Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 311, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 December 1920 — FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT O’BRIEN WAS MURDERED [ARTICLE]

FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT O’BRIEN WAS MURDERED

Momence, 111., Dec. 29.—Further evidence that Lieut. Pat O’Brien, hero-aviator, who died in his room in a Los Angeles hotel, Dec. 18, did not commit suicide but was killed by a shot fired from some distance, was elicited today from J. E. Melvey, rindertaker, who made a careful examination of the body upon its arrival here for burial a few days ago. t Questioned by relatives of O’Brien, who are determined Upon further investigation of the former bird-man’s death. Melvey declared today that there were no powdermarks or burns about the wound and that the shot must have been fired “from some distance.” Contrary to the statements of Los Angeles authorities yesterday and at the time of Lieut. O’Brien’s death, Melvey declared that O’Brien had not been shot through the mouth and that only one bullet had taken effect and it has passed from the right temple to a point just above the hairline on the left temple.

“I made a careful examination of Lieut. O’Brien,” Melvey said, “and I found no evidence at all of a bullet having been fired through the mouth and emerging from the top of the head. There is only one fracture in the skull and this was just above the hair-line on the left temple, where the bullet had evidently emerged. There were no powder marks or burns about the wounds, which had been filled with gelatin by the Los Angeles undertaker.