The age-herald., 1899-08-12

 FRIEL MURDER STILL A MYSTERY No Clue to the Perpetrators of the
 Terrible Crime. THE CORONER HARD AT WORK Number of Witnesses Were Examined
 Yesterday. IA SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE Wife Instituted Divorce Proceedings in December, 1898, But Decree Was Refused Remains Taken in Charge by Friends.
THE CORONER HARD AT WORK
IA SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE

Mystery still surrounds the death of Patrick Friel, night watchman at the Bir- mingham compress, who was brutally mur- dered on Wednesday night while at his post of duty.
 The investigation into the death of the aged watchman which was begun by Coro- ner Dallas immediately after the terrible discovery Thursday morning, was resumed yesterday at the Warner-Smiley company undertaking rooms, and but little new evil dence of importance was brought to light although several witnesses were examined. Several theories have been advanced, but as yet the coroner has been unable to de- velop any clue which gives promise of bringing the foul assassns to justice.
 A circumstance which throws some light on the family relations of the murdered man was developed in the course of the testimony yesterday afternoon regarding a divorce which was sought by his wife Margaret Friel, about nine months ago.
 The proceedings were instituted in the chaneery court through Attorney Dan A. Greene on December 19, 1898. According to the petition the parties were married in Schreven county, Georgia, on July z, 1SSD. Cruelty was alleged as a ground for di- vorce, but the petition was denied by Cham cellor Carmichael, principally because the complainant continued to live with Friel after the time of his alleged cruelty to her.
 Friel made no resistance to the proceed ings, and decree pro confesso was taken. In considering the case the deposition Of Mrs. FTiel and two of the children were before the court, in which Mrs. Friel al- legged that several times previous to May 1898, Friel struck her with his hand, a chair and a hickory stick and that he made threats against her life. She further al- legged in her complaint that their five chil- dren, Patrick T., Frank, Bridget Margaret Jane, and Mary, were living with their father near North Birmingham on a piece of land belonging to her, which she con veyed to all of the children at the time of the separation. She also alleged that to her best knowledge Friel was 69 years old on October 15, 1898, but failed to make any mention of her own age, fact which was mentioned by the court in refusing a de- cree.
 She Was Much DisaT pointed
 Mrs. F'riel is said to have been greatly disappointed at the outcome of her suit and expressed her determine tion to try again. She prosecuted two detnue suits in Justice Fountains court and shortly after left for her former home in Georgia where she remained until about three weeks ago, when she called at the office of Att torney Green and gave way to tears in reciting her troubles.
 James McCord who Is said to have caused the trouble between the old man and his wife, appears to have rendered assistance to Mrs. Friel in prosecuting the cases, al- though his name does not appear on the record.
 Since her return from Georgia little has been seen of the woman and her present whereabouts are unknow to the coroner's jury, although efforts have been made to bring her before it. McCord is also among the missing.
 The presence of these two witnesses might throw some light on the matter, but their absence is portcntious, and stength- ems the theory that they know more than they would care to tell.
 The fact that there was evidence of rob- bery does not weaken the theory that the murder was premeditated and 1t has been suggested in the examination that this could have been done for the purpose of throwing the officers off the trail, and is a plausible one in as much as the old man