The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-18
A AMYSTERIOUS DEATH
FATHER PHILLIPS BODY FOUND IN
NEW YORK.
WAS A FRIEND OF MINERS.
THE CAUSE or DEATH NOT YET
DISCOVERED.

tor of ST. GabriePs Church mt
Hazleton and Was Active in HIS
Effort to Avert the Recent Threat
ened Miners Strike.
New York, May 1.-THE body OF man
found late last night in house in Ninth
avenue has been identified as that Of
Rev. Edward s. Phillips of st. Gabriers
Church. Hazelton. Pa, who recently mad
a conference with j. Pierpont Morgan in
reference to the threatened strike in the
iron and coal regions of Pennsylvania.
Kirk Stanley, a massage operator, in
whose rooms the body was found is un-
der arrest as a suspicious person.
Decomposition had advanced so far
when the body was discovered that a cur
sorry examination was not sufficient to
reveal the cause of death.
Stanley has been subjected to a rigid
examination and is said to have told con-
f1icting stories Mrs Bernius from whom
Stanley leased four rooms, in one of
which the body was found, says that her
tenant claimed to be from San Francisco
and called himself Or Stanley" He was
accompanied by young woman whom
he introduced as his wife. The body was
discovered by Mrs. Bernius' daughter,
who went into Stanley's apartments to
remove some bedding which was hang
ing out of the window
The police were Immediately notified
and search of the body disclosed
number of papers. Among them was a
letter from John Mitchell, president of
the United Mine Workers, and addressed
to Rev. Dr. Edward S. Phillips, Hazle-
ton, Pa. There were also several tele-
grams from Mitchell addressed to the
priest, a half-fare rate coupon, such as
is issued to clergymen. and several re-
ceipts made out in DIR. Phillips name.
Stanley Under Arrest.
Stanley was arrested at midnight The
prisoner seemed to be suffering from the
effects of drink or drugs. His manner
was that of a man who was badly dazed.
He said his name was Kirk Stanley. and
that he had come to this city about a
year and half ago. He said they called
him Doctor, but he had no diploma. He
was massage operator and intended to
open an Office here.
The body of Father Phillips was removed
to the morgue. DR.. A. f. Dougherty of
Wilkesbarre, who said ne is a nephew OF
the priest, identified the body. He said
Father Phillips had come to the city to
buy some statuary for his church.
Coroner Bausch committed Stanley to
the Tombs in default of $4,000 bail, to
await the result of the autopsy
After the autopsy on the body of Faith
er Phillips had been completed Coroner
Bausch announced that no marks of vio-
lence had been found on the body. the
condition of the organs showed that the
man had suffered from chBonic uephritis
and fatty liver. The coroner said that
owing to the suspicious circumstances
surrounding the case. it was deemed ad-
visable to have the vital organs anaIyzed.
Stanley was arraigned in Police Court
and was remanded to the custody of the
coroner He refused to make any state
ment in court.
stnnIey's Remarkable story.
Coroner Bausch visited Stanley in his
cell to-day and there, after much persua-
sion, the prisoner told the following re-
markable story to the coroner:
ut is true / knew the priest, and this
is the way became acquainted with him.
left my home about midnight May 8
and walked over to the corner of Ninth
standing on the corner the priest. talk
ing with two girls. He was somewhat in
tcxicated anu so was /, for ] had been
drinking iu my rooms. The priest was
i'm good humor, and so were the girls
They spoke to me as l approached
them. and l stopped. After little con-
versation I asked them to come with me
to my rooms, where we would have some
whisky. They all accepted the invitation,
and in a few minutes were seated in my
sitting room drinking whisky.
1.-THE girls remained with us about two
or three hours and then left. saying they
had to go home. After they left both
the priest and | were taken ILL., l don't
know whether the girls had put anything
in our drinks or not, but we were nause-
ated. The priest took a small bottle OF
medicine from his vest pocket and swal-
lowed a little and then told me to do
the same ] did so. and in a little while
we both felt better.
at was then the priest told me he was
a Roman Catholic clergyman from Penn
sylvania and offered to financially back
me In my cure. He did not tell me his
name.
lie Went Out for n walk.
"As dawn wes breaking told the priest
I thought / would take a little walk, as
the air would do me good, and ! asked
him to accompany me, Dut ne SAID ne
would rather rest where he was. l went
out and returned, l should say. two hours
later
"When I got back the priest was gone.
That was the last time / ever saw him.
The dead man in the room which Capt.
Donohue showed me was not the priest
knew The dead man looked Ike ne
gro"
stanley could not describe the two girls,
nor would he admit having had a woman
there whom he called his wife.
His vital Organs I'm bad shape.
DR.. o'Hanlon. who made the autopsy,
said:
"rhe autopsy showed that the man suf-
fered from chronic Bright's disease fatty
liver and fatty heart, any OF which would
have been sufficient to cause death. or
course, he might have been given a hot
bath and might have been smothered.
There were no signs Of alcoholism In the
stomach"
Father Phillips friends said the body
probably would be shipped to the priests
late home tomorrow. They expect 90
make a lengthy explanation OF the priest .
acts up 10 May .. the day on which he is
supposed TO have met his death. The po-
lice theory 50 far Is that the priest died
IN Stanley's room. either after having
been drugged for robbery, or simply as a
result Of intoxication and excitement and