The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-07-29
Mysterious Tragedy In Mercer Street.
euPPOsKD AURDER AND RoBBKRY.

gastus Van Lew residing ss No. IL Hubert street, Was
found lying upon cellar door the Of Mercer
and Canal streets. The body conveyed TO the
Eighth precinct sia,on house BY officer Chasman, whore
was room Afterwards identified. The friends Of the dc
ceased say that when lost 1ve at l01s O'Clock NJ
he had h;a pe1on gold watch and chain, and about
forty dolArs IN money. a. decesseds pockets r6ed
OF their contents, II 10 supposed tina. ne murdered,
especially his head and face oved marks vioenc,
Mr. Van Lew Jeff his residence IN Hubert stree. ABOUT l0
O'CLOCK for The purpose OF purchasing boe Of porter.
At H. ocieok ne was found dead above described.
R.s watch chain appeared 70 have been severed by
mesns OF pair Of nippers, tie hook found hang
ing IN the vest when deceased discovered by the or
bcey. The spot where deceased WAS found 10 in the
midst OF very eusy neighborhood, and even up 70
and two O'Clock IN the morning s py lonely
rnDequenied locality. Such oetng the case, 10 some
what extraordinary tha. NO noise disturbance was
heard there between the hours Of Io and IL O'Clock
ton until be was found quite dead. the police look upon
the matter Somewhat In the light OF accident and
cauee and Afterwards robbed by Of the many
thieves who continually found IGrkng about the
Aer In question. The friends OF deceased, bosever CO.
terrain the belief that he forlly dealt with and
then robbed Of his properly, and acting upon TIA belief
they are extremely anxious that the police may leave
stone untorned until the horrid mystery attending the
fatal cleared up No arrest has been made
although the officers are bus'y engaged IN the iovesga
ton Of he Gaze.
ceeded TO the lste rsdenoe Of the deceased and mme
diatey took preliminary measures for the purpose Of
mailing inl inquiry INTO the case Witnesses we're sub
paed when facts elected which went show tina.
the ordinary one that in MI probability the
deceased hsd been murdered by hgbwaymen, and then
robbed Of bis wa ch and poremonusie
The evidence OF the physician making the post mortem
exam nation tends strongly 70 establish tho theory Of
nurde having been committed in the premises, and 10
thA 49,
statement mrAt be looked upon With little importance
oy be Coroner sod the jary Dos investigating the
Sss..rdsx ,sS ,s,i thew NcanS tSs.e on
the hsad-ue two ioeh's above the len eye and
The ether two on the right aide Of the head,
th the right side appeared to be nroduced by fail
bFueArg sgaps the ground, shle the the other
side teemed to have been the result OF blow several
sma bruises povoed the fingers hands sud other
parts OF tie body All the informal organs wefe healthy
With the exception OF the BRAIN wh,h showed extensive
eyrava stisn Of blood St It's base upon it, surface aud in
the veptcss These INJURIES in The of tho doctor
we're The csuse OF death, and were evidently pro
auceo ~ v,osn , There Was also an sSsnsive
did no. reveal itself until the scalp raised by the
operating surgeon These wounds nigh. have been
produced by padded eupg shot, such ~ highway men
victims The ,knll not fractured, sno~iug evidently
that the blows must have been inflicted with heavy
blood found upon the surface OF the brain and the
rces sho SEQ that ne injuries could Dot have been 10
losa ~ ,:ps IN III ioas'd The doctors .ssarsd our
ciuded the pos ibily Of anything other than violence
being used. They had evidently been inflicted by some
described.
On the otter hand 70 though. By many tbs. vr Van
Dew was sncsed .S w. ana tns1 TAO inlares received
what commonly known black vertigo, and may have
died while attacked with such dnesse. The absence Of
way I'm the ne ghborhood Of Canal and Mercer sree
there always 10 be found gang Of thieves and pros1
iuee pressing about seeking those whom they may de
DrpsSen ronbcd nightly, 90 II would not
be al all improbable IL the deceased w@ robbed aftcr
death BY some thieves who though: they merely
ns x.s , m ~ IL,
employers Mesup Woodruff q % Of Wan street, where
be was engaged - bockkeeper rhe deceased mas en-
widow and three CHILDREN 10 lament his upmey ED.
BE formerly p& Of The Fifth Ward Hotel,
uer Of West Broadwsy snd Franklin street Mr. Van Lew
was about 70 years Of age and was for many years well
ana ayorably Known IN the Fifth and Eighth wards
THE coBoHER's INQUEST.
Ice Coroner summoned the following named persons 70
act 81 jurcfs 10 the case:
!. BrenaI, l5'1s Franklin. VIM Mccrsry, 10 bert.
John D. HIou, Beach o. John II Steele, bsi Hadson.
joseph g. raylor, 10 Hubert street..
The Above gentlemen having been daily sworn, the
Coroner proceeded 10 examine the ~re.ees IN tho follow
ips order -
james ch,snap, sworu-I am 90 officer OF the
{ clock 10 twelve Konday Eight. Abolt tweoty
or twenty Eve m.sUier TO i-eve colorcd girl
me and informed x me :o. 49,, nan ra
10 the place Indicated and found deceased lying rear .
cellar door within four inches Of me Intel eight
Persons we're standipg near; examined him and fornd
thai PICKET Of liz pant. had turned inside out
me morsndum book was in hs side coat pocket, erom ap
pearsncss Judged he had been robbed the coorcd wo
who came to me told thai two Rirls bad ran int
the home previously, and said tha, there lying
either drunk dead on the sidewalk do not know the
od me be bad ,ess man an, serue o ,he Of
the deceh,ec esDrE &Esns he railing, corner OF Canal
'utei and Broadway about half past eleven be appeared
Harmon Iuzep, suorn-I keep store q, tie OF
howard and Mercer street, about half posi eeve, O'Clock
man cane TO me q. -as closing and asked where be
could find an officer, Q lying dead or nearly
20; went and cav the deceased lying hs back and
four or tive men standing near tim: the officer saose
or disturbance do rot know tho man who gave me the IN
Formation,
Iouisa Boeer coered, s~orp-I work for hrs Bennett,
q, No kerccr street, and reside No %; on konday
ght about O'Clock, two girls into the house the
door OF which always open; was then up sairs, but
soon came down, heard them gay there vn man ying
the Sidewalk, the corner, who wss either dead
drunk hrs Bennett, the Iaodsdy sent to what
The matter Issv tne deceased lying on bis back; he
dead; never those e.yk before but would know
them again; they 10 sot board Of our house suppose
hey ~ere irientered and ran in.
John Lsucou, sworn II reside at No. Meroer stress
Fone 70 my hume on Monday night, when stumbled
sgainu . man who was lying cellar door, near The
o the street. with his heAf against the wall think
ing that he was ether drunk or lay to.n 70 have sleep
4
pants and h oosi seemed % have been thrown over
u body.
Dry. NrneIl ard Basel beng sworn, deposcd a. FOL.
lows.-We have made post mortsm examination OF The
body OF deceased al No u Hubert street. We found three
bruises upon the bead One OF these inches above
tie left eye and presented well marked signs Of extra
vacation. The other two bruises on the right eide Of
the hesdore the temple and tue other about one inch
above a. Bh o, these bruises presented the character Of
abr0 ons differing from the the other side Of The
head, which had the appearance OF being produced BY
blow. Several Sigh, bruises We neced upon the fsgers
arms and legs. There were no ether extsrnai Marks OF
violence upon the body. Upon aiernal examination, all
the organs were found in healthy condition, with the en-
3on Of the brain This organ presented signs Of extra
vacation al the base Of the skull extending boh
hemispheree and small clots found in the a'eral
ventrcles We q opinion that death caused by
comps eson % the BRAN, the result Of Injuries to the
had
lueustus sauter svsrn-ive nj b07 Washington street.
an private Waterman; my beat extends from corner OF
Canal street and Broadway ro gb lreene Howard Me-
snd round again TO Canal street between II snd "
o'cock on Monday night saw man leaning against me
sirg the northwos, corner Of Canal aud Broadway
who appeared ike decesed helped 70 carry deceased TO
bis house, and judrc was The same man; there ". no
disturbance In the neighoorhood had there been should