The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-01-05
INQUEST IN PURCELL CASE.
Two Men Described BY Attorney G.
, G. Donovan-0ne of Them Sup
posed to Be Purcell.

An inquest was held In the court
house last night In the case of Michael
]. Purcell, the young man who was
killed by a trolley car on Hemlock
street, South Scranton, at 11.4O Sunday
night. A somewhat peculiar state of
things was shown at the hearing.
William Hughes. Of 500 Wyoming
avenue, testified that he was with Pur.
cell from about s o'clock Sunday even
ing until nearly IL. When Purcell
joined him he appeared to be entirely
sober and while they were together
Purcell drank only two glasses Of whs-
key, yet the witness said he had to
chide Purcell for walking unsteadily.
They went into the lunch wagon on
Spruce street, between Wyoming and
Washington avenue, where Purcell
started to eat a ham sandwich, but
became sick and began to vomit. He
was helped out of the wagon and
Hughes walked with him as far as the
Mears building. There they separated
shortly before II o'clock, Hughes says,
and Purcell started east on Spruce
street. toward the Roaring Brook
bridge. Hughes went west along
Spruce street to Wyoming and thence
to st. Peters cathedral.
Attorney G. c. Donovan testified that
about 11.20 Sunday night he was on his
way to the Cathedral to midnight
mass and near the South Side end Of
the Roaring Brook bridge saw two
young men. One was somewhat tall
er than the other. who seemed to be
assisting him. The taller of the two
was either sick or intoxicated, more
6, tat
thought, and the smaller man was
holding him up and seemed to be hav-
ing some difficulty to do this. The tall
mans coat was dirty, as if he had
fallen.
The smaller of the two was sober
and was urging the man he was assist
ing to keep awake. Wake up, Mike!"
and Come along, Mike!" he would say
as he gave his companion a shake. \
few feet ahead Of Mr.. Donovan was a
man named Mawn, and the smaller OF
the two asked him where Elm street
was located. He was given the neces-
sary information, and the two again
started.
At the entrance to the bridge, Mr.
Donovan Joined Mawn and they walked
on together. Near the centre of the
bridge Mr.. Donovan turned around and
saw the two men standing under the
electric light at Pittston avenue AMI
Hemlock street. The smaller Of the
two men, he was almost positive, was
William Hughes. the first witness. H.
looked just like him, the witness said
and talked like him, too He saw Pur.
cell after he was killed, and thought
that in a general way he resembled the
large man.
William Neary. the motorman of th,
car that killed Purcell. said there is @
slight down grade on HemlOck stree,
from Prospect to Pittston avenue. and
when the car left Prospect avenue he
shut off the power and set the brakes
He was looking ahead at the time OF
the accident, but did not see anything
on the track The first intimation he
had of it was when the wheels STRUCK
the body. 1t was going only four OF
five miles an hour at the time, and was
stopped within twenty-five or thirty
feet of the place where the body was
first struck.
Edward Gilleran. James McGoverar
, ana Amos Bennett, the conductor o
the car, were also sworn and gave un,
important testimony. The Jurors ad,
journed to meet again Tuesday night
! when Mr.. Mawn and one or two Other
witnesses will be examined. The
Jurors are Patrolman John Peuster, F
l.. Ward, p. w. Costello. ]. +. Mitchell
T. Owen Charles and Michael Rafter.