Grand Island Daily Independent
Monday, December 27, 1909

WAS DEAD MAN FROM GRAND ISLAND, THEY ASK?

Kansas City, Dec. 27. - A man of about middle age, five and a half feet tall, weight 186 pounds, light brown mustache, head bald excepting fringe of brown hair, was found this morning. He had evidently been murdered and robbed. He wore a gray suit with the initials M. C. and wore a signet ring. The suit was marked M. Kalman, Grand Island, Neb. The body is that of a prosperous looking man. The body was partially buried when found and the police are completely mystified. The ring on the little finger was marked, "N. M." He also wore a black overcoat, a yellowish brown shirt with a blue stripe and a black cross stripe.

Inquiry of Mr. Kalman was made by an Independent reporter and the East Third street clothier was at first unable definitely to recall anyone having purchased such a suit and answering such a description. However, Mr. Kahman later thought he had sold such a suit to a telephone company employ a couple of months ago and inquiry revealed that one Harry McConnel had been in their employment in October and left here about Oct. 25, stating that he was going south. McConnel answered the description exactly, with exception, as Mr. Wicker of the telephone office remembers, of the mustache. But age, baldness, weight, color of hair, etc., tallied with McConnel. He came here from Central City, where he had also been in the employment of the company. Inquirey of the manager at Central City reveals that McConnel wore a signet ring but no one there recalls having seen the initials. McConnel stated at Central City that his home was in Texas. Mr. Kahlman later was of the opinion that one H. Free, a creamery employe at that time, also bought such a suit and gave his home as being in Iowa. Sheriff Dunckel does not know of anyone missing here. Mr. Kahlman was in receipt of notice of the finding of the body through the police authorities and The Independent through its press connections.

Grand Island Daily Independent
Monday, December 27, 1909

TOMMY RYAN KILLED IN FALL
And Jury Finds Fall Was Presumably Caused By Blow
CHARLES THOMPSON HELD
Charge of Manslaughter is Preferred Against Him--Tragedy is Result of Spree--Victim Has Been Rounder for Years

Wood River, Dec. 27--Christmas day at Wood River was ushered in by the report that T. P. Ryan had been found dead in the depot here as the result of a drunken embrogile with a companion and thus Wood River furnishes its second victim in the last few months to alcoholism.

Agent Gard of the Union Pacific going on duty Saturday morning at 7:15 found a man stretched out on the floor by the fire, and going into the operator's room asked the night man whom he had "in there." The reply was: "Oh, T. P." as Mr. Ryan was familiarly known. Mr. Gard then went to Mr. Ryan and upon examination found him to be in a serious condition. He then telephoned to the Commercial hotel where Mr. Ryan had been staying, informing them of his condition and also Mayor Brett, who was staying there. He then called the U. P. surgeon, Dr. Hubbell who immediately responded. Mr. Ryan, however, was dead when the doctor arrived.

Coroner Sutherland was then notified and arrived at 9:39. Two of the Boston Ideal show troupe had been held, one on suspicion and the other as a witness, as Mr. Ryan had had dealings with them on the night before. Coroner Sutherland took their depositions before the body was removed and then adjourned to the city hall, whither the body was taken and where a post mortem examination was held. The evidence was not considered sufficient to hold the show people and they were allowed to depart.

After the autopsy the following jury was summoned: J. M. Weldon, Carl McGlasson, W. T. Spelts, R. J. Clark, Dan Lyons and Joseph Morgan. The testimony was taken at Langman's hall.

M. T. Raphael testified in the deposition that he was a member of the Boston Ideal Company, that he had been with Ryan on the night before and had left him about 3 o'clock, as nearly as he could recollect. He had a faint remembrance of helping somebody get up from the ground, but he could not recall who or where. They had all been drinking but had had no quarrel. It is stated that the showman was found that morning, about 7:70, in the kitchen of James Jackson, into which he had found his way. He had taken off his outer clothing and wrapping himself up in the oil cloth table covering had seemingly spent the rest of the night very comfortably in the kitchen, though he had left the door to the same open.

C. C. Comes, of Nashville, Tenn., another of the show people, said that he had asked Ryan during the show (Ryan was a stage hand) if he could get him some whiskey for his wife, as she was ill and that Ryan got it for him. After the show Ryan and witness went to the Irwin plumbing shop and that there Ryan asked for some whisky for Mr. Comes and was shown where the jug was, that he took a cup full and took a drink himself there. There were six others in the shop, he thought, when he left. That was the last he saw of any of the parties.

James Whalen testified that he was in the telephone office over Mr. Brett's store between 1 and 2 o'clock that night and heard some parties come along the walk from the west and went south about ten or fifteen feet. He heard several words pass back and forth. He looked out of the window and as it was moonlight he could see Ryan, Charles Thompson, and another party standing there. He heard Thompson say: "I can lick you" and then Thompson struck Ryan. The latter fell on his back with his head to the east and near the outside of the sidewalk. The witness went down stairs and found that Thompson and the other party had raised Ryan up to his knees. Witness made the remark that was not a fair way to treat a friend whereupon Thompson remarked: "I am taking care of him." The witness then suggested that Ryan be taken to the hotel and the other party remarked that they had just been "fired" from there. They then took him to the depot, as it was open and there was a fire there. Ryan could walk a little and by helping him they got him there. The showman only went a short distance with them and then turned back. At the depot they put Ryan in a seat, took his watch and ring for safe keeping and left him there, after he had asked to be laid down.

Stephen Lyons corroborated the testimony of Whalen. Both testified that Ryan and the showman were drunk and Thompson nearly so.

Lee Chubb, the night man at the depot testified that he heard the parties come into the waiting room but did not go into the waiting room. He thought from the talk he overheard that one of them was drunk. He had later gone into the waiting room but as there was no light in the same he could not see what condition the man was in. Ryan had been there before, drunk, and he supposed that that was all that was the matter with him.

The coroner's jury found from the evidence that Ryan came to his death from a fracture of the skull, resulting from a fall and that the fall was presumably occasioned by a blow.

Charles Thompson was placed under arrest and brought to Grand Island where he has since been in the custody of Sheriff Dunkel. He is a clean looking young man and is said to be the son of a widow near town. He is a farmer. He had nothing to say, being advised by his counsel, W. H. Thompson, to keep quiet. The latter attended the coroner's inquest on Saturday as did County Attorney Cleary and Attorney Thompson.