Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1871-06-28
A HORRIBLE MYSTERY SOLVED.
The Story Of the Stolen Carriage and
Team Of 1854, and the Aatilatea
Body in the River.
A Prince Street Murder Confessed in
Australia.

Body in the River.
A Prince Street Murder Confessed in
Australia.
In October, 1861. five different pack
ages. containing the mutilated remains Of
human body were found floating in the
East river anc the bay at different times,
and in different places. the first having
been found on the Sd of October. and the
last on the 18th. All these fragments
were wrapped in heavy brown Manila
paper, enclosed ip enamled cloth used in
the construction of furniture and car
riages, the whole having been tied to-
gether with a strong cord. technically
known as "cod-line."
These discoveries created great deal
of excitement at the time. not only be-
cause of the horrible nature of the mur.
der, but also on account of the story of
the carriage stolen on Mercer street, on
the night of the murder. and of the GER
tainty in the public mind that the
thieves were the murderers, and the mys-
terry which subsequently, surrounded the
case. defying the utmost exertions of the
police to unravel it.
The dismembered limbs were carefully
put together by surgeons. and were
found to correspond in every particular,
nothing being wanting save the arms.
which were never found. The murdered
man had evidently been healthy and Wig
orous. and about thirty-6ve years old.
but no clew whatever could be discover.
ed as to the identity. That a horrible
murder had been committed was certain,
first because the body had been cut up
by inexperienced hands, thus proving
that dismemberment was not freak
on the part of medical students. and Sec
ondly because two bullet wounds. evil
IDENTIFY inflicted by a Smith & Wesson
revolver, were found in the skull. The
police, both of this city and Brooklyn
left no plan untried by which the perpe-
traitors of this terrible crime might be
detected but their labors were in vain.
The head was photographed, and copies
were sent to all police stations, through
out the country.
On the night preceding the finding of
the first package Patrick Flood, Brook
lyn hackman, drove three soldiers to No.
81 Mercer street. in this city. and entered
with them to drink. While he was in
the house two men came up leaped on
the box of bis carriage and drove away
Several hours later. as a severe storm
was abating, the carriage was driven in
to livery stable on Fulton avenue, near
Navy street, in Brooklyn, by man who
was closely wrapped in a thick gray
shawl, under which he wore a velvet
coat, broadcloth pantaloons, patent lea
ther boots, white linen, all new. and a
large diamond pin. The horses were
reeking with perspiration, and had evi
dently been driven furiously, one of them
having been lamed. The stranger left
the carriage at the stable and went away.
saying he would return. From that day
he was not seen.
After seven years this horrible mys-
terry has been apparently solved thus ::
According to a letter recently rec lived
by a friend of the murdered man, in
March last three men quarrelled at Sgd
ney, in Australia. A fight ensued, in
which one man was fatally stabbed. the
second shot and dangerously wounded,
and the third terrible beaten. The ruff
fans were arrested, and the third man in
prison made confession, duplicating
himself and bis companions in many
crimes, and among others in the murder
Of one Joseph Smith, deserter from the
twentieth Connecticut regiment, in this
city. in October, 1864.
From his story it appears that he, with
his two companions and Smith. on the
night of the Cd of October, were en-
gagged in debauch, they having made a
large sum of money by "bountyjump-
ing" Smith had $500 in his possession
and his villainous companions, resolving
to get this at all hazards. induced him to
leave the saloon here they were drink
ing, in Prince street, and enter a large
carpenters shop or carriage factory in
Prince street. where Smith lay down on a
bench and soon fell into drunken sleep
One Of the men then shot him through
the head. after which they cut up the
body with the tools in the place. and tied
up the fragments in the manner described
above. Two of the men then went out
to look for wagon, leaving, it is sup
posed. the third to clear away the traces
of their crime Then followed the theft
of Floods carriage. in which the gbastly
parcels were driven to lonely wharf in
j Williamsburg, and then thrown into the
river. The murderers Immediately chip
ped for Australia, and have since re-
mained in that country leading riotous
and vicious lives, until their arrest in
March.
The photograph Of the murdered man
has heen shown to the widow Of .Toaeph