The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-24

a most shocking tragedy was
brought to light yesterday morning.
when the dead body of 54-year-old
Mrs. Celia Mcdonnell. of Bunker Hill,
Dunmore was found hidden in a crev-
ice between two rocks on the hillside
behind the Speedway hotel.
That the old woman was murdered
is certain. for around her neck was
tightly wound Il shawl, which
strangled her to death. Coroner Rob-
erts scouts the idea of suicide as i'm
possible, and says that the woman's
death was the result of foul play.
Mrs Mcdonnell lived on Bunker Hill
with her son, Patrick L., who keeps
saloon on Chestnut street. She was
last seen about the house on Thursday
evening between the hours or . and q
o'clock by a little Italian boy, whose
name the authorities have not as yet
been able to discover.
According to her sons story. he got
home late Thursday night and found
his mother not there. He was not
alarmed, because he thought she had
come to this city to visit her sisters,
who live here. The only thing that
surprised him was the fact that there
We're several pies and cakes in the
oven burned to a crisp and the mate
rials ready on the table for the maxi
ing of bread
WAS STILL MISSING.
He could not understand how his
mother could have gone out and left
these things there, but he gave the
matter little thought until Friday
night, when, upon returning home, he
found his mother still missing. He
communicated with her sisters and
found that she had not visited them.
He Immediately notified the neigh
borS and on Saturday morning scour-
ing parties were organized and thor
ough search of the country i'll the
vicinity begun. The searching party
had no success on Saturday. but yes
terday morning about O'Clock An.
drew O'Hara, Il young man who mad
been among the most active of the
searchers, came across the body of the
unfortunate woman on the hillside be-
hind the Speedway hotel.
1t was lying in a sort of crevice or
miniature ravine and around the neck
was wrapped a small shoulder shawl
belonging to the woman. 1t was
wound around three times with re-
markable tightness and the woman's
face was black and horribly distorted.
The remains We're removed at once
to Golden's undertaking establishment.
where an autopsy was later performed
by Coroner j. j. Roberts. In speaking
to a Tribune man last night regarding
the result of his examination, the COR
oner said:
'rhe woman's death was caused by
strangulation. There We're no marks Of
violence on her body except the marks
left by the shawl This was wound
around her throat with remarkable
tightness. 1t must have been done by
some person of great strength. BY no
possible chance could it have been done
by the woman herself.
THAT would have been impossible.
She was murdered, In my opinion, be-
yond the question of doubt. The walls
of the throat We're compressed together
so tightly that nothing could be passed
through them. The neck was also dis
located, but whether this was the re-
suit of the squeezing by the shawl or
was caused by the body being thrown
or dropped into the crevice in which it
was found, am unable to say posi-
lively. I am inclined to believe, how
ever, that it was caused by the latter"
INQUEST IN THE CASE.
The coroner stated that he would
hold an inquest in the case tonight, if
possible. County Detective Leyshon
yesterday visited the place where the
body was discovered, and is making Il
thorough investigation.
The generally accepted theory seems
to be that the woman was either mur-
dered in her house or lured outside and
there killed, the body being taken and
hidden, where found, by the murderer
or murderers. No possible motive for
the crime is suggested.
The remains will be buried this after
noon in the Dunmore Catholic ceme-
terry.
A French Briar Pipe.
III