The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-01-05
The Staten Island Murder.
COnrt OF Enquiry.
Before Commissioner PHELrs.
vI..x-u...... LII

THURSDAY, JAN. 4-HALP pAsp 2.
GARRr GIBSON, scora.-In whose employment
Ain James Wadrons. / am baker by oc-
cupatlon
Q-Do you know where Eliza Ann Bodne, the
daughter of Polly Bodine, was staying the Sunday
before Christmas
Alt Smith Freeman's.
Odd you receive letter to convey from
Polly Bodlne 10 her 7
Al did, on the Wednesday before Christmas
received II from Daniel Ems. ! destroyed the
letter, having retained it four days. | did not
think 1t OF any consequence, because | did not
go round that way.
Odd you read it before you destroyed it =
Al did the purport of il was not TO allow her
to come home IN the mud The letter was signed
by Mrs Bodine. 1t was directed to Mrs. Freeman.
Q-When did Eliza Ann re urn to her mothers
house
A-On Christmas day. I have not been 10 the
house of Mrs, Bodine's father since. do not
know how Polly Bodine reached the Quarantine
the night she LETT her fathers house.
This witness was bound under recognlzance
OF $500 to appear at the court of General Sessions
on the second Tuesday in April
JOHN THOMPSON, lad about II years of age,
sworn am thirteen years, and better. reside
at John Thompson's on the shore / am not rela-
ted to John ]. Van Pet On Christmas morning
was sent up TO Captain Houseman's by my grand
mother to procure some pills; was TO get them
from the deceased Mrs. Houseman; reached the
house Just after sunrise as was gong in the big
gate, John Burbank said you vii get no Christmas
there he lives right opposite ! went round TO the
back kitchen door; knocked there sometime but
did notget any answer; then went 10 Houseman's,
Sen, and asked where Emeline was; Mrs. House
man replied that she must either be at home or she
had gone out; the family were at breakfast Mrs:
Houseman opened the door; | then went back and
raped, bur could not get any answer; ! returned
and told Mrs. Houseman that | could not get in !;
she told Ine the windows were open all Sunday,
but were closed in the evening. ! returned a
third time, and for ten minutes raped but could
t.,lyl .t.t,a
door; | could not open il by the brass knob with
my knee; did not hear any noise nor did per-
ceve any smoke, or smell of any thing burning
then started to so home, and Mrs, Houseman met
me by the gate, and told me that Emeline always
came over to ask for some one to sleep with her,
and she must have come home last night and fetched
some one to sleep with her, or she was away; |
then returned and tried the front kitchen door,
dows were all shut; did not percelv any
smoke there | called twice at the back door
while knocking at the front door, Mrs. John Bur.
bank lifted up her window. ana told me II raped
door; then started home and met John Bodlne ;
don't think said any thing to him; did not
meet any one else that morning | did not see Pol
Of Polly Bodine ' did not s see Woman standing
with any one with her bonnet on and basket,
waiting for the stage the kitchen was the room
where Mrs Houseman slept usually; look ed
through the key hole, but 1t was so dark could
not see any thing.
Q-Are you sure that you took hold and turned
the brass knob of the front kitchen door!
Al did | tried to get in by the u sual means,
| but could not the conclusion | came to was that
| Mrs. Emelne Houseman had gone out am sure
| it was not Polly Bodne who spoke to me at Mrs.
| Abraham Housemans door.
1.-THE hands OF the steamboat Water Witch
are here introduced, to recognize Waite, who
stands up firmly and with steady eye
| JOHN ENGLAND sworn-I reside at 22 Renwclx
street, New York; am news carrier; do not
know VOORHEES,; / carry papers to Staten Island
| ly; may have seen her, however; never saw her
| at my house; she was not al my house on Saturday
night or Sunday morning; have conversed with
| my family and they have never seen her at my
| house; Polly Bodlne, to my knowledge, was not al
my house at any time that can recolect.
WARD WOODRUFF swOrn-l reside at Factory
vile; | am married to daughter of Abraham
| Houseman; Polly Bodlne was not IN my carriage
in her life; she was not in 1t on friday night or or
Saturday morning; have no knowledge Of the
means whereby she reached the Quarantine thai
| morning.
| Q-Do you know any thing about conversation
between Captain Houseman and Polly Bodine re.
atve TO offering reward
| Al heard from my wife that at the time Mrs
| BodInel said to her brother, "George, if you dc
You will xiii me-" or something to that effect, sh.
| did not say she would cut her throat to my know
ledge.
| DANIEL MORGAN swom.-I reside at Elizabeth
| Point, n. j.; follow steamboating; for the las
L
Water Witch; have seen the prisoner Waite; he
came down with us about ten days ago; there were
very few passengers; it was a cold morning; was
| standing on the gang way, while the captain was
collecting fare the prisoner walked up towards me
and told HIM he could not pass, that the captain
would be round shortly to collect the fare; while
was walking the deck he said to me you look cold
| said that | went so pretty much all the year
| the gentleman (meaning the prisoneT went into
the forward cabin saw Waite coming from the
bar; think he walked aft on coming from the for
ward cabin; can't tell al which of the landings he
| left the boat; we were n the eight o'clock trip
from the city; am not positive; he appeared pretty
much as he is now; he never travelled before with
| u.s. and ! always observe strangers, that ] may
know when the captain asks about the freight;
| | am always stationed on the forward deck
| Odd you recognize HIM when you saw himl
Al did at once; he was dressed something as
| he is now; can't recollect whether he wore hat
| or a cap; never saw HIM at any other time; do
| not know how he returned to the city; have been
on the route about three years. from my station on
board, am compelled TO take notice of all persons
coming on board, in order to point out IL the cap
tain the persons having freight on board, and those
not having any; ! did not see any person in com
pany with him; did not see boy with him.
Cross-eronined The captain of the boat is ia
cob Van Pet; the captain collected the fare al
ways; II may have been as long as eight or ten
days since the prisoner down with US; it was
either Saturday or Tuesday, week ago; | was
brought up in order TO recognize the prisoner the
gentleman who brought ms up told me TO try and
ing was cool, IA the prisoner said to me that
should have a coat on usually wear a coat when
it storms: think 1t was the first trip that morn
ing | can't recognize the pocket book now shewn
me as the one from which he paid his fare.
CHARLES AcoMB, sworn.--I reside at 300 Green
witch street: my shop is at 294 Spring street my
employment is willow basket making live with
nv father; (the basket of Polly Bodine is here
shewn,) mended that basket myself; | first saw
It on Christmas afternoon, about o'clock,
it was to be returned at nine o'clock on Tuesday
morning 1t was left with mother on Christmas
told me / recognise my own work on tins basket !;
put in two pins in the handle, one on each side !;
the pay was to have been eighteen pence, but they
paid my father ten and five pence; did not
see the young man who came with the woman I;
my father said it was woman and boy who call
ed for the basket ] do not know Albert BodIne !;
have heard that Waite was about taking rooms
from my father; will be sixteen next month.
JoEt Cole sworn--l am the engineer on board
the steamboat Staten Islander from the Quaran-