Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-09-05
ANOTHER MYSTERY IN NEW YORK.
The Dead Body of Young Woman Found
IN 9 Trunk Checked for Chicago Trying
to Solve the Mystery, &c.

New York is never without mystery or
sensation The last one is the case of the un
! known young woman, supposed to be the vic
| tim OF an abortionlst, whose dead body wa
| found cramped in packing trunk at the Hud
son River railroad, checked for Chicago, as re-
ported by telegraph yesterday. We gather the
following particulars of the mysterious discov.
cry from the New York papers q
The body was entirely nude, and had been
shocklngly distorted in the effort to pack it in
so small space. In the top of the trunk and
covering the body were a comforter or heavy
bed quilt, piece of a blanket, coarse
mon material. All these things, much soiled,
emitted avery offensive odor
The scene at the depot after the discovery
was an exciting one. Railway officials rushed
up and down In search Of the woman who had
brought the trunk, and policemen were active
In their efforts to find some clue by which the
persons engaged in what now seemed clearly a
tragedy might be discovered The boy who
assisted the carman to carry the trunk into the
depot has a clearer recollection Of the woman
who had the trunk checked containing the body
than any other person who saw her. His story
is as follows:
THE STORY OF THE BOY.
My name is Alexander Potts: [ am II years
old, and live with my mother; I am around
the Hudson River railroad depot every day,
where | sell candy and papers, and carry light
baggage from the carriages on Saturday was
standing in front of the depot, ON Thirteenth
street. about one o'clock, when | saw a one
horse cab coming toward the depot from the
direction of Ninth avenue; the cab stopped in
front OF the ladies' entrance TO the depot, and
ran and opened the door of the cab, when
lady OOt ont sho vu q oaIioo droso
with thin alpaca shawl and had on small
jockey hat, without veil +; she wore no water
fall, but her hair was tied up in small knot
behind, and enclosed in net; she seemed to
be about eighteen or nineteen years old, and
her hands looked like those of working girl
as she got out of the cab she handed the cab
man a one dollar bill, and he drove off; she
then turned to me and said. Sonny, can you tell
me where the ticket office is" | asked her
how. far she was going, and she said she was
GOING TO CHICAGO.
then told her that if she went inside and
got her ticket she could then get her baggage
checked. She then went with me to the ticket
office. and, after inquirng the price Of ticket,
she handed the ticket clerk two twenty dollar
bills, and he returned the change, $l8, and
ticket The change he gave her was three five
dollar bills, a two dollar bill and one dollar bill
She then stood talking with the ticket clerk
about five minutes, but although was stand
ing near | did not hear what was said, because
| paid no attention. When she got through
talking with the clerk, she turned to me and
said that she had not intended to go to Chica-
go, but had b. 81 b s.
CHANGED HER MIND,
and guessed she would on account of her bag
gage told her that unless she went her bag
gage couldn't CO. She then asked me what
she should do about her baggage, and said it
would be there soon on Trips express wagon.
This wagon or truck was very small one,
with three bars painted red on each side, and
also with the name 'Trpp' painted upon one
of its panels. The truckman was old, of slight
stature, and wore the blue overals of COM
mon carman. He was greeted by the woman
as an old acquaintance. We then went out
side, and while standing in front of the depot
she saw wagon coming down the street from
the direction of Ninth avenue. She then
turned to me and said: Here comes my
man" and then beckoned with her finger to
him as ii to hurry him up. When the man
with the wagon saw her beckon he seemed to
drive faster. She then asked me if would
mind helping him in with the trunk, and said
that she would pay me. When the wagon
stopped in front of the baggage-room stepped
up to help the man place the truLk on the
but he woudn't let me, saying he'd
handle it himself He
LIFTED IT CAREFULLY,
and set it fat on the sidewalk I then took
one handle and he the other, and we carried it
into the baggage room. [ wanted to set the
trunk on its end, as they always do, when the
woman and the man both stopped me, saying
that the trunk contained glass, and it mustn't
be handled roughly | stepped up to the coun-
ter and told Frank, the baggage checker, that
the lady wanted to get her baggage checked to
Chicago. The truckman and | then took bold
of the trunk to place it on the counter, when
the lady placed her hands underneath the
trunk and assisted us. She said that she
would like to have an extra strap around the
trunk, and l told Frank what she said.-
Frank then told her that the strap would cost
her 81, and she answered, Il don't care for
the strap around the trunk and drove three
nails into it. She then gave Frank her ticket
and ST.. He punched the ticket and handed it
back to the woman with baggage check
She then turned to the truckman and said -
m much obliged to you for your trouble.
They then
SHOOK HANDS
and the truck man drove off, wishing her good
by. The woman and [ then went into the
street, and she handed me five cents. [ told
her tha, was not enough. and she gave me five
cents more and asked me to show her good
restauran. where she could get some dinner
[ went with her to Keenan's saloon on Ninth
avenue, between Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth
streets. When we got there she would not 60
in, but said she guessed she would go to her
friends, as she didn't have much time and very
little money She then left me and walked
down Ninth avenue, and went back to the
depot.
IN THE MORGUE.
The appearance of the body as it lay in the
trunk was frightful The trunk was but two
feet eight inches in length. yet the young wo-
man was over five feet in height, and had been
literally crushed into it. Her head was forced
over on her breast. and her limbs were drawn
up to the very fullest tension of the hgatures
in order to crowd the body into the narrowest
compass possible. The rags which covered the
body had evidently been selected for the pur-
pose because of their worthlessness. The pill
low cases which were among the number had
pieces torn out of the open ends, evidently to
remove the name which had probably been
written on them. The young woman was
doubtless very beautiful. She was about twenty
years of age, and tangled mass of the most
beautiful golden hair fell over her shoulders. -
The limbs were white and shapely, and the
feet tiny and delicate The arms and hands
well-shaped, and every feature showed refine
ment and grace The small exquisitely cut
face was terribly discolored, and the mouth dis
torted by suffering the teeth fine and white.
THE POST MoRTEM EXAMINATION.
DIR. Cushman, deputy coroner, yesterday
went to the morgue and made a post naorten
| examination of the body. He found it as il