PATRICK QUINLAN MURDERED

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, December 28, 1894.

PATRICK QUINLAN MURDERED.

FOUND BY THE ROADSIDE NEAR HIS HOME IN AN UNCONSCIOUS CONDITION.

His Skull Crushed In by Some Blunt Instrument and His Pockets Rifled—No Clue to the Perpetrators of the Deed.

   Patrick Quinlan, aged 64 years, a stalwart and thrifty farmer, has for many years lived on a two hundred-acre farm about two miles west of Homer village. To reach the farm one must travel north from the old Giles foundry at the foot of west hill for about three-fourths of a mile, and taking the first left hand road follow it for about a half a mile where it ends at Quinlan's house. Quinlan's wife died some years ago, and his only daughter Julia, aged about 30 years, kept house for him, while his only son, Thomas, aged about 28 years assisted him in doing the work on the farm.

   Last Friday Quinlan came to Homer and sold $40.59 worth of turkeys. A few days previous he drew from the Homer National Bank $40.17 on a check he had received for his milk and also drew $50 on a certificate of deposit which he had carried for some time. He bought a pair of blankets for $8.50 and paid his taxes amounting to about $32, after which he went home. He gave the money he received for the turkeys to his daughter and at 6 o'clock started on foot for Homer. He was in the Central House opposite Keator opera house at 8 o'clock where he took a glass of beer and started for home. It is the testimony of all who knew him, that while he occasionally took a drink of beer or something stronger, he had not for years been known to take enough to show it in the least particular.

   The next we hear of Quinlan comes from his son Thomas. He and his sister retired at 9 o'clock or soon after, leaving the door unlocked. They slept up stairs and the father slept in a bedroom off the sitting room on the first floor. Thomas was up first in the morning and says he did not look into the room to see if his father had returned. He says his father often passed the night with his brother Dennis, who lives on the Johnson farm above Brewery hill and that for this reason whenever he failed to come home at night the fact caused no uneasiness. After milking the cows, Thomas says he started for Homer station at about 7 o'clock with the milk, and that about forty rods from the house he saw his father lying on his face at the lower side of the road near the fence.

   It is reported that he at first said that he stopped his team, took the milk cans out of the wagon, turned the wagon about, lifted his father into the wagon, took him home, put him to bed and returning reloaded the milk cans, and after delivering the milk at Homer returned home. The ground was soft and muddy Friday night and Saturday forenoon and when asked how it was that there were no tracks showing that the wagon had been turned about, he is reported to have admitted that he did not carry his father home until after he returned from delivering the milk. He says he told the first story because after he found that his father was seriously hurt, he felt that he would be severely criticized, for leaving him and driving to Homer before caring for him. He stopped the team and called to him but got no answer, and from the fact that he could hear him breathe heavily, he mistrusted that he had become intoxicated and had laid down, and that as soon as he had slept off the effects of the liquor, he would get up and go home. This he gives as the reason why he did not take him home when he first saw him.

   Quinlan did not recover consciousness and Thomas drove to Homer after Dr. L. T. White, arriving there at 1 o'clock P. M. Dr. White's office was full of patients and he told the young man that it would be fully two hours before he could come. At 3 o'clock the doctor started for Quinlan's home. He found the man still unconscious, the right side of his head pounded almost to a jelly; his nose smashed and his right eye badly injured, while his tongue and upper lip were swollen to twice the normal size. White dressed the injuries and told family that he would not recover. Rev. J. J. McLoghlin was summoned and was with him for several hours.

   Late Sunday afternoon Dr. Higgins of this place, assisted by Dr. White and Robinson of Homer removed a piece of the skull and a large blood clot from the brain, but Quinlan died at 7:15 o'clock or about ten minutes after the operation had been performed.

   Quinlan was over six feet in height and must have weighed over two hundred pounds. At the post mortem held on Monday, the doctors found every organ in perfect condition and there were no traces of alcohol in the stomach. He was a quiet, honest, industrious man and had many friends and not a known enemy. He paid cash for everything he purchased and was not inclined to show his money.

   In the highway near where Quinlan was found lay his pocket knife, part of a plug of tobacco and in one of the wagon ruts was scattered a quantity of nails. His pockets had been rifled of what money he had. The amount is not known, but it is believed to have amounted to between $75 and $100. His clothing was covered with mud.

   Sheriff Miller says that there were no evidences of a struggle where Quinlan was found, but the fence looked as though some one had recently climbed over it. Sheriff Miller found a clumsy ash fence post near the scene, but it is not believed that this was the instrument used to kill the deceased.

   Coroner Bradford empanelled the following jury on Monday: Hugh S. McDiarmid, foreman; Wm. C. Collins, W. H. Foster, C. H. Danes, Warren Clark, Harmon Hooker, E. Bockes, Byron Maxson and Geo. Eldridge. After viewing the body the jury adjourned to Wednesday at 9 o'clock.

   On Wednesday the examination was continued and Dr. F. H. Green, who performed the autopsy, described the wounds and injuries of the deceased and said they could not have been occasioned by a fall. He thought he must have received three heavy blows from some blunt instrument. Dr. Green was corroborated in his statement substantially by Drs. White and Robinson who assisted in making the autopsy. Other witnesses were sworn but nothing new was elicited and they simply corroborated the facts as we have given them above. The inquest was then adjourned until Monday next.

   The body was taken to Pompey on Wednesday, and the funeral was held from the Catholic church in that place. Interment also at Pompey.

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.

   CHENANGO.—Norwich liquor dealers have formed an association.

   Oxford people are to vote on adopting a union school system January 8.

   T. S. Baker of Norwich had $50 worth bitten from him by a Troy dog recently.

   Several valuable canines have been poisoned at Norwich of late and a reward of $250 has been offered for the apprehension of the guilty parties. Evidently the wrong dog gets the pill.

   MADISON.—The pastor of the Episcopal church at Clinton was "held up" by three highwaymen last week.

   Another mineral spring of considerable medicinal value has been found near Chittenango.

   There was a wreck on the O. & W. at Earlville station Monday morning. A coal train going south broke in two, and when the divisions came together there was a smash. One car was thrown into the river, and several were more or less damaged. A tramp who was stealing a ride on the train was hurled some distance, but escaped other injuries than a few bruises. Travel was not much delayed by the accident.

   TOMPKINS.—Sheriff Seaman has eleven boarders.

   Prospects, we learn, of a telephone line from North Lansing to Locke.

   The total number of teachers at Cornell is now 166, a larger number than ever employed before.

   About $65 worth of skunk skins belonging to H. G. Wilson were stolen from a barn where they were stored, one night last week.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.

   The investigation by the Lexow committee, now being held in New York, is being conducted very much on the lines of the old Spanish inquisitions. The committee assumes power greater than that given to any public official. It bulldozes and abuses witnesses in the most shameful manner. Its counsel would be promptly called to order in any court of record and would be reprimanded by the court. When and where they were clothed with such unlimited power is something that no fellow can find out. They even assume to dictate to the Police Commissioners and threaten them with dire results if they do not consult the committee in the matter of suspension of policemen. In the case of Captain Creedon, who had twice sworn to one thing on the witness stand, and again to an entirely different version, they threatened the commissioners for suspending him and the commissioners restored him. Creedon committed perjury on one or the other occasions and is therefore not fit to be a policeman. The committee talk of rewarding him for committing a crime. Are the members of the committee any better than the criminal? "The end may justify the means" according to their notion, but it is very doubtful if they are justified in doing wrong that good may come of it. Creedon has shown himself a perjurer and should be punished instead of rewarded for his crime.

An Office Without Power.

   It should be remembered that the new Constitution abolishes the office of justice of Sessions. It is one of the good features of the Constitution, for the office carries no power. It is no more than ornamental, and a man occupying the place must feel very uncomfortable sitting on the bench all day and doing nothing. Only love of country could tempt some men to till the position. It is a relic of English law, when any squire was usually a magistrate and was invited to a seat on the bench. The presiding judge has done all the business, and the two justices flanking him were only called on to look solemn and dignified. Some of these men, worthy and capable men of the community where they live, have often been objects of commiseration as they sat painfully watching the hands of the clock creeping on to the dinner or supper hour, and at the same time hiding a yawn with hand over mouth, as some prosy lawyer aired his technical learning.—Kingston Argus.

HERE AND THERE.

   Happy New Year to all!
   A. S. Burgess, the clothier, has a new advertisement on our last page.

   Thomas Corcoran was taken to Fabius last Saturday to answer to the charge of burglary.

   James Rodbourne, one of the builders of the Elmira, Cortland & Northern R. R., died at his home in Breesport last Saturday.

   Send your absent friend a copy of the Cortland DEMOCRAT for a year. There is no present that is so universally appreciated.

   Last Saturday night the many friends of John Gilkerson, residing about four miles northeast of Cortland, gave his new house a genuine christening. They brought their own refreshments and enjoyed themselves hugely.

   Snow commenced falling Wednesday night and continued nearly all day Thursday accompanied by a blizzard. Trains on all the roads were late yesterday forenoon, but were on time in the afternoon. There is nearly a foot of snow on the ground and many highways are full of drifts.

   Don't forget to purchase tickets for "Shore Acres" to be given in the Opera House Saturday evening. Many people who have seen both entertainments say that it is even better than the "Old Homestead." Seats are on sale at Wallace's.

   DeVer Richards, who has been working in a lumber mill near Truxton for a few weeks past, was paid off last Saturday noon and came to Cortland on the 3 o'clock train. An hour later he was tolerably full and got into a quarrel with a man in the Central House. Deputy Edwards arrested him after a struggle and landed him in the cooler. Monday morning he was sentenced to ten days in jail. Richards is the man who once gave officers a lively chase from this place to McGrawville before he was captured. He was released from the Onondaga Penitentiary only a few weeks since, where he had been serving a term for stabbing a man in Homer. Richards is pretty sure to get into trouble when in liquor and he seems always anxious to imbibe.

   The jury empanelled to inquire into the cause of the death of Loren N. Phelps of Solon, was notified by the coroner to assemble at McGrawville yesterday. We have been unable to learn what proceedings were had. The Syracuse Herald says that the chemist, Dr. William Manlius Smith of that place, found traces of poison in Phelp's stomach.

TAYLOR.

   Joseph Cass and family are entertaining friends from Syracuse.

   The butter in the several factories in this town still remains unsold.

   The nuptials of Mark Wire and Miss Julia Brooks takes place Tuesday.

   Earl Flint is home from Haverhill, Mass., on account of trouble with his eyes.

   Miss Pearl Culver of Syracuse is visiting her aunt, Mrs. F. E. Jordan, this week.

   Levi Neal had another slight stroke of paralysis Monday, but has slightly improved in health since.

   Thursday evening, Dec. 20, a happy event took place at the residence of Rev. J. A. Pudney, it being the marriage of Floyd L. Widger and Miss Jennie E. Stanton of Freetown. Those present being Rev. J. A. Pudney who officiated. Mrs. J. A. Pudney, Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Jordan, Mr. and Mrs. Darwin Fisk, F. E. Jordan,  Charles Fisk, Hermon Pudney and Carl Allen. In a few short words the elder made them man and wife, after which congratulations were extended to the happy bride and groom by those present, after which the happy couple went on their way rejoicing.