author
tiles, believes with the station agent
that the man was murdered and then
robbed
Mr.. Glare, in conyersing with the
Webster correspondent of The Spy,
stated why he thinks that there was
no foul play. He says that the man
attempted to board the train while it
was in motion. In falling he struck his
head against a wheel and then the
wounds on the head were inflicted. The
ears were taken off at the same time
in some mysterious way, he thinks.
The fact that the right ear was sew
cred completely, and that the other
barely hung by a few tissues, leads
many to believe that somebody, after
striking him on the head with blunt
Instrument, supposed to be coupling
paN, though the cuts look more like
knife thrusts, amputated the ears in a
vain attempt to conceal the mans
identity.
While this may possibly be the case,
the officials do not place any weight
upon 1t.
How could a man fall from a moving
train and receive the injuries he did
without getting under the wheels %
says Agent Christopher, 1T Is apparent
that the man was not struck by the
train, and did not go under the wheels. -
The station master can't see how Con-
nors received the scalp wound he did
and lost his ears. Another point that
the agent cites to back up his theory OF
foul play is that there was no dirt OF
wheel grease upon the face or head
which would have been the case had the
man struck the wheels and then the
ground.
The conductor who discovered the
corpse told Mr.. Christopher that the
body was cold, showing that life had
been extinct for some time previous tc
the discovery. If that is the case II
shows that the body had been there
several hours before the trains came
along. Mr.. Clare, however, says that
the body was warm when he got to the
scene.
Mr.. Glare says that the ears were
severed from the lobe upward, anC
that II anybody had amputated then
he would have cut down instead of up
The right ear, however, has all the
nnnearanees Of having been taken OF