The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-06
REED FOULLY MURDERED.
A Barber From Portland Meets
Death on the Water Front.
WORK OF HIGHWAY Ros6f RS.
and After q Hand-to-Hand Con-
6fct, I'm which His Clothing IL
Cut In shreds, Body IL Tossed
From ThorouGbfsre on to Beach.
Where the Head IL Submerged.

John J. Reed. aged about q years. a
by trade. met hts death on Railroad ave-
nue., at the intersection OF Jackson street,
early yesterday morning in terrific
,hand-to~hsnd conflict which resulted in
tho deceased having his clothing literally
out from his body.
Tho apparent motive for the crime was
robbery. Though the body bears nu-
i merous marks of the aasaiiant's weapon.
: not one Of the wounds which were in
, nicted made more than a superficial i'm
j preston. and two large Commissions upon
the head indicate that the robber or rob
bers were finally forced TO the expedient
of delivering tremendous blows upon their
victims skull In order TO overcome the
resistance which they met.
The body was discovered shortly after
fo'ciock yesterday morning by a switch
man engaged at work upon Railroad ave-
nue., and was first reported TO the police
and coronsfs office az a probable drown
ing. The supposition that Reed was
drowned arose from the fact that when
the body was discovered II lay upon the
. edge OF the shore under Railroad ave-
nue., in much the same manner as do
bodies that are tossed up from the hay
by the action of wind and wave.
crsory examination OF the body. how
ever. soon demonstrated that the man
met his death by violence. Numerous
Tong Tashes and sits In his coat and
mony that before he gave up the struggle
for hts life Reed had both fought and
grapped with his assailants.
strusgmIation Caused Death.
When the body was discovered yesterday
morning the fact was Immediately com
municated TO the police and coroners
office. The coroner sent "a dead wagon
from Bonney n Stewards morsue to
the place and had the remains conveyed
20 the undertaking establishment.
cSItical examination OF the body as II lay
upon the slab revealed TO the minds OF
those who examined It conclusive evil
dsnce Of the manner In which Reed met
his death. He wOro n sack coat and
vest the sleeves Of which were literally
cut to pieces. Around the base OF the
collar the knife had penetrated through
two ,hicknesses OF cloth, onc-uuarter-
inch of felt padding such as taIlors use.
and left superficial wound directly be-
meath the collar bone. The back OF the
garment contained two Jagged holes,
did the vest and right leg OF the trous-
ers. when stripped Of his clothing nine
surface wounds. distributed all over the
body corresponding. with the incisions
made In the clothing showed the des
perate nature Of the struggle which had
taken place. An examination of the skull
showed two scalp wounds. which had evil
} IDENTIFY been inflicted with blunt instru-
ment aud Il Is reasoned that, In view
of the fact that either one OF them would
have been sufficient to have produced I'M
consciousness. they must have necessarily
bean dealt the murdered man after his
asaailants had ceased 10 attack him with
-. 1..Ts t.mN.
marks upon tho body. The hands OF the
dead man were both cut In two places
phe right hand was laid open at the
base OF the three smaller fingers In
manner which Indicated that Reed had.
! IN his efforts to save himself from the
sncrctless stabs of his assailant, caught
hold of the blade, which had been drawn
through hin elenched hand.
A careful examination of the respira-
tory organs of the dead man. made by
Deputy Coroner Will Powers, showed that
tho lungs were filled with water. which
leads that official to believe that the inn
mediate cause OF death was strangula-
tion. when the body was picked UP on
the beach. where Il had either been
tossed or had fallen from the trestle de-
picted Ia the drawing. the head lay face
downward. Al that time OF the morning
the tide. according to the marine table.
was noodtng. aud the dead man. In
gaaping for breath, had fired hls lungs
with water and thereby either caused or
fastened his death,
Al O'Clock yesterday morning Detec-
tiVea Cudihce and Ofncer Philbrtck were
detailed by Capt. Sullivan to work upon
the case They Immediately set about
gathering all possible information which
would lead 10 clues hearing upon the
identity OF the dead mans assailants.
but ne tangible evidence has yet been
uncartAed
Robbery sh~ Motive.
The ono motive which. u Is considered.
prompted the commission VI the deed was
robbery When the body was searched
al the morauv not an article OF value
WAS discovered upon &C. Reed was In this
CftA preparatory va ombaf King fnr Cape
Nomv. AMI ~ is thoukht that. under the
circumstances. he Carrird what money he
has upon his person. He made no de-
poHb ~ any yHluahlea IN the hotel safe
where he stopped. and arrived TOO lata
10 transact business with bank
john J. Reed arrived "a Seattle from
Portland va Tuesday cvrNIus last, and
fmmt ttAtely engaged apartments az the
Nainter Grand hotel lie VAS assigned
to room sie ON the following day he
aonN rrf.d with Walter J H8Fron a gucaf
81 the boafslry. sni toll him that he in
tended KoinE north Within week The
dead man was uct eccu az the hotcl after
-thc conversation Ana dii not trturn "a
his room az any time tufirx the cs eniux
Yesterday morning whoa Deputy Cors,-
-rer Powers. NFl"tnpr MED hS Ppst-ln.
trfliEynvgr reporter went e. Reed room
thr+ fHAnA "a Natlso. which cont AIncd. be-
aldes tlething fuH set cg BARRIERS tools
AND several memorandum books. upon
Nhlcb 0rf~ written. among uther things.
was Eistu ae pats4 Reed AtAmstt{l~
Case talur. Mleh \ vest pocket memo.
r4niulu h'ok hal written Tea tFe printed