The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-08-02
Is the Coroner Doing his Duty t-UnparaI-
Ieied oniclai stuptdity-AI the Clues 20
tho Murderer Washed Away.

from ht BrooIiyn Eagle.
In the IBurdell murder. the Coroner ruined all
upon and msnopozed the case, that he Kent ali
shrewder nquirers at arms length, until the little
followed up were enaced by lapse OF time The Cor
oner In tne Nathan case seems To have erred in the
opposi,e e.; e,ueme lie went 70 the house and or.
was so loosely recorded that the record OF IL /, dis
psted as wholly incomplete and unreliable lie ought
AZ least TO have had the state OF facts as they ex
isted in the room where the murder occurred ,scer
triEed with chemical and microscopic tests and exact
measurements and TO have elected on the spot
from every inmate OF the house the fullest record
OF all they had done and said, and where tley md
been for at least the day before the night Of the
Instead OF this, the blood stains were wasbea on
the position OF the articles In the room shifted and
OF the clues which could lead to the discovery OF tile
murderer The keys of the deccased even were
,s st n possession OF the family. The contents Of
the downtown safe we're resigned 10 the charge of
the inmates OF the house where the murder oo.
CURED. with no evidence OF entry or exit or any
stranger, the Coroner and police chose to assume
the impossiblity or murder being done by any OF
the people who alone US yet are proven to have been
IN the house at the time II was done.
The Burdell case was botched badly enough, but
there the authorities not a,uous enough 20 let
hrs CUNNINGHAM take possession OF Burdells pa.
pers and elects. Here is case In which, like that
the mode OF killing points 10 the murder as the in
tention OF the assassin. Personal vindictveness
that, by the repeated and superhuously showered
blows and injuries And yet other hands than those
W tuo mW nave Dtcn MlOWtn 70 examine and dispose
OF the dead mans papers, In which alone II he had
ting him out OF the way, the clue to that persons
Identity would have been found.
The murderer was no skilled and practised
burglar. The police profess TO think II was d osfer,
. vngrant conceang himself In the house suppos-
ing II to be empty. Such man, hearing one persOn
after smother enter the house and retire to rest
would have been fearful OF being oyerpo wered by
the three or four men he knew TO be on the prem
iees. They say now that the walls were deadened,
and the shreks OF the victim coulu not be heard In
the other rooms. But the stray loafer would cot
know that lie would eIDect the slrieks and blows
to bring every inmate In the house upon him. lie
getting out Of bed, or the moment bis nrst blow
eiiclted the nrst shrek.
How could stranger dare to remain there, show.
ering superuous blows on the already stunned vic
tim and lben coolly rummaging tie room for plun
der 7 This murder was done by a man who did not
at first want TO kill Mr.. Nathan or he would have
killed him In bis bed but who did want-not 70
stun him and escape, but to kill him sure and safe
after Mr.. Nathan had not merely seen but recoe
nized him. Was there any more robbing done than
was needful 10 throw suspicion upon q prowiing
plundorert
The Coroner's stupidity In allowing tho traces Of
the conflict 10 be ensced and the papers OF the de-
ceased to be explored by other eSes than the laws
has probably placed the criminal from ali penalty
but present popular suspicion and future divine ven
geance.
Tribute 70 the late Mr.. BENJAMIN Nathan.
Tho Board Of Direotresses of the Ladies'
Auxiliary Society OF tue Mount Sinai Hospital met
Al TIE Home, 25 West seventssnth street for the