The New York herald., 1870-07-31
THE MYSTERIOUS MURDER.
Speculations and Opinions Con-
cerning the Criminal.
Was the Murder the Act of an Inmate
Of the House?
The Burdell Tragedy and Nathan
Case Compared.
Interesting Facts-Mecting of the Stock
Board-Rewards for the Apprehen-
sion of the Murderer-The In.
quest and Funeral To- Morrow.


sion of the Murderer-The In.
quest and Funeral To- Morrow.
The popular excitement over the brutal murder OF
Benjamin Nathan on Thursday night has in no wise
abated. All day lon2 yesterday the sidewalks on
both sides Of the street In the immediate vicinity Of
the deceased's late residence were crowded by per-
sons who struggled with one another merely TO get
a glimpse at the house; for indeed that was all they
could geta glimpse at. Every precaution was taken
by the police to keep curious sighseers from getting
TOO near the house, and all persons who presumed
10 stand for any length Of time near the stoop were
peremptorfly ordered TO move on. The shades ON
the inside OF the windows there are blinds to
Jhemj were kept tightly closed every story with
the exception OF that where
THE MURDER WAS COMMITTED.
The two windows OF this story, which face on
Twenty third street, were open from the lower Sill
TO the middle, and wire gauze frame had been
inserted instead OF the shadc thus allowing the air
to pass freely through the room and at the same
time render 1t impenetrable to the curious ones
across the way. TWAS positively amusing-tf such
a word can he used In connection With anything
pertaining to the dreadful tragedy-to witness the
eagerness ano patience Of the crowds in the streets
get near view OF the premises. Many
persons VINO had enscOnced themselves against
the Fifth Avenue Hotel railing at noon
dld not leave the neghborhood until late
IN the evening, and when they did move
ABOUT t was only to approach and add the weight of
Their views to some little group, who were discussing
she Tragedy LII all Its aspects The stage drivers as
tney passed by hauled up in front OF the house and
cooly surveyed the place from top to bottom almost
every time they came through the street, while the
passengers on the side Of the stage urhest from the
dwelling got up from their seats and poked their
heads out OF the windows along with those on the
navorite side to see where the murder was done.
Even private carriages on their way up ana down
the avenue made it a point to turn down Twenty
third street. 80 that their inmates might satisfy their
curiosity. They all knew perfectly well, without
being told 80 by the police. who made them whip up
and go their ways when they loitered too long, that
there was nothing TO be seen but the pla.n exterior
Of the house Itself; that 1t had nothing whatever
about 1t TO particularly distinguish it from
any one Of the Immediately adjoining houses;
yet they persisted in staying as long as they could in
front OF n, just as though they were able TO gaze
Through the walls and feast their eyes with the ter
1blc sight within, which had made more than the
policeman, used TO tltiith
SIGHTS THAT APrALL THE SENSES
Ecken when first he beheld It. II was in vain that
the police excrted themselves without using their
Clubs to make the hundreds move on who swarmed
about, hour after hour, and then reluctantly went
their WAYS, only to give place to hundreds of Others
who gazed 1T the house with open.mouthed won-
derment as long and with as little profit as those
who had preceded them. The crcgl never seemed
10 diminish, no matter how many went away.
Those VINO managed to scramble upon the fences
Of ~ a1i
such distance from the Nathan mansion
AS guaranteed them from police interference, were
very communicative, one to the other to what he
or she knew or had heard Of the murder. There
were women among these groups and there were
not a few OF them who had little children In their
arms and few not only had babies at the breast,
but couple OF todders at their side who were Old
enough to listen with rapt attention to all the hor.
rying details of the tragedy which their unnatural
mothers saw fit TO revamp among themselves. AS
has already been mentioned, the police had the
srictest orders not to admit any person into the
house but the detectives WHO are working up the
case and the friends of the family Even those gen.
orally privileged characters, the members of The
press were not allowed during the day to set foot
within tile hallway; yet whenever the door
opened foot or two TO admit friend OF the family
or allow one u take his leave, there was forward
movement In the crowd on the street. The women
'ook lueT CnlIuren Dy Lnc mana ana rushed toward
tae stoop, dragging the little ones screaming
after them, while those on the ratings scrambled
hurrledly down and FASTENED In the same direction
all withthe one idea uppermOst IN their minds of
seeing something of the interior Of ,he building.
'Did you see that door inside there2 asked young
man Of another, as the hall door closed upon gen
tleman who succeeded In belEg admitted What
door ?" asked the other. "Why, when the policeman
let that man IN, saw inside the inner door, the en-
trance To that room there with those two win
COWS; thats the door the murderer must
have passed ON going into the hallway This lndi
more desperately anxious to have it to say that he
lad seen something which was more clearly CON
nected with the murder than the entrance of the
mouse, Knew well that the deed had been
done on the moor above, and that the door In
question was far from where the struggle between
the murderer and his victim had taken place: vet It
satisfied him that he had part of the inside of
tne mousse that many others had not seen. That In
ms opimon no was great achievement, and he was
eEved oy MS less fortunate friends in the crowd nc
Sordlngly. To such u stretch can morpld cul1osy
AMIxED CROWDS OPINIONS
III Is quite possible that had the de ectiyes followed
tne ADVICE which they could have got from the talka
with their views as to how ths murderer % cot nn
ge,nv sre house Il" ana now vhs he had acted after
deed Of blood had Ssen ne a1 when the
would have had as many theories 20 work upon' o.
many different clues to follow up and as MANY mn.
hui lines OF working to study by heart as there were
men and women In the gatherings on the sidewalKs.
AS general thing 1t would not he safe matter for
police officer whose especial business jt is TO ferret
out the murderer after murder has been done In
mysterious way to lay much Stress In making up
MS own Judgment, on what crowd may say or dis
cuss IN matter OF so awful nature as the manner
OF the death OF Mr. Nathan but the shadows, in the
crowd ala not dsdan yesterday to let people speak
freely TO them on the subject. They were unknown to
the crowd, and go could profit by Whatever was
sald-l anything beneficial to their labOrs was said
ihey listened attentively in many cases 10 what
tnsy heard from people who lived in the immediate
vicinity OF the house, and J may be that the gross
sum OF all they did hear from this Will not be
without Its due influence at the proper tIme For
who was proven to be afterwards what he claimed
= servant on Fifth avenue. within a lew hundred
eet OF Nathan's, got into conversation with one of
tile detectives, without knowing who he was, and
Sod him he and friend had stood smoking and
chatting nearly in front Of the Firth Avenue Hotel
private entrance from O'Clock until very nearly
two, and they saw
NO ONE GO IN OR COME OUT
OF NO. H. Another man said that he had passed the