Evening star., 1931-12-09
cALLAHAN'S DEATH
LAID TO ACCIDENT
Coroner's Jury Says Catholic
U. Student Fell From Dor.
mitory Window.

A verdict of accidental death was re-
turned today by the coroner's Jury
which investigated the death yesterday
at Catholic University of jeremiah john
Callahan, 2l-year-old sophomore. The
verdict ascribed the fatality "to = fau
which occurred in front of Gibbons
Hall, just over the steps where he was
found"
The verdict was returned after sew,
eral OF Callahan's fellow students testi,
ned he had been drinking early yester-
day. Evidence indicated the strong
possibility that Callahan plunged from
9 balcony on the fifth floor of Gibbons
HAN, 46 feet above the stone steps
where his body was found.
Describes Injuries.
DR.. G.. ]. Murphy, deputy coroner,
VINO performed the autopsy, testified
Cauahan had received q fractured
skull, ruptured liver and broken ribs
wnicn pierced his lungs, causing hemor-
images, indicating he had fallen from a
great height. 1t was brought out, too.
that window in the fifth-foor room
OF William F. Ferguson was open. Fer
guson Is a student with whom CAL
iahan had been drinking, and the win
dow was directly above the spot where
his body lay.
Ferguson, however, said he knew
nothing of Callahan having been In his
room Just preceding the fall, as he
was asleep. Nor could other students
testify this was the case, as the last
any Of them had seen of Callahan was
when they succeeded in getting him to
PED about 2:45 o'clock yesterday morn
them considerable trouble.
Missing From Own Room.
Callahan was missing from his OWE
room on the first floor Of Gibbons Hall
about o'clock when Rev. r. p, Cassidy.
dean, investigated after hearing q dis
turbance there. He presumably wan
dered away during the intervening Is
minutes. .
Detectives Dennis j. Murphy and s.
a. Iruscott, who made a check Of the
scene surrounding the accident, said
That, while 1t might have been difacult
Tor Callahan to have plunged from the
NTH floor balcony because Of a railing
there, that in climbing out he could
have lost his balance.
The flrst student to testify was John
2. Davis OF Norfolk, Va, who found
Callahan's body.
He was fallowed by Daniel s. Sullivan
OF Baltimore, who said Callahan had
come to his room about 2:3o am. and
that they all went down to the room Of
vincent G. Lynch, Callahan became
boisterous from drinking, he said, and
engaged IN tussle with Ferguson, who
was attempting to get him to 60 to
ped. Eventually, Sullivan said, he took
Ferguson to his own room, and. 1t was
brought out later, Lynch and John 81,
Lyons Of Philadelphia, put Callahan
to bed
Tells Of Tussle in Hall, si
Lyons said he had been aroused by
the noise outside his door, and IN
Vestagated to f1nd Callahan was at
tempting to strike Ferguson. Lyons
said that he had tried to hit Callahan
TO make him go to bed, but missed
him. ts7 s' AZ ~ T7.-s-4
Ferguson told the jury he had been
with Callahan from about 1o.40 until
ne went to bed. Ferguson admitted
drinking a3ftosS p :. r1iI =iG SIC -
Lynch told of Callahan, and Ferguson
coming to his room and said Callahan
was noisy. He said there was no drink
Ing IN his ROOM, Lynch said Callahan
mad been put to bed just few rninutes
before Father Cassidy came downstairs
to investigate the trouble.
It was brought out that on the nieht
pelore thanksgiving, Callahan became
intoxicated and went to sleep in room
on the nth floor, also over the point
where his body was found. The occu..
pant OF this room, r. w. Pello, told Of
this occurrence, which had previously
been brought into the testimony by Jo-
seph OLeary, lay proctor. Pello said
he had not seen Callahan the night be-
fore last, however.
Another witness, Edward A. Meaeher
told OF being out walking with Sullivan
and Callahan early In the night, but
said there was no drinking going on.
Paul 2. Pope, night watchman, saiS
ne heard . scream "like some one was
scared IN the vicinity OF Albert Hall
% wnlcn aoJoins Gibbons Hall, about Q
O'Clock yesterday morning. He said
this was Immediately followed by 4
crash. He made q cursory inyestira-
tion, but found nothing.
detectives said the screams were only
the loud language Callahan was using
ana tnat the crash was caused when
an empty bottle was flung from the oom
where drinking was in progress.
rather Cassidy said he was surprised
70 learn Callahan had been. drinking.
Because OF the unusual features sur
rounolng the case, United States Attor-
ney Leo A. Rover delegated Assistant
United States Attorney Julien + Rich-
ARDS to the inquest, where he Conducted
cross-examtnatton. Catholic University
was represented by Vincent L. Toomey.
Dr. Joseph D. Rogers, coroner, conduct
ed the Inquest, with DR.. Murphy as
sisting him.