A man murdered and thrown into the dock.
--At an early hour yesterday morning, the body of a white man, named William Daley, was found floating in the dock, between the Gallego and Crenshaw mills. When lifted out and placed upon the ground, it was found that his right arm was very much bruised and swollen from heavy blows, his head partially scalped, one of his legs broken, and other cuts and bruises about different parts of his person. Dr. Cabell, who was called upon to examine the corpse, gave it as his opinion that the deceased had been foully dealt with and then thrown overboard, and that the deed had been committed within the past forty-eight hours. When the body was discovered it was entirely divested of clothing.Daley was at one time a member of Major Bridgford's First Virginia (Irish) battalion. He was afterwards discharged from service, and then obtained employment at the Confederate States Laboratory, at which place he was engaged up to the time of his disappearance. On Thursday or Friday last he was paid off, receiving three hundred and twenty dollars. From that time till Saturday afternoon he was somewhat under the influence of liquor, but was considered by his friends to be drunk. Saturday evening at five o'clock was the last time he was seen by any of his acquaintances, and the most plausible supposition is, that some time during that night he was murdered, robbed and thrown into the dock.
A jury of inquest was held over the body at twelve o'clock yesterday, under the superintendence of Justice Charles E. Wortham, assisted by High Constable George A. Freeman. Several witnesses were examined, but none of their testimony threw any light upon the affair, and the verdict of the jury, therefore, was, that the deceased came to his death by violence inflicted by some person or persons unknown to them.
