The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-08-16

Guilt OF the women.
The person who threw the stone that
ended the life of James Quinn, ST., near
Carbondale, Sunday, is still unknown.
Mrs. Paul Dempsey, her daughter, Mrs.
John Gallagher. and the latters sons,
Joseph and Thomas Gallagher, are in
the county Jail, charged with the kill
ing. There is probablyNno parallel case
in the history of the country where
three generations of the same family
were placed under arrest for participa-
tion in a murder.
Coroner ]. j. Roberts and, his jury
met last night in the office of Alder
man S. S. Jones at Carbondale and
heard testimony with reference to the
killing of James Quinn, sr., at Pow
derly's mine in Carbondalc township
on Sunday afternoon. The inquest did
not throw any great amount of light
on the killing for the reason that the
witnesses examined almost without ex-
ception absolutely refused to tell all
that they know about the affray. They
were very reluctant witnesses, all of
them being neighbors of the Quinns
and the Gallaghers, who were mixed up
in the row which had such serious con-
sequences.
The story of the killing as cleaned
from the testimony of the witnesses
last night, supplemented by informa-
tiOn from other sources, is as follows:
James Quinn, jr., lives in house ad-
joining that occupied by Mr.. and Mrs.
John Gallagher in Carbondale town
ship. Gallagher's household consists of
himself and wife and their two sons,
Joseph, aged "a, and Thomas, aged 20.
and an adopted daughter, aged years.
Adjoining the lot of James Quinn, jr.,
on the other side. is the property where
his father lived.
CAUSE OF TIE TROUBLE.
On the line between the Quinn and
Gallagher properties is a we'll that the
families use to get water from. Sew
eral months ago there was a dispute
over this well and the Gallaghers
nailed it up. On May 81 Mrs. Quinn
had Mrs. Gallagher arrested for max
ing threats and last week she was ar
rested for being a common scold. This
shows that there was bad blood be-
Sunday afternoon James Quinn, jr.,
and Thomas Cummings were on their
way towards Quinn's home and when
a short distance from it at q point
whore the turnpike crosses the rail-
road, Joseph Gallagher approached and
said he wanted to talk to Quinn. The
latter was inclined to ignore the re-
quest at first, but in response to
in the form Of a demand he stopped
and Cummings went on for a short
distance.
Gallagher charged Quinn with hav-
ing maze an insulting remark about
his adopted sister and Quinn denied
the charge. Just who struck the first
blow was not developed at the hear
ing, but in few minutes a lively
fight was in progress.
THE FIGHT GREW.
Thomas Gallagher was a short dis
tance away and he went to the assis-
tance of his brother and they were
soon reinforced by their mother and
grandmother, Mrs. Paul Dempsey, who
also lives in that neighborhood, James
quinn, ST., was standing on the rail-
road a short distance away talking
with man, when the fight started and
seeing that his son was receiving
rough treatment, he started for the
group at the crossing.
There is some evidence that he
reached them and was belaboring the
Gailaghers with his cane when he was
struck in the head by large piece OF
Cinder which cut two ugly gashes in
his forehead. A moment later nc was
struck in the side of the head with a
stone. It's force must have been great
for it caved in the right side of his
head lacerated the brain and cracked
the skull in frightful manner. lie
fell to the ground like log and was
dead soon afterwards.
There is some conflict of testimony
as TO the position of the parties at the
time Some witnesses allege that
young Quinn and the Gallagher boys
were about fifteen feet from the old
man on one side and the two woman a
similar distance on the other side when
the fatal blow was struck and others
say that they were all in a bunch.
YOUNG MAN HURT.
The fight did not terminate when the
elder Quinn fell. The Gallagher boys
had young Quinn down and We're kick
ing him. He has frightful wounds on
his head and chest as a result of the
fight. DR.. GILES, who is attending him,
is of the opinion, however, that he will
recover. His face is badly swollen and
thirteen stitches were required to close
| the wounds in his head, There are
also some ugly cuts on the head
AS soon as Quinn fell the two women
walked hurriedly toward the Gallagher
home and Cummings did his best to
save young Quinn from further injury
at the hands and feet of the Gala
ghers. 1t seems certain that they We're
| too busy with young Quinn to throw
| any stones at the latters father and
| that the missile which ended his life
| must have come from the hands of the
women As yet no one has been found
who will admit having seen any of the
stones thrown, but that part of the
| case will probably be cleared up later.
| At the present stage of the case cir
cumstances point strongly to the wo-
| men as the ones who did the killing
and the fact. that they walked hur-
| rledly away after old man Quinn fell
! seems to strengthen the theory that
| they threw the stones
FOUR ARRESTS MADE.
Sunday afternoon the two Gallagher
| boys were arrested and the next morn
| ing their mother and grandmother were