The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-09
WITNESSES PUT
 CRlMP IN ALIBl OF JOHN BRENNAN
Townspeople Claim to Have Seen Suspect in Town When He Claimed to Have Been Absent.
tspecdal to the Farrner.1 )

- I Newtown, Jan. 9-From evidence presented before Coroner John J. Phe- 1 Ian, today, at the William Corr in- 1 quest in NeWtown, the case of the state detectives against Michael J. Brennan, held in the county jadd as a l suspect Of the murder of the old shoe maker on August 29 was somewhat istrengthened.
 l It was testified by one witness who knows Brennan we'll, that inc was seen walking on the road towards Haw1ey- lille on the Sunday following the nnrur- I der. Brennan has made statements to the effect that at this time he was lin a hut on the place formerly owned by his brother. Tom, in Ha,wleyyille. l Two other witnesses declare that they saw a heavy set man sleeping in a church shed just adjoining the Corr shop Between noon and o'clock on the afternoon of the murder. As both seem positive that he had a nIHstaHhe,
 worn, one this evidence is greatly in his flavor. Both witnesses, however, admit that they can identify him upon lsig1t and they will be given an op- portunity at an early date to select Brennan from among a. row of others in the county jail.
 It is claimed that cans of soup and salmon found in the Corr residence are
 similar to those found in the shed where the stranger was seen shortly prior 10 the commission of the crirne. l The coroner began his hearing at 19:15 this morning in the presence 1 of about 100 men and women. Among | those present at the inquest was Dr. l Edward Fitzgerald of Bridgeport
 who performed the autopsy Con- stable c. B. Johnson, of Newtown, I who arrested Brennan was present
 but state officers VireIh and Hurley had to be excused as they are work ing on another important case for the state. The prisoner was mot tr New
 town, but was represented by Attor-
 ney J. Robert Beecher of Bridgeport
 The first witness was Mrs. M. c.
 Bradley of North Newtown, who lives
 on the road leading towards Bren-
 nan's old home. She teStfded that
 on Friday preceding the crime Bren- nan had been at her house doing some s work. She had known him all her
 life but did not know that he knew Il Corr.
 I Arthur Rydell, formerly bartender at the Newtown Inn, testified he had
 known Brennan since June Had
 seen him in the place on Saturday
 morning and lie had been there as late as 2 o'clock when RydeH went to st lunch. Brennan had played cards
 during the morning and the other bar
 tender who took Ryde11s place had
 stated that Brennan became intoxtcat- ed about D. m., when he tried to
 hang him up for $1.75." Brennan
 when unable to pay said that a nnan named Hughes would. Hughes re-
 fused and Brennan was elected Wit ness had not seen Brennan since be tdng relieved to go to lunch. He knew
 William Corr and Corr was in the
 Newtown Inn during the morning. t Corr went to lunch shortly after wit
 ness left for dinner. Corr had drank i a bottle of beer. Corr left at approx
 inaately o'clock. Witness never saw
 Miss Anna Carlson. booklxeansr for R H. Beers & CO. Newtown, testi
 fled she knew Brennan all her life
 and saw him Saturday, Aug. 29, about noon. He seemed sober She talked
 with him as he bought a can Of sal- z mon She knew Corr but did not see him that day.
 Thomas Carlson, a constable and
 farmer. did not remember seeing Brennan on Saturday but went with Officer Hurley to the shoemaker's 1 shop on Labor Daily and found a can full of salmon and a can of Camp } I.beIls soup in the shop. Both were
 filled. They also found in the church shed adjoining the shops an empty salmon can. His sister told them } she had sold the same kind of soup
 but the brand of salmon found in the house was not the kind she sold. Carlson could not say he ever Saw Brennan at Gorr's shop.
 Phi1o Coggswell, of Hattertowns a. [ carpenter. furnished the first real
 sensation of the hearing when he tes-
 tified that he did not know Brennan. He was in Newtown August 29 and
 put his wagon in the church shed ! about 10 o'clock in the morning. He
 saw a man reclining or asleep in a Il gospel wagon under the shed. He 2 returned to the shed in about an : hour and saw the same man-Short $ and stout. probably about 4Na years : Iof age and weighing between 150 and | 50 pounds. He had no coat on and : in conversation with CoggsweH said
 he lived in HawIeyvflle. The man \ wore a dark brown mustache tinged . with gray. The man told Coggsweu he worked on the roads.
 d Another witness Parme1ee had . Joined witness at the time and later s they had a conversation in which Q both wondered why the stranger wore
 no coat. Could not remember Wheth- ,, CT stranger wore vest but had on a 3 dark shirt and he would instantly re-
 cognize suspect if brought face to face ], David B. Parmelee. also of Hatter- r town. a farmer. who saw the
 stranger in the shed about 10 o'clock
 E. G. PitzschleE. assistant town clerk,
 who works in his fathers barber shop
 shaved Brennan in the barber shop 2 about o'clock. He had no a1a1lstacshe . and as far as witness recalled never. z z had one
 Miss Carlson recalled to the stand. SSeAtu tuI16 SStOI6 CtS1 -11S\L Sall AnpDy brand
 soup salmon but kept Carnpbeu's,
 The empty salmon can she said was the same brand sold in her store n The most damaging testimony against Brennan was that offered by l Michael J. Ryan, a section hand on : the railroad, who went to school with $ Brennan and met him on Saturday
 afternoon at the Newtog1l dnn where
 he saw him as late as 5 p. m. While
 he never knew Brennan wore a mus s tache, he was positive he met Bren-
 nan on the Sunday morning following Q about o'clock on the turnpike near : Ryan's house, which follows the rail- .r road towards HawIeyYille. Rrennan