New-York tribune., 1870-08-13
THE NATHAN MURDER.
CLOSE OF THE CORONER's INQUEST.

Two weeks ago Yesterday morning Mr.. Ben
iamin Nathan was brutaly murdered IN his own resi-
dence No IA West Twentythirdst, opposite the fnth
Avenue Hotel Since then rumors OF the capture OF MS
murderer have been rife and conectures were numerous
a. 10 who could have been the murderer UNUSUAL re-
wards have been offered the amounts reaching, within
the past few days the enormous sum OF $4,000 tempt
I'm ncentive certainly to the most passive citizen The
inouest WAS commenced August and continued until
Yesterday; 81 witnesses have been examined ana "a
columns OF Testimony have been published Yesterday
the inquest was adjourned indefinitely no verdict nav
ing been arrived at After more than week OF the
most deet inquiry and the most persistent inyestga-
ton the Jury are compelled to admit that not the slight
est cline has been obtained, which, If followed may lead
| IN the arrest OF the guilty individual. The
whole affair remains shrouded In the most complete
mystery and the only fact OF which the baed detectives
are positive that the unknown assassin whoever ne
NAV he ia an adrot and careful scoundrel Yesterday
the Coroner addressing the Jury at the close OF the
testimony admitted the futity of the investigation and
dismissed the Jury until day when additional dis
coyeries shall warrant him In again calling them
together The Foreman OF the Jury, In commenting upon
the testimony remarked that IL there had been the very
slightest thing to implicate the Nathans or William
Kelly they would have been at once arrested. But as
regards the sons OF Mr. Nathan their innocence Is now
generally believed in and William Kelly though ne mas
lived a useless life and for more than year past has
existed OIL the earnings OF his mother, who Is washer
woman passed his rigid examination without contradic
| ton in any important particulars.
A review of the testimony taken during the week Is
| given below:
sThe testimony OF Patrolman John Mangam, who was
the first witness disclosed that he about 100 feet
| from the door when the alarm of murder was gwen
| by tbe two Nathan boys Frederick and Washington
who were ON the stoop. He Immediately went up to
them and was told that their father had been murdered
He ran up stairs, accompanied by the young men, to
where the body OF Mr. Nathan lay on the oor between
the study and the front room in the doorway The OIL
GER placed his hand the body which his excitement
led him to imagine warm, for, few moments after
ward when he again placed his hand on his body, he
found 1t TO be cold He afterward Instituted search
over the house. and going down to the front door the
second time OF the young men pointed to an iron In
strumen lying Just inside the front door and asked what
it was The officer then picked up the dog" which has
ever since been object of the greatest interest and
attention. for scarcely doubt remains that 1t was the
weapon employed to crush in the skull Of the murdered
man.
The testimony of Officer Mangam corrected an exceed
ingly important error which had until then been gener
ally eyed and had even been the round OF the news
papers, 1t was this that Frederick, and not Washing
ton was the whose clothing was bloody and whose
stockings made the bloody footprints upon the marble
tng in the hall Washington first discovered his father
and Frederick hearing his rushed to the body
and kne down beside it, thus receiving upon his night
| shirt the blood which lay in pools upon the floor
| On the night OF the murder officer Mangam was on
duty from ~ to in the morning. He positively swore
that tried the doors OF the Nathan mansion at about
Il o'clock and again at A. The subsequent ayerment OF
the Nathan they discovered the body and
called for help the front door was open and also that OF
Gen. Frank Blair who elept I'm room No 1877 OF the Firth
Hotel that night and who testified that on rising
I'm morning to close his shutters he discovered the 'front.'
door OF the Nathan house open only had the effect to
make the officer stubborn in hisstatement and more
positive that he could be mistaken. The jury how
ever attach but little Importance to the testimony OF
this officer and convinced that his obstnacy results
from his anxiety establish reputation for faithful
the discharge OF his duty guardian of life and
property and from natural desire to retain the position
which an omission like that would certainly GUST
him FROM
isaac Evans special officer of the Twenty-ninth Pre-
cnct who also duty the night Of the murder In
that vicinity was examined briefly. His testimony was
OF gative character showing that he saw nothing to
indicate that such deed had been perpetrated.
Philip Maistrie and william F. Smith, the carpenters
who did some repairing in the Nathan house the day
before the murder, detailed plainly and mnutey the
incidents OF the day. The substance OF their testimony
that there strange person In the house that
day; If there had been they thought they certainly
should have him, for they all over the house
in the discharge of their duties, though It barely
possible that a person might conceal himself without
being discovered They also testified that the iron
"dog" strange instrument to them, and that they
never had used or one like it.
Doctors Joseph +. Janvrin and Anthony Ruppener,
who examined the body Of Mr. Nathan, between and
O'Clock the morning the murder was committed,
testedha he had been dead three four hours They
described the wounds and from the nature of them
Cured in the belief that they caused by the iron
dog" In question. The medical gentlemen disagreed IA
to whether than single individual inflicted the
wounds Dr. Ruppener stating his belief that at least two
must have been engaged in the cruel transaction,
while his companion, Dr. Janyrin, inclined to the one
man theory.
Gen. Frank p Blair who has been spoken Of above as
boarding at that time at the FfthAvenue Hotel, de-
posed that Friday morning the light shining in at his
window awakened him at about 81 and he arose and
went to the window 10 close the shutters AS he stood
there he observed gentleman (whom he aferward de-
scrbed Frederick Nahan sitting in his night clothes
at the thrdstory window Of the house the way
and at the time noticed that the front door Of the
house was open. He thought nothing OF It and went to
bed, from which he aroused by the cries OF "Mur
derl" and Police" and looking out, saw two gentle
men in their night clothes standing the soop of the
house he had before observed gestlculsting vO
lenty and making loud outcres. Upon the shirt and
stockings Of Of the gentlemen the same he had pre-
viousy at the window was blood.
Washington Mckenzie, o carpenter, certified TO the
good character Of Mastre and Smith, who had been in
his employ several years. and stated that
such an instrument as the dog" used in his business
Mr. Walton ii. Peckham whose residence is next TO
Mr. Nahans informed the jury that about 2i the
memorable Friday morning, his wife awoke him with the
eIclamaen doctor, there's somebody in the house."
He tried to quiet her fears by telling her it in Mr.
Nathan's house. While they speaking noise like
the violent shutting OF chamber door was borne 10 their
ears followed Immediately by dull heavy sound, and
then two more sounds He thought that blow from the
dog upon persons body would produce similar
sound. Mr.. Peckham also OF the opinion that the
assassin could have left the house without his hearing
him. Mr.. Nathan was nearsghted, and he believed he
could not recognize another in the dim light OF q cham