The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-06-18
| FOUND DYING.
1t Is a Most Mysterious
Case.
Was Patrick H. Flaherty
MurderedP
HO Vas Picked Up Bleeding and
Unconscious
On Holyoke Wharf Yes
terday Morning.
Skull Fractured BY Blow From
Some Dull Instrument.
On Holyoke Wharf Yes
terday Morning.
Skull Fractured BY Blow From
Some Dull Instrument.

At half past four O'Clock yesterday
morning, City Marshal Sylvester was
called up by telephone by Mr.. Charles W.
Ramsdell, who lives on Commercial street,
near the head of Holyoke wharf. Mr..
Ramsdell told the marshal that he had
been awakened by hearing man groan-
ing and that this had aroused his curiosi-
". On investigating he had found a man
| lying on pile of lumber near by with
stream of blood flowing from his head.
Marshal Sylvester at once sent word
down to the police station and then
Deputy Marshal Chenery and Night
Turnkey Thompson hurried to the scene
of the affair on Commercial street. They
carefully placed the man in the patrol
wagon and took him to the station. DIR.
Way was summoned and applied stimu-
lants but the man was beyond all aid and
he died In less than ten minutes after the
arrival of the doctor. The man did not
regain consciousness after he was found.
On the officers making further inves-
tigation he was identified as Patrick II.
Flaherty who, for a number of years, has
been working for several Of the lumber
firms on Commercial street. The body
was first removed to Rich's undertaking
rooms and soon afterwards TO buddy
undertaking rooms on Federal street.
City Physician Leighton and DIR. Way
made an examination and found cash
on the left side of the head slightly over
the ear. The wound was about two in
ches long. There was also bruise on
the left shoulder and the little finger ON
the left hand was bro ken. About the
wound in the head was big clot vi
blood.
The physicians say that the skull was
fractured and that this was the cause of
death.
One of the doctors who examined the
body said last night that the skull may
have been fractured by fall on the
railroad track or it may have been caused
by blow with some duh instrument
in the hands of an assailant. 1t was
impossible to tell, so the physicians say,
Just how the blow was received. Many
people who saw the wounds yesterday
expressed themselves as being Of the opin-
ion that f laherty had been assaulted
and in the affray received his death blow.
No money was found on Flaherty's per
son, when his body was taken to the po- |
lice station and it could not be learned !
yesterday whether he had received much |
money Saturday night. The man had
been drinking some all the week, so it is |
said. /
The Grand Trunk shifting crew who |
usually work on Commercial street, said |
last night that their engine had not been |
on Commercial street last Saturday |
night, so that Flaherty could not have |
been struck by moving car as it was
believed he might have been.
The police authorities are at loss to /
know the cause of these injuries. Depu- !
the wounds were doubtless caused eth |
er by the man being struck by car on
Commercial street, by falling off pile !
of lumber or by being assaulted. The
authorities spent all day yesterday on the
case.
County Attorney Ii by and Coroner
Perry were notified Of the case soon af-
ter the death of Flaherty and in company
with Deputy Marshals Chenery and Firth
went 10 dolyoke'S WHAT NhSfe rlaneTly
had been found. On several places on
this wharf were pools Of blood. The
pile of lumber on which Flaherty was
found is in a shed owned by the Gilbert
Soule estate, and the spot where he had
been lying was covered with blood.
This section of the lumber pile is about
two feet above the ground. There
We're also large spots of blood ON the
boards on top of the pile two feet higher
than those where Flaherty had been ly-
ing.
1t is thought that as soon as Flaherty
reached this head of the wharf he had
managed to climb to the top Of the ium-
Der pile to lie down. He then had prob
ably fallen down to the next section an d
for third time had fallen down to the
lower part. Both of his shoes and one of
his stockings had been taken of his feet.
But these places were not the only ones