Shawville Tragedy, part 4 (Tabloid Thursday)

Tabloid Thursday: Where yesterday's news is today...

I wanted a weekly feature where I could showcase articles, those lovely little social news items (i.e. "Mrs. X and daughter visited Mrs. Y this weekend and will be returning home on Thursday..."), and other interesting newspaper "stuff" I've come across in the course of my research.  Thus, Tabloid Thursday...

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Source: "The [Ottawa] Evening Citizen", Wednesday, 25 September, 1907, p. 1, column 1.
Accessed at Google News archive, 10 February 2011.

[click to enlarge]

ACCUSED DIES IN PRISON CELL
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Tragic End of John McTiernan.
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FROM NATURAL CAUSES
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Was To Stand Trial for the Death of His Brother.
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      Bryson, Que., Sept. 25. - (Special) - John McTiernan, who was arrested on August 22nd last, in connection with his brother, Thomas McTiernan's tragic death, which occurred on the roadside about a mile and a half from here on August 19th last, died at four o'clock yesterday afternoon from natural causes.
      The deceased has been in poor health and spent most of his time lying on his cot in the prison cell. He took ill on Saturday and it was noticed yesterday morning that he was not likely to recover. The jail physician had been in attendance. His brother Robert McTiernan, was with him when he passed away, but he was unconscious when he came and did not recognize him.
STORY OF AFFAIR.
      The circumanstances surrounding the death of Thomas McTiernan aroused considerable interest and excitement among the people of Bryson, Shawville and the district.
      The deceased had left his home, a mile and a half from Bryson, on the Monday morning, August 19th, and it was ascertained that he walked to the village, where he had drinks and where he also secured a couple of bottles of liquor. In the afternoon his dead body was found beside the road about two hundred yards from his home. There were indications of violence on the body and a sensational aspect was given the affair by the story of two witnesses who said they had seen the deceased with his brother, John McTiernan, at the place where the body was found an hour or so later, and that they had seen John strike the deceased with his fists in the face. Dr. Hurdman, coroner, when he learned these facts, opened an inquest next day and the jury returned practically an open verdict, that death was due to violence, though the nature of such violence was not known to the jury.
      Much interest was centered in the evidence of John McTiernan, the brother now dead. John said he had slept in his brother's barn Sunday night, Aug. 18, and about seven o'clock Monday morning commenced helping Thomas with the work. Thomas did not work long, but when away towards Bryson. When he went after him, at the request of Mrs. McTiernan, he found his brother at the creek, about four hundred yards from the house. He was mixing water with highwines by dipping the bottle in the creek. He tried to bring him home. Just at the bridge, he said. Thomas fell and struck his head on a log, causing his nose to bleed. Between the bridge and where he left his brother, Thomas, he said, fell several times. He said when Thomas would not come home he left him beside the road and returned to the house. The next time he saw him he was dead. John said he had never quarreled with the deceased and was positive he did not hit him.