New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-30
THE uURDER or MR.. NATHAN.

The extraordinary murder of Mr.. Nathan on
Thursday night must be classed among the
c,r;osities of crime. An estimable citizen is
brutany slain in his own house, which stands
in q freouented street, Immediately opposite
busy hotel; two sons and a servant are In the
house at the time; there are indications that
the fatal deed must have been preceded by
severe struggle; the murderer was probably
surprised by bis victim in the act of robbery,
and considerable noise must have been made
before the tragedy was accomplished. Yet
we are assured that none of the three
survivors in that house heard any disturb
ance, and no one saw the murderer enter OF
depart 1t is strange affair; but we can re-
member many crimes equally mysterious
crimes whose perpetrators never have been
discovered, and probably never will be- The
Rogers murder is still fresh in our recol-
lection. In that case man was Killed IN
broad daylight, in the open street, only 1ew
steps from Broadway, and the assassin lett
traces by which it might be supposed there
would be little difficulty in finding him. Yet
he never was traced, and the crime Will
probably never be punished by man. Inc
Burdell murder is a case OF the same
in the house when that man was killed, and
after all these years the mystery IS still I'M
solved. About the close of the year 1866,
young girl was murdered under very strange
circumstances in New-Orleans. She bore an
excellent character, and so far as anybody could
tell never had an enemy. 1t was evident from
footprints that the murderer was woman;
she had climbed high fence, entered the
house by secOnd-stOry window, and beaten
the girl to death with flat-iron Members OF
the family slept in the next room, but heard
no noise, and the criminal never was discov-
cred Five years ago two little children,
brother and sister, named Joyce, were
murdered in the woods near Roxbury, Massa-
chusetts. 1t has never been found out who killed
them. Some years ago young Mr. Embury of
New-York, a gentleman well-kDOwn and re-
spected. was murdered at Fishkill on his way
TO visit his betrothed He was found dead by
the roadside with bayonet wound in the
back, and his watch and money on his person.
He had no enemies, so far as known; he was
a gentleman of frank and estimable character;
and to this day his fate remains mystery.
If we chose to search our criminal records,
| or 10 90 back further, we might easily multi
ply instances of the mysteries of murder. We
| happep to have before us at this moment GER
tain police returns for the year 1866; later
statistics might be obtained, but the story
would be substantially the same 1t appears
that in NewYork City, during the year
referred to, there were exclusive OF
| deaths by drowning and other means which
might have been either accidents, suicides, or
murders) no fewer than II clear cases of
homicide. Only SO persons were arrested for
| these crimes, and the records of the courts
show only 10 convictions. That is to say, of
the perpetrators of unmistakabe lhOmicldes
more than 30 per cent were not arrested,
and nearly so per cent were not punished.
Justice is probably not substantially more
efficient in 1870 than it was in 1866.
The murderer of Mr.. Nathan has left some
marks which may help the police in searching
for him; but in many of the unsolved cases
of former years marks quite as distinct have
proved entirely useless. The police in this in
stance are without the clue which can often
be found in consideration of possible
motives for the crime, because here the
motive was undoubtedly robbery, which
gives no clue at all. Possibly the instrument
with which the fatal deed was done may lead
to discovery. A ship-carpenter's "dog" is
rarely seen outside of ship-yard, and if, as
people now seem to believe, the murderer
entered the house during the day and con-
cealed himself until the time came for the
commission of the crime, there is some hope
that it may be possible, by learning the ante
cedents of worlmen and others who have been
on the premises, to trace the weapon back to
the guilty hand. But at present the mystery
does not promise a speedy solution. The chief
difficulty of the case is its very simplicity.