The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-08-02
The Nathan Tragedy.

The mysterious and atrOciOuS murder OF
Mr.. Benjamin Nathan, one Of the wealthlest
and most public-spirited lsraelite citizens
Of New York, ut his splendid residence, on
Friday morning, has created an excitement
in that city only parallelcd by that aroused
by the Burdcll murder some years ago. Mr.
Nathan, having long since amassed 4
princely fortune in Wall street, had for
some time past retired practically from bu-
siness. The Times says:
III his home he was lavish to excess, sur
rounding himself and family with every
| comfort and luxury money could procure,
but he did not spend his substance upon
himself exclusively. No man was more
unseltish, more generous in charity, than
he; and none worked more indetatigably
in all good works. His purse and timc
were equally at the service of the needy,
| and organized charities had the benefit oil
| both, and also of his admirable adminstra.
tive ability. He was almost the creator OF
the Mount Sinai Hospital, and to his man
agement As its president was largely due
| the great service Which that excellent in.
stitution has rendered humanity. In his
time, in many ways, he has given away to
this and other eleemosynary institutions q
large fortune, estimated at 500, 900 and
his charity was all-absorbing, for it was not
confined to his own faith or race, but
reached and lightened the loads OF men oil
all creeds and lineage.
THE FRIGHTFUL DISCOVERY.
The gray dawn of morning came, and yet
the house contained its secret, but discovery
was near ut hand. The mournful duty that
had called the aged millionaire to the city
required early rising, and at 54 o'clock his
son Washington, slipping on his socks,
to f,fJ al
the handle of the reception-room door and
stepped into.the room. He glanced ut the
bed-it was empty-but at the same instant
his eyes rested on Il horrible object beyond
His father, marred and mutilated out OF
sembiance to his kind, lay upon the floor ut
the door to the office. Clothed only in his
night-gown, smeared with blood from head
| to foot, his face bruised, his eyes wofully
| dis1gurcd, his head gaping with six cruel
wounds, his right hand crushed, the loved
| father lay upon his back, one foot touching
| the sill of the door leading into the office,
| the other leg drawn up with the knee rest
ing against the door-frame, and with both
| arms drawn back aud the hands clenched
| as If in agony. Washington ut once ran to
his fathers side, and was Mortified. His
fathers blood oozed up from the soft, thick
carpet, and wet his feet to the instep. His
lOIsss th.sD "a li9 itsoiASA
was dabblcd with blood as he stopped over
the mangled form. Only a moment he
paused, and then, rushing to his brothers
room, told in a word of the horror below
The two brothers, clad only in their night
garments, rushed down into the street,
through the main hall door, which they
found closed but unlocked, and shouted
Murderv' John Mangum, a policeman
had just passed the house for the third time
had looked at the door in common with al
others, and seeing it closed and nothing I'M
usual about the house, had passed on anC
was three doors below. He turned at the
cry, and seeing these two young men thus
attired, and one dabbled with blood
he hurried back and went witt
them into the house. Washington, as
he went out, had seen lying on the
floor of the hall, just inside the street door
ship-carpenter's "dog." 1t was simply Q
round piece Of iron about two feet long and