The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-07-24

Mysterious End Of John
]. Kee9an Feb. 2, 1908,
May Be Solved.
WOMAN TELLS OF ROW
AND WHAT FOLLOWED
~ -------
Harry Taylor Held in East New
ark and Another Arrest
Is Coming.

Mysterious circumstances surround
ing the death of John j. Keegan, an
ex-polcennan of this city, who was
found dead at the foot of the Clay
morning of February 2. 1908, may be
cleared up by an arrest made today up,
on informtion furnished by Mrs. Cath
crime Holt, formerly of 20 Reynolds
avenue East Newark. but now of this
city, held as a witness at police head
quarters. The man under arrest gs
Harry Taylor, of Green street. en-
ployed In Clark mill No /. In Newark.
The police were told by the woman that
Keegan was killed. 1t was supposed at
the time that the death was accidental
The woman was closely questioned
today by Captain Carroll, Detective
Sergeants Ryan and Farrell and Prose-
cutors Detective Ross, of Hudson
county After she had made state
ment, Chief of Police Neville, of East
Newark, was called up on the telephone.
and after conversation with Captain
Carroll he sent his men out with orders
to arrest the two men incriminated by
the woman's-statemen Harry Taylor
was placed in custody soon afterwards,
and it is expected that another arrest
will lnnt Ia fot
According to the statement given by
Mrs Holt, Keegan, who lived at S4
Mulberry street, this city, and who had
at one time been member of the police
department. was with her and the two
men named in her statement, at 20
Reynolds place, East Newark, on the
night of February /. 1908. He had an
alteration she said. with the other
two men, and when he left at an early
hour in the morning. he was followed
Harry Taylor:
Woman's story Spells Murder.
Mrs. Holt, who now lives in this
city, told Detective Sergeants Farrell
some time ago, but her story was not
at that time considered definite enough
to warrant any action by the local
authorities Since then however, new
facts have been brought to light, and
it is said by the police that the state
very discriminating evidence against
the two men she mentions.
The body of the ex-policeman was
found on the morning of Sunday, Feb
ruary q. by James eKnnedy, a tender
on the bridge. 1t was lying in pool of
blood at the East Newark end of the
Clay street bridge, and at the time
after some investigation, it was de-
cided that the man had come to his
death in purely accidental manner.
The one fact that aroused suspicion
at the time was, that to gain the posi-
ton in which the body was found,
Keegan would have had to cross two
beams, which were located at the APP
proach to prevent any ones walking
over the then unfinished bridge. The
cause of death was given as fractured
skull
Thought 1t Was Accident.
In an interview given the STAR at
the time by Thomas Neville chief of
police, the accident appeared to have
been nothing more than an ordinary
accident His statement:
II was patroling around the bridge
all Saturday night and until I o'clock
yesterday morning, and saw nobody
that appeared suspicious, or, in fact,
saw nothing extraordinary around
the place at all. In my opinion there
was no foul play in the case at all
Continued ON second PsEe.)