New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-03-08
DEATH OF F. W. PERKINS

A report, early yesterday morning, that
Major F. w. Perkins, shipping and commits
sion merchant. of No. 26 Carondelet street,
had been found murdered in his office, ere
ated an unusual excitement in the business
portion of our city. Almost every citizen
had story or theory of his own, and exag
geratcd statements were made on the
streets.
About six O'clock in the morning Toby
Brown, porter for the office, having key,
entered the room to perform his ordinary
duties. He was met by a terrible sight
his employer, Mr.. +. w. Perkins, lying on
the office floor dead, with a bullet hole in
his head from which had flowed pool Of
blood. Toby was so Mortified that he could
not stop to make close examination, but
Immediately retired, locking the door after
him, then with haste proceeding to the resi-
dence of Mr.. w. +. Perkins, a brother Of
the deceased.
That gentleman was found, and instantly
repaired to the office. after which the ter
rible circumstance was made public, and
the police notified. A critical examination
was entered into, and every circumstance
noted. Deceased was lying on his back, a
large hole in the side of his head, and pis
tOl lying near him. The weapon is of the
Ballard patent, single barrel, large rihed
bore. and loads with cartridge-a powerful
pistol.
Coroner Creagh, in the presence of sew
eral persons, examined the body, and dis
covered confusion on the back of the
head. just where it touched the floor. A
| bunch of keys was lying on the floor,
among which was the key belonging to the
open safe; also the front door key. 1t ap-
peared as if the bunch had been dropped
carelessly. Five hundred dollars in the
open safe had not been touched. In the in
| side vest pocket lay his gold watch, and in
another pocket was found a package of
letters and papers. The only indication
about the body leading to the belief that
he had been robbed was the fact of two
pockets being wrong side out. Here is a
| circumstance which needs solution.
When the porter entered he noticed that
| a gas burner was lighted, an unusual cir
cumstance. There are two iron safes in the
room, and the door of one was opcn books
| and papers disarranged, which was about
all that wore a conspicuous look, unless, as
| is stated, his pockets were turned inside
| out. But it does not appear that anything g
| had been stolen, or that any attempt had
| been made to force open the large safe or
| desks. There were actually no signs of
violence about the premises, as if burglar
had been operating A screw-driver, a
wrench and poker belonging to the Office
were not in their usual positions, but it does
not appear that they had been recently
| employed.
| The belief that he had been murdered
| gained full credence, especially after DR.
| Cooper made the following:
| At an autopsy held this seventh day of
March, 1871, on the body of Frank w. Per
! kins. lying in his office. at No. 20 CarOndelet
| street, death was found to have been caused
| by pistol shot, the ball entering the head
| on the right side, about one and a half
inches above the ear, passing slightly down
| ward. and vas found in the brain at the
| connection of the two lobes of the brain
| (the cerebellum and cerebrum). The skull
was badly fractured by blows across the
| head, breaking the bone and mashing part
of the bone into the brain.
j. B. COOPER, City Physician
| Citizens. who are not surgeons, having
examined the corpse, are emphatic in as
serting that the doctor is slightly mistaken
about the blows across the head: that there
was only one place where the skull was
fractured, and that Oh the portion resting
| on the floor. However. this will probably
be definitely settled when testimony is
taken by the Coroner which will be to-day.
Four or FIVE witnesses are summoned.
Two witnesses, one the proprietor of
Johns pistol gallery, and one of his en-
ployes, who were called on to look at the
pistol. recognized it as one they sold to Mr..
Perkins last Monday evening. At the time
of making the purchase Mr.. Perkins made
particular inquiries concerning its capacity,
and required an attendant to load it, as he
wished to shoot at target. A cartridge
was placed in the barrel, when he walked
half way down the alley and fired, then
stepped up to the target and examined the
spot where the bullet struck. He then
bought the weapon and box o. cartridges
Both men were yesterday sent for to see
the deceased, and they recognized him as
the customer of the previous day; they
also identified the pistol.
Mr. Perkins and his wife visited the fam
ily of well known citizen Monday evening,
but came down town about eight o'clock,
and he was in his usual good spirits, for he
was naturally of lively temperament and
almost invariably in pleasant humor. His
daily habits were uncommonly regular and
he was an unusually Industrious man, sell
dom leaving his business for pleasure. He
was the head of the Alliance line of steam
ers from this port to Florida and Havana,
and had the mail contract
He was at one time member OF the Board
of Assistant Aldermen, and took an active
part in the city administration.
Mr. Francis William Perkins was born in
Boston in 1910, and was consequently thirty
one years old at the time of his unfortunate
demise He entered Dartmouth College,
New Haven. in the year 1857, and graduated
with honor in 1861. On leaving college, he
Joined the Second Regiment New Hampshire
Volunteer Infantry, and was subsequently
appointed captain and assistant quarter
master He served with the army of North
ern Eirgi mia about two y ears, when he was
transferred to the Department OF the Gulf,
and appointed by Major General Candy to
the charge of the water transportation of
the gulf He early, after his arrival, won a
high reputation among our citizens and his