The New York herald., 1870-08-31
THE GREAT MURDER MYSTERY.
Further Details Of tho Arrest Of Ryan, tho sus-
peoted Nathan Murderer-A Bloody Coat
in the Prisoners Valise-His Alarm
at the Discovery-Is He Play
ing'' for Notoriety.

On Friday last a police officer named sydney
Conkin was sent 20 the house OF Mr.. j. Lord, l36th
street and Broadway, Manhattanvle, whose house
had been broken open at two O'Clock on the morn
ing Of the previous day by burglar.
When he went to the house he found that nothing
had been taken away, as the burgler was disturbed
IN his operations by Mrs. Lord, who. hearing
noise had given an alarm, and the discounted thief
took nis departure, not, however, without leaving
on the premises some important testimony In the
shape OF valise or courier bag which was found TO
contain burglars brace, a BIT, green ailanthus
club and linen coat or duster. The coat bore on
the sleeve the PRINT OF q mans hand IN
blood and had besides other marks OF blood
en- the breast, both Of which had been at
tempted to be washed out but without success.
The officer had at drst only the print OF the mans
foot to guide HIM as to who the wOuld-be burglar
and owner Of the before named property was, and
upon this clue las reported In yesterdays HERALD
he traced and arrested q man named Michael Ryan
from Manhattanville to Carmansville, Fleetwood
Track, fremont Morrisania, Melrose, Mott haven,
and to Harlem.
He also discovered that from the time Ryan left
Manhattanve he had made 1t practice to call at the
houses Of the principal residents In each place he
In and II he received an Affirmative answer he would
make some rambling story to his poverty and i'll
success, In life IN order to obtain money; but
wherever he was informed that the gentleman"
was out he demanded money In a manner
that would leave little doubt in the minds Of
his hearers that he made his demand having IN view
another alternative, namely, that II 1t was not given
him he should take 1t, or whatever else was near to
hand, ror himself IL would appear that from the
time he left Manhattenville he had supported him.
SELF by this system OF acquisition.
When arrested In Harlem he was asked what busi-
he had worked at lately and he replied "at Mr..
Chapmans sawmllls, In Pennsylvania" but ne had
left there because Chapman had refused TO pay him
his wages for some cause which the prisoner would
not explain. As he was being taken in car through
the tunnel in the Fourth avenue ne tried to throw
himself out, and said tnat he would destroy himself
rather than confess" This latter remark excited
the oticer's suspicion that there was more In The
case than at first met the eye. and when the ofcer
repeated 10 MIN the contents oil the valise, ne ex
claimed eagerly, "Did the keys you found on me III.
the bagf
The onicer replied that they were evidently the
keys belonging TO 1t, as they opened it exactly.
The officer then mentioned particularly the
BLOOD STAINS ON THE COAT
upon which the prisoner cursed vehementiy and
name OF Mr.. Nathan was mentioned the prisoner be-
came greatly agiiated and said again,
mo; Will die before will confess"
lie asked the oficer If he was friendly inclined
toward him and II he would 'stand by him." and
on receiving the assurance that such would be the
case. he again questioned anxiOusly,
''Did the keys mt the vaiseY If 30 am q doomed
man, or words to this eject.
While in cell at the Police Headquarters photo
graph or Mr. Nathan's house was paced before HIN,
which he appeared to recognize at once, and re-
manned looking at 1t for some time with his head
resting on both hands In such an attentive manner
thar the officer felt convinced IL not the first
time he had seen the place and he again urged him
~ tell what he knew OF
- MIR. NATHAN's uRpER,
but with the same result that he ''wOud not con-
al the Bariem Police Court Mrs. Lord stated that
Ryan, whom she recognized In the court, came to
her house in Manhattanville on Wednesday after
noon last, at about tour O'Clock, and asked II the
'gentleman" was at home, but on being told he
not he commenced asking Tor mOney'in threaten
ing attitude, and made such disturbance that they
were compelled to give him trihng sum to get rid
OF him. On leaving the house he asked If there was
a dog in the yard.
Justice McQuade was impressed with the Idea that
II Ryan was not the Actual perpetrat0r Of the muir
der OF MIR. Nathan the appearance OF the prisoner
with the bloody coat, &C., warranted him IN sup
posing that he
KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT 1T,
and with this view he has instructed COnklin TO
make the most minute investigations concerning
him. during which time the prisoner is TO be held IN
jail.
THE "DoG" THAT KILLED NATHAN.
1t is not considered improbable by the O1cer that
from m with IN which Mr. Nathan %s was SeS as s' he
thinks that when Ryan left Chapman's saw mil
In pennsylvania he had seized the ''dog" with
the intention Of giving Chapman an 'unlucky'
blow. on account Of his refusing to pay him his
wages; but, failing to meet Chapman he had brought
IL Win nm 10 new YORK. Ryan mas Dcen NJ work
IN The Brooklyn Navy Yard, and has also lived in q
house up town. between Ninth and Tenth avenues.
j. is possible that the orcer who has had this mat
ter In hand may have drawn some erroneous con-
clnsion concerning the connection which this man,
Ryan, is supposed to have had in the
TwENTY-THlRD STREET TRAGEDY
but the possession OF the coat, with the blood stains
upon IT, and the agitation which it Is said the
ner displayed when questioned about the vallse the
other circu Instance, would seem to lead to the
clusi0n that there Is at least some ground for
piclon, although it is not safe or fair to venture an
opinion upon the subject.
II is greatly to be desired that some active
measures be adopted to ascertain exactly when
Ryan left the employ OF Chapman, as without tins
no accurate ground can be taken to trace any con.
nectfOn with the awful AFFAIR to him.
II is also reported that now, II he is pressed by
questions in his CELL he eigns insanity to avoid the
ordeal, and makes all kinds OF ridiculous remarks at
these times. but the of1cer who arrested him states
that he s rs sane as any one he ever knew and that
In MS intercourse with him no such symptoms were
perseivable In the least degree, as he spoke per.
fecty coherently excepting at the moment OF excite
ment when he made the exclamation concerning
the KEYS and the bloody coat.