The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-04-08
VINO Killed Young s.musas.

iS Saso, 70 aHoFo the pollce more time TO hunt
up evidence as to this most mysterious murder.
As ii etsnds, the case vies with the famous Bur-
cell tragedy in point Of horror and mystery;
nor is there as yet the least prospect of the veil
lifting which overhangs the, afhir.
Let us briefly review the facts On Thursday
afternoon last, two boatmen and grapplers by
trade grappled q body at the bottom Of the East
river, at point some twenty feet from dock
in Brooklyn opposite the Catharine ferry. The
body, On being raised to the surface, proved to
be that Of u young man who has since been
identified az Charles Samuels, son of a respecta-
BILE citizen Of Brooklyn. Il was pierced with
q stab which appeared to have been given by
an oyster knife or some similar weapon. The
stab penetrated the heart and Was sufficient to
cause death. To the body was attached large
piece Of stone, similar in character to several
tons OF stone BOW lying at The foot of Wash
ington street, Brooklyn. The body was, in
consequence of the drift of tAe tide, brought
over to Npw York instead of being taken to
| 81 oobiyn.
| According to the evidence, young Samuels
was last seen on the Saturday evening previous
! to the ihurder. This il inconsistent with the
statement of one of the witnesses: Stephen
B. HUFF sW that he saw deceased on
Sunday, and the barkeeper Howard and
pilot named Davis testifes to his hav.
ing been in the Fulton Hotel on Wednesday;
but as none of these witnesses knew deceased,
their evidence must be received with caution.
The last time young Samuels was seen by his
family was On Saturday evening, when he went
out to call upon lady to whom he was en-
| gagged; can it be possible that he would have
remained in this city from Saturday evening to
Wednesday afternoon without letting his father
or his betrothed know nything of ais where
abouts? The supposition is inconsistent with
the character for good orderly conduct which
| all the witnesses give deceased. The police
will DO well TO assume, in their inquiries, that
the disappearance Of young Ssmueis took place
Ca Saturday evening; their investigation should
date from then.
AT the time the body of deceased was found
| he bad in his pocket few small silver coins
and chain II is possible that he may have
had from fifteen to twenty dollars in his purse
when he went out on Saturday evening, though
| il Il not likely that he had 80 much he carried
no valuables about him. The inference is
strong from these facts that he Was not attacked
by robbers, and murdered 70 conceal the rob-
berry. The motive Of the deed must have been
| something different
! Under the stimulus Of volunteer evidence the
| Coroner has already sifted two theories Of the
murder. The first rested mainly upon statements
that deceased had been seen talking on Saturday
evening TO one Curtis the keeper Of an
oyster stand at the corner Of Burling slip
and South street; said Curtis not bearing the
very beet Of character. On the strength Of the
suggestion other items Of volunteer evidence
came to heap the load Of suspicion on Curtis
head. 1t was shown that be had borrowed a
! piece OF rope on Wednesday night, and was not
! the corpse tied to a stone with rope. 1t was
proven that be didn't open his stall on Thurs
day, though he had oysters 10 SELL and this
/ looked suspicious. On. further inquiry, how
ever, this fabric of suspicion fell to the ground
The rope which Curtis borrowed was not the
rope which fastened the stone to the corpse.
And grave doubts arose as to the reliability of
| the witnesses who swore that they saw Curtis
and deceased together on Wednesday. Hence,
at present, though Curtis is still in custody suf-
! fering from delirium tremens the general
! opinion is not favorable to his guilt.
/ The next theory that was set afoot was sug
/ gested by rumor that young Samuels had a
( rival, vindictive rival, who had threatened to
( ayenge himself upon him for superseding him
/ in the affections of the Miss Curtis to whose
I hand both youths aspired This rival was one
/ Edward III. Smithson. IL seems that the only
| evidence Of the threat Is, first chance express
! sion of the deceased to the mother of Miss
Curtis secondly very positive statement
sworn TO by two young ladies, TO the effect that
/ in their hearing Smithson threatened to
/ be revenged on Samuels One of the
/ young ladies. Miss Duff, il only fourteen
! years old she is the daughter, and the other
( young lady the niece Of u boarding house
! keeper who was once Smithsons iandiady.
We are not surprised, under the circumstances
detailed to find these young ladies rather severe
/ in their opinions Of Mr.. Smithson: one of them
( going even 80 far as 20 intimate that he made
obscene propositions to her cousin. As to the
threat Of which Mrs. Curtis was told il is Gu
I Iious that neither the father nor the mother,
: nor the lady love Of the deceased ever heard of
( it Mrs Curtis soems to have been sole deposi-
: tory Of the secret; and the moment poor young
! SsmueIs was missed. she rushed frsnticslly TO
I his mothers, and half accused Smithson Of the
/ decd She had had dream about a murder;
| this seems to have confirmed her suspicious;
! but when she heard that Miss Samuels had also
/ had dream, she hsd no further doubts Of any
/ kind whatever.
In opposition to these probabilities, suggcs-
tons, and dreams, there is The fact that Smith
zen delivered himself up when he found sus-
picion directed toward him; the further
fact that he Ia not the man physically to
murder reeolute youth like Samuels;
the clear and complete account which