The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-08-10
DEVELOPMENTS of the Nathan Inquest.

some OF tne lnoSJ lhpoflanI WitntSsts nhNe
been examined, hardly any perceptible pro.
gress has been made in clearing up the mystic.
ry. There are fow points especially about
which there has been an extraordinary
amount Of contradiction and dispute.
The front door Of the NATHAN mansion
Officer MAHoAM positively asserts, was
closed few minutes previous to
the alarm of murder But General
FRANK BLAIR asserts just as positively that
from his window in the Fifth Avenue Hotel
he saw this door open. JAMES MES also
saw it open, but not so wide open as Gen.
BLAIB saw IT. and finally WASHINGTON
NATHAN testified yesterday that he also had
found II open. We must then suppcse that
Officer MANcAM Is mistaken, or 10 afraid Of
losing his position on the police force.
Mr. WASHINGTON NATHAS's nightshirt,
1t appears. had no blood at all upon 1t,
but Mr. FREDERICK's was stained ON the
lower part, and on the bosom, while
his stockings were sonked. That Is
what officer MASeAM saw, aud Gen.
BLAIR testified on Monday that Mr. FREDER-
lex NATHAN appeared Mt third story win
dow of his fathers house shortly before the
alarm, with a shirt which on it's bosom had
for certainty not q spot, but which few
minutes afterward, when the alarm
was given, and Gen. BLAIR again
looked out, was covered with blood.
Officer MANoAM said that there were spots
of blood on the shirt bosom of Mr. FRED
ERICK, but no did not seem TO know the
significant difference between spots and O
smear In such O case. Superintendent
day testified, thought the stain to be q
q smear, and therefore allowed the shirt to
be sent TO be washed. For this reason De-
tective BENNETT was 30 sensible as TO bring
WAsHISaTos's clean shirt TO the jury for
inspection, and TO leave Mr. FREDERIcK's
bloody shirt ut the laundry,
The iron dog, it turns out was not picked
up in the vesiibule by Officer MANGAM until
Mr. WASHINGTON NATHAN bad drawn his
attention to il. This dog too, was not seen
at any time in Mr.. NATHAS's house by any
of the witnesses who have yet been exam
med. AS for the gaslipht in Mr. NATuAN's
room, it appears from ali sides that when
the murdered man went to bed it was not
burning but that in the morning il was
turned on nearly half its full force. ski
full detective thinks this o conclusive proof
that it was no burglar who was in the room
About the noise which the murdered man
may have made, there have been various
opinions, as also about the probability of the
bearing OF such noise in the other parts Of
the house. Between Mr. NATuAN's room
and Mrs. kELIY's Officer MANGAM said he
found one door closed ; it was a door half of
wood and half Of glass. Mrs. KELLY test.
fed yesterday that she heard slight
INDISPENSABLE sound from Mr.. NATnAN's
room during the night but that she
went TO sleep again without hearing
it repeated. She heard no cries. Neither
did Dr. PDcKHAM, who lives next door to
the NATHAN mansion, hear cries, but ON
the morning OF the murder, he said, at
halfpast 2 or 3 o'clock, he heard four
distinct sounds, the first of them loud
and sharp, the others not so loud and of a
muffled nature The FIRST rcsemblcd the
violent slamming Of door; the others
might have been the sounds of the murder
Gus blows. DR., PECKHAM is o light sleeper
He thinks that though he heard these sounds
they might not have been heard by a
heavy sleeper in Mr.. NATHAS's own house
on account of the solid construction Of
that house This opinion that loud sounds
in AIR. NATuAN's room might not have been
heard in the rest of the house is shared by
the two carreuters who worked in the build
ing the day before the murder, and who were
examined last Thursday.
Concerning the footprints on the stairs
leading TO Mr.. NATuAN's room, Officer NAN
GAM knew little or nothing. Detective
| Bennett, however, yesterday testified that
h. had examined them, and judged them TO
have been made by FREDERICK NATH>S's
| feet as he rau down stairs TO call the police.
| He also testified that he had found bloody
| footprints leading up TO the third story and to
Mr.. FREDERICK's room; but he Judged them
20 have been made by the same feet whom
Mr.. FREDERICK went up the stairs after the
alarm to dress himself
Several other points have been made. TIC
bring them out, we shall now give 30 much
of the testimony of each examined witness
as bears upon them.
| Officer MANeAM, who was the first police
man that entered the NATHAN mansion after
the alarm, was examined last Thursday, lie
saw good deal, but observed 80 little that
the newspapers have published more than
he could rccollect at the inquest. Among
other things he said that the murdered man:
clothing was examined by Mr.. FREDERIcB
NATHAN, while he himself merely looked
on. Astutely enough, however, he managed
10 observe that The diamond studs were gone
from the shirt and the watch from the vest
The pocketbook was there but there was M
money in il. On the shirt sleeve there wal
small blood stain. The safe in the small
room was open, aud Officer MAEGAM allowed
Mr.. WASHINGTON NATHAN to lock it. Sine
| then no detective Reporter or outsider hn