New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-11-14
SHOCKING MURDER AT EAST NEW
YORK.
A FARMER KILLED AND ROBBED IN HIS
BARN

n FARMER hlLI4ED AND hODDED IN b'o
BARN.
Sometime between the hours Of and 10 o'clock on
Monday night n horrible and coldblooded MURDER ior
the purpose Of robbery, committed near the village
of East New-York, Long Island, upon Mr.. IhomaS
Colyer highly rcspectedand well-to-do farmer mr.
Collyer lived about mile and half rom East view .,
York ON the dividing ridge between the cypress ii'
Cemetery and the Ridgewood Reservoir on monu"y
he went 10 New-York with load OF produce anu to
tnrned late in the afternoon, with amount
of money the proceeds of the sales OF his vegetables
His horses were put in the stable small oulidihg'
about one hundred and fifty feet to the cast OF MS mousse
Alopt o'clock, after supper, Mr. Colyer took
peber and went to the grocery store OF Mr. J Iierney
directly across the road from his own house-which
stands back from the Cypress Hills pank'road some
,broe hundred yards-to purchase some beer. He en-
eaced in conversation at place with number of his
nephbors. and time passed away till it was near 8
oclock In tbe mean time some of his Iaborers entered
che store and Mr. Coyer, TO oblige one Of them,
boroed s5 bill giving him bills of a small denomi-
nation. so that be could make change paying another
man for a pair of boots In doing this Mr.. Collyer
ook from his pocket a roll OF bills-about $50 In
amount-which were held in such manner that any
one in the store might see them.
Some ono remarked: "Collyer yOu are flush TO-
night" AT the came time two men, who were stran9-
was standing looked over his shoulder, and subse-
ouently took there seats and carried on whispered
conversation in German. Soon after this Mr. u Dor
rowed a pitcher, had it filled with been, and re-
marking !now | must 60 home and attend TO my
horsee" went away, and wa shortly after followed by
the stranger alluded 10. :,
Mrs. Collyers. after her husband went ont cleared
away the supper table and SAT down to sew during te
evening expecting his return every moment, as ne
was in the habit of spending his evenings az nome.
She waited for his coming until about III O'clock when
she went TO the stoop and looked ont for NM out see
ING no light in the barn she retired very much worried
for fear some harm had befllen him. but endeavorng
TO think that he had been detained, and would return
during the night. Upon awakening in the morning she
was much surprised at not finding her husband in bed
but supposed that he had got mp before her and gone to
look after his horses After making the fire and pre-
parnQ for breakfast she went ont to the barn, which
Is about 900 yards from the house, to look for him.
On reaching the barn she found the door open, and
cav pool of blood near the threshold Going In she
found The body Of her husband laying in the gore The
pitcher and its contents untouched was still standing
on block outside the door; the deceased lay on ms
face with his head toward the door, and the paddock
of the stable in his left hand His clothes were smeared
with blood. The hair torn from his head, the
back part of which had been crushed in by a blow
from some heavy bludgeon 10 such an extent that the
brain protruded His face and the forepart Of the
head were mscratched. few feet to the right Of the
head Law rusty sort of knife, about foot long which
had been made from an old scyhe part OF the blade
was bloody but il was evident that the deed had not
been commit ed with this instrument back-handled
pocket knife unopened lay near the body in the blood
The murdered man had been robbed. A wallet was
taken from his panaoons pocket, empled OF It's con-
tents and then poked half way IN his vest pocket, as
though the murdereTs had been IN hurry. valua-
BILE gold watch was also taken from the vest pocket
AS soon as Mrs. Colyer could from the shock
she alarmed the neghbors, and Coroner Wood of ia
| maica was sent for. DIR. Wood summoned a Jury al
once Of the nearest residents of Queens County, and
proceeded 10 hold inquest upon the deceased winch
| was eventually postponed until to-day.
The murderers are supposed to be the two Germans
referred TO above following him from the grocery
store These men are father and The father was
large, dull, stupidlooking man, with heavy black
| whiskers. His son was much smaller person. They
had been empoyedby Conkn * Clary, contractors for
| repairing the Cypress Hills Plank Road for several
DAYS past, but on Monday night discharged. Mr..
| Ticrney says they eyed Mr.. Collyers money very
| closely when he was changing bill for his laborer,
| and watched him put the money in his wallet and de-
post it in his pocket They have not been since
they left the store The superstition il that they fol
lowed Mr.. C., knowing he going TO bis stable, and
as soon as he got inside of il sealby behind him
and with heavy club gave him the fatal blow OH the
| back Of his head from which he died. That he made
no resistance is evident from the fact that the lock OF
| the door was still in his hand when found.
There are no traces OF blood outside Of the stable nor
any clue by which the murderers may be found. Up
TO noon yesterday policeman had visited the spot.
Mr. C0llyer was 81 years Of age, and leaves wife
and three small children. He formerly police
man in the Second Ward, bore a good character as
| citizen and was frugal and industrious man.
s-.--