Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-05-25
MURDER OF v. A. MONTAGUE
M. A. Cole, Alias Wilson, Held
by the Coroner's Jury.
ALLEGED MURDERER A CANADIAN
A Student at the University of
Pennsylvania.


- Jury tlHIsblflth ny Sbfbuti hll-
deyer decided Monday that William
A. Montague came to his death at the
Delaware Hospital, in the city of Will
mington, on May 22d, 1899, from the
effects of hlow from baseball hat in |
the hands Of Montylaoo A. Cole, alias
Harry a.. Wilson, said blow having |
been inflicted on the night of May |
18th, 1899, = and the coroner held Cole,
or Wilson, rs he has been known to the |
police, without bail on the charge of |
murder to await the action OF the
grand jury. Edna Wilson, who was
with Montague on the night of the
assault, was held in 500 bail to appear
as witness.
Tho inquest was in the police rooms
on the second floor of the Eckel Build
ing, in City Hall place, the City Court
room, whore it was TO have been held,
being occupied. Many witnesses were
heard and there were some develop
ments which revealed disgusting
state of affairs among The parties con-
cerned prior to the assault and leading
up to it. Cole was student in dentistry
at tho University of Pennsylvania, his
home being in Toronto, Can, and
Montague was the son of an iron
merchant at Wyoming Jealousy over
Edna Wilson was the apparent cause
of Coles crime
The jury comprised William i.
Massey, William Carter, Samuel L..
Lane. Charles Whann. Alexander Bowe,
II. p. Hickman, j. I. Brinckley.
Charles Whann was elected foreman,
and Deputy Coroner Ferris Giles,
secretary. The State was represented
by Deputy Attorney General Peter L.
Cooper, Jr., and the prisoner, Cole,
who was present, by Walter II. Hayes
and s. ID, Townsend, Jr. The testi
mony was taken by Court Stenographer
L. G. Hardesty and Charles q. Guyer.
DIR. John Palmer, Jr., who was at
tending physician at the Delaware
Hospital, was the first witness sworn
by Coroner Vandever. He testified to
seeing Montague in the operating room
last Wednesday night. He was some
what delirious. On left side of the
head the skin was broken and there
was confusion on the right side. The
physicians thought the wound on the
left side of the head might have been
made by blunt instrument; that on
tho left side, by falling on the ground.
A baseball bat was shown the doctor
and he said such an instrument might
have caused the blow on the left side
of the head. The injured man never
recovered consciousness enough to con-
verso, but on Sunday morning COM
planned of his head.
The doctor was present at the post
norton yesterday afternoon conducted
by DIR. ID. l. McColley. They found
that death resulted from fracture of
the skull at the base of the brain.
There was no fracture from the wound
- all 81 Tho
sufficient to cause death. A clot oil
blood was found on the right side OF
the brain, and in the middle lobe was
another clot. Local meningitis had SET
in. The direct cause of death was the
blow on the left side of the head.
DIR. H. W. Briggs, who had wit
messed the postmortem, assented to Dr.
Pdlmer's statement
DR.. McColley. who is the coroner
physician, testified to the autopsy. Tn,
fosce applied to the left side Of tn,
head caused death, which was due Il
fracture Of the base of the skull an,
localized meningitis. The heart an,
right lung were normal; there wa
some trouble with the left lung.
DIR. Joseph w. Bastian was the frs
physician to see Montague after no wa
hurt He was in dazed condition an
unable to answer questions. The bio,
which caused death was over and bac
of the left car.
William A. Moore, Jr., of No. IT,
Pennsylvania avenue, introduced sensS
tional testimony, for he was with Co
when Cole assaulted Montague Wi
ness knew Cole under the name
Wilson and said he never saw hi
before Wednesday night. They m,
chat nsrbf Of gDs1T en-
about 8. 80 O'Clock. Wilson had a bi
and was Furnishing it about his hea,
Wilson said he was going to have
covered with gray matter and gor
He did not say whom ne was afte
Witness identified a baseball bat, di
played by Mr.. Cooper, as the b
Wilson had. Wilson was interested
woman at the house.
ibid he give any reason for coverii
this bat with gore?" asked Mr.. Coopt
'tNo," answered Moore.
"'Had he said anything to you as
what his relations to this wom
wereY''
mo"
''Had he been drinking?"
81 guess he had. :"
Moore said they left the house |
tween IL and IL. 30; went down Oran
street TO Second and east on Secon
While thus walking between MARI
and King streets, they met Montag
and the Wilson woman arm in ar
Cole called the woman by name, a
said "What the - are you dol
here?''
When he said that he struck Mo
tague with the bat, and Montague
in his tracks. Cole struck Montae
more than once after he fell; he stru
him in the head.
Witness heard nothing; wills
started to run, with witness and tn
or four others after him. Wilson
tangled under circus horses feet d
was captured.
DR.. George W. Quinn saw Montae
1t the patrol station. The man !
conscious at that time.
William Benson, barkeeper at
Western Hotel, testified to see
Wilson at the hotel on tho evening
the circus. Wilson asked II II
named Montague had been there. v
ness told him he had. A tall m
who was with Wilson, had a bat in
hand. As they went out the dc
Wilson said 1--WE will get the sucke
Wilson had asked il Montague had b
there with Edna. Witness had $
her there with both Montague
Wilson at the same time. Wilson
drinking, but had not been drink
much.
Edna Wilson, who was with M
tague on the night he was assault
said she was % years of age.
identified the man charged with
murder as Montylnoo A, Cole, He