The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-01-31
THE FIFTH WARD MURDER.
THE Almost INCREDIBLE DEPRAT-
ITr OF the AsSissIN.


out Home or frlends-The Fearful Ter
ninntion Of n Terrific Spree-Tbe stun
that the New lork Politicians Make
Available.
A post-mortem investigation Of the facts con.
ntcted With the murder OF WIN. Townsend occu.
pied the attention Of Deputy Coroner Shine yester
day. The victim was killed In bis own store, ie9
Hude0n ttreet, on Saturday evening, By o rufhsn
who described himself as . thief and gave the namc
Of Jack Reynolds. The scene OF the murder is
basement Of what vps formerly a fashionable dwell
ing house. The basement was years ago used asa
kitchen, but has recently been email grocery, the
rear part being occupied dwelling BY the store
keeper nnd his fanny.
Several stories arc tod about Reynoldss conduct
before he went 10 Town.end's store. IL ie known
that he had been drinking excessively two or three
weeks, and that he had taken enough liquor
on Saturday 10 make him deysh. lie mad been
begging 10 m insutins manner along Hudson street
that evening, and one woman who had refused 10
give him money had quid oftobaeco thrown In her
face. Ho afterwards entered slittle shoemsker's
shop In the basement OF iss Hudson street. two doors
rom tho soebo OF murder, and finding nothing else,
stole the sboemsher's knife with which he ol.r.
wards a.sassinsted Mr.. Towusepd.
The shoemakot's kniic had, when stolen, b!sde
about four nvs inches long, shsrpcncd at tho
point, aud much worn. Tie blade I. now broken
In half. the other half having been found in TpNn.
sends body by the deputy coroner yesterday.
wUAr LEp TO rus MURDER.
At about ten minute. pas; o'clock on Saturday
evening Reynolds went into Townsend store. the
proprietor coming ont Of the back room to NEE:
him, under the su'postion that the stranger was
customer Reynolds said he wanted TO stop there
ull nght. Reynolds next took sea, milk can,
aud was partly reclining on N beach in from, Of the
Tn soil be could n odate
Reynolds, rs be had not room enough for biz own
family consisting of wife and sik children. R-y.
nolds said he woud have TO stop there, snd as he
| was Mrs. TownseEis brother, lie was not golng to
| be turned ou'. Mrs. Townsend was absent at the
time, Ju, she Gays that tho claim Of relationship Is
falsc. Townsend Knowing that tue intruder did no,
speak the truth, tod him that he could not stop
there, ard requested him to 20 without giving lin
| further trouble Reynolds then began 10 be very
abusive and Townsend, again telling him to 20, sd.
yancyd, a. Y With tho Intention OF putuu: him oct.
TnE MURDER.
| Rcyrolds Immediately tpran: nom hi- semire.
| cumbcnt position and met Townsend halfway, at
| the same time ruuing oct th. sloenskel's knfc.
When Tuwnscrd laid hi. hsnd on tho lntIuier Rcy.
no,ds drew the sharp knife, seross h. antagonists
| wrist, cut ing him sbockin 'iy. Mr.. ToNn-end's
dsueh,cr. Harriet" seeing the knlie rd-hcd from the
doorway and seilQd H. but Reynolds drew the blade
through the ehids ha1d.. cutting the fingers bidy,
at tie saue time knocking her and the baby down.
The in an, badly hurt on the heat By the fall.
| Townsend finding himself wounded cried ou, for
| help Gnd struggle ensued, during which Reynolds
| tried to stab Townsend In the neck with the nten-
ton perhaps OF making him quit his hold bat
| Towrserd held him, and durlns THE scuNrs ,hoy
were brought near the front door. Reynolds then
| hIu.i the k.i'. Into Townscnl's lett breast. near
4 "a fr In n right noiut L u
etrltng tho right ycn,riele OF the be RI, spd The
blade breaking In half leaving the sharp snd ~ The
| br,s-t.
Then ths ruran broke sway and rushed NJ the
| step-, Townsend staggering toward the back roou
fa'lirr by tie he'd marked II IN tie diagram. The
whole scllr cia no, las, hn minute.
ruc rrasrir AND clTrrRr.
| Ac,irg Sergeant Tuck, OF the Fifth wurd police
at Tho tim. happened 10 reach the opposite corner o.
| Hudson street with RoundsmAn Robb. sni saw
E"ynoli' rush Mp the steps and run toward Caual
street. Hc rursued, giving An alarm q, the same
time and overlook Reynolds before be bad r.. .ched
Canal street. Reynolds attempted resistance. hot
the Sergeant appli the locus, vigorously, aud Hey.
nolds cried out for mercy. saying "Give Us ashow"
| serEesnt Tuck tEcn took the murderer TO the
| LEONARD street police station, where Rouud.rnIn
Rob told the SERGEANT that man had been stabbed.
Sergsunt Tuck after leaving Instructions for Roth
TO summon Dr. Kennedy. who lives IN I-.ighl street,
redia,ely stnrted on 10 the scene OF the murder
| Dr. KENNEDY was unable TO render any a-si-i anc',
| IN. sufferer died within i've minutes o! ,bG
| stabDnc.
THB FAMILY AND rHkIs coSDIrIoS
Tho Coroner having visited the scene Informally
prepare Tnwnssnd- body for the rrsvs, and the re-
main. were placed on tue bed utder the window in
| the bach room. Wien the representative OF Ing
srS visited the place At midnight on saturia' he
| found the nc,ghbors had gathered 10 sympathNe
| with the suffering family 80 highly Was Townsend
| eet.emel tle nsab bOOrhDOd. n at the
| of the Dupont House at once started suh'cr!p'lon
1T snong 'he boariers for the henent n he 'anily
and the Hon. N. g. Murphy agreed 20 defrSy the
eAp,nses Of the funeral.
TnE MURDERED NAN.
Wnll1u. Townsend wss born in Brmlng' am, Eng
| land, In ISIS. He had been in lllr county nbout
twenty iVo year, ard had always been inCu.tr Gus,
but Cnal,e 10 make nnytnns raorc than an ordHIr9
| living. lie had resided In the tinn Ward some
year; mo'ins along in quiet Way end respected
The po't norton examination having been male
yesterday and the precise cause of death ra!n.
Cd the iIquc.t Nua postponed until Tuesday next
Wien ne putty Coroner yi-ited the ri 9ner
| yesterday In hia cell, RaNuolis said he hoped he
to die yet"
N1seyIgw Win THE PRISONER.
A SUS reporter, late last evening, was admitted 10
the cell Of the murderer by Captain Petty n 9
prisoner WAS sucn, morose, and singullrly ndiicr.
cn a. nsy be seen in the following report Of our
| polter'S interview VITA him:
MroRTER-Where do you live when you are at
| homer
| hf1NblDr NWln an tNlutnt htsNinfu NlNhnk stare,
| pointing % tie floor Of the crln-llcTc
| hroHTEH-Guu must have hOuiO somewhere.
| Nh0c do you keep your cl0thCs'
| REI voLDs (Nlth a GINNING leer)-NO you don't t,
| hlsteri I'm too Old coon for thut.
| REPORTFG--iaye YOU father or mOthtri
REYEOLDs Yes, both bat they hain't got ro....
| ing to do with this little scrape; besides, dou't
know where 10 L-lthey are, IhGnt socd en- lvr
| hNe year.
RrroErER-will you not tell me whore you live
| where Your home i3i
REyNoLDs--rve already told You. I'm bO d-d II
| know
RsrokrER-You nust know tie horrible crime OF
| which you are accueedf
| RKYkoLDs-les, know something; but hanglnE
| for murder, You know, is played out, boss.
REPoHlkR-But surely you believe IN some hl,ure
| statc-sOmo hcrcaltCrf
| RrYNOLDs-Not q d--d hit OF II.
| kEPoRTEE-What induced you to murder man
| whom Il appears you never anew VT saw beluTo In
| your life.
| REYSoLDs-I don't know.
| RkPORTBR-Dd you ever meet Townsend be-
| forCt
REYSoIDs-WhO IL TowLsendi
kEroRTER-Nhy, the man yoU have murdered.
! hETSoLDs-No, | never saw hlm before that
| can recolloct.
| RrroRrrE-.why did you go Into the shoemaker
| shop and steal the knifot