Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-28
MYSTERY IN
BRUISED BODY
|, vIscovIcH FOUND BENEATH
WINDOW
HEIR TO 100000 KILLED IN cITYs
HEART
Watch and Money Are Misslng-May
Have Been Victim Of
Thief-PoIice Views
Vary

Face downward, lying in an alley under
the window of his bedroom, Joseph Wis
covich, known as Joe Hicks, was found
yesterday morning dead. Upon his head
were many bruises. Patrolman Fray, the
first of the police to see the body, says
it is a clear case of murder. The case
is as puzzling a mystery as has been
faced by the Los Angeles authorities in
months.
The alley in which the body was dis
covered is in the rear of 41214 South Main
street.
In vain the police have sought to un-
ravel the mystery and though the de-
tectives working on the case are inclined
to believe it was a suicide case there Is
much reason for believing that another
mysterious murder has been committed
in the very heart of Los Angeles.
Signs which point to murder are the
facts that the dead mans watch and
money are missing, that no trace of any
liquor was found in his stomach and that
his head was bruised in many places.
Viscovich always carried with him a
fine watch and considerable money.
When his room and body were searched
yesterday no trace of either cash or timeA
piece could be found.
This together with the bruises, which
cover the back as we'll as the front of his
head, would indicate that some sneak
thief had been discovered by Viscovich
and that the robber had killed or stunned
him by blow and thrown him from the
window.
Marks on House
ba ell do
of the house which are similar to those
made by man climbing a rope and that
the body was found within sixteen inches
of the wall of the building give color to
this theory.
Fray says that the room could easily
have been entered without disturbing
any one in the house.
The detectives say they believe that
Viscovich was drunk and fell out of the
window, for his door was locked on the
inside Viscovich was well known to the
local police for the many times he had
been arrested for drunkenness and this
led them to accept the idea that he was
drunk when he fell. The coroner's
autopsy shows that there were no signs
of liquor in his stomach.
The dead man was found lying on his
face with both arms crossed over his
chest This strengthens the idea that he
was unconscious at the time OF the fall.
A theory is that Viscovich was sitting
in the window with his feet on the Sill
when he fell asleep. Doing, he may
have lost his balance. The money and
watch may have been taken by night
prowler after the man was dead.
In Good Spirits Saturday
| Friends of the dead man scout the
theory of suicide, for they say he was ir
| the best of spirits when last seen early
| Saturday morning.
Eddie Thorpe says that he was wifi
| Viscovich until the man started home to
| go to bed, and at that time he spoke
hopefully of the time when he should
come into possession of an estate valued
| at $50 900, which is now in the administra-
| tors hands His friends say he has no
enemies and there was no reason for sui
eide or murder, except for robbery.
Viscovich had recently stopped drinking
because it gave him hemorrhages of the
nose.
The estate, a grocery store on Orange
street besides other property, will go to
his two cousins, Mary Horigan and Mrs
Donohue.
The inquest will be held at Pierce Bros
establishment on Monday at O'Clock.