The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-21

webster, Aug. 2O.-Jonn Connor, AZ
years of age, formerly Of this town,
more recently a soldier in the Third
Connecticut regiment, infantry, whose
home was in Olneyville. R. l., was
robbed and murdered some time during
last night near the Chaseville crossing
on the Norwich & Worcester division of
the New York, New Haven & Hartford
railroad.
The murderer or murderers cut off
both ears of their victim to battle iden-
LITIGATION, after pounding him over the
head with some blunt instrument, pro-
baby coupling pin. Then they drag
ged the body to the east track of the
railroad. just south of Chaseville
crossing.
The body was placed in this condition
probably to make it appear as though
Connors had been killed by train on
the Norwich road.
The nature of the dead mans wounds
preclude any probability that other
than human hands took the life of
John Connors of Omeyville. Railroad
trains rarely cut off mems ears, pound
them over the head with blunt instru-
ments, rifle their pockets of money and
valuables, without leaving other marks
of violence on the body.
John Connors was robbed and there
are no wounds about the face or body,
the only injuries being the amputated
ears, and the scalp wounds inflicted
about the top of the head.
There is but one man in alp Webster
who believes that railroad train kill
ed Connors.
The last man seen with John Connors
was a man named Duffy, who was a
comrade of Connors in the Conneoti-
cut regiment. Duffy halls from Put
nam, Conn, and no one in Webster, SO
far as The Spy man could learn, has
seen him since early last night, when
he was going the rounds Of the saloons
y in company with Connors.
A vigorous effort will be made to-
morrow to locate Duffy, to ascertain
what he knows about Connors' move
ments after the two left the saloons,
a and disappeared up the railroad tracks
\ in the direction Of the Chaseville cross
4 ing.
The Spy man placed the facts as he
4 had learned them before Justice Henry
\ A Clarke. Mr. Clarke states that the
4 case was of such nature that he
& would order an autopsy to be perform
n ed on the. body. Medical Examiner c..
4 c. Woodbury. of Southbridge was noti-
4 fed and will hold one tomorrow morn
n ing.
The first known of the tragedy was
about ESQ o'clock this morning. when
q the engineer of an extra freight saw
the body of Connors lying beside the
q tracks. The train was stopped and it
was found that the man was dead.
The first thought of the engineer was
n that the man had been killed by the
"nigger" freight which passes this sec
ton earlier in the night. Subsequent
developments, however, go to show that
the engineer was wrong in his conclu-
sion
The engineer proceeded to the station
and notified Station Agent Christopher
of his find, and Mr.. Christopher in
turn notified Chairman Maurice p
"a Clare of the board of selectmen. Mr.
Glare is also a deputy sheriff.
Mr. Glare and other officials went to
the scene at once, and had no difficulty
Pin finding the body. The head was
battered and the ears cut off, one COM
pletely and the other hung by slight
Tissue.
The body was taken at once to the
Undertaking rooms of Brassard 6
Breen, in the Enterprise block on Mair
Street. Here The Spy man saw the
body, There were five ugly scalI
Wounds, and as before stated, the ears
were severed.
A close examination Of the body die
pot disclose the slightest wound on any
pther part of the body, and the cloth
ng worn by Connors was not damaged
another indication that the man was
not struck by train.
On the body was found an envelope
addressed to John Connors, Olneyville
R. !. The dead man was about 81
years old. The body was feet Az inches
tan, with dark hair sprinkled will
grey, cut close. The face was shaver
smooth. The body was clad in blacl